Advances in Power Electronics Applied to the Generation, Storage, and Aware Use of Thermal Energy

Dear Colleagues,

The ongoing transition toward sustainable thermal energy systems has placed increasing attention on the integration of renewable energy sources (RES) for local generation, storage, management, and use of thermal energy. In this context, collaborative local networks that share heating and cooling resources emerge as promising models for decentralized, energy-efficient solutions. Nevertheless, the aspect related to the thermal uses of energy is too often overlooked and forgotten, yet it is fundamental to the decarbonization process, as approximately 50% of consumption at the European level concerns air conditioning services, and, to date, only about 25% of this energy is covered by renewable sources. However, realizing the full potential of thermal energy employment from RES requires sophisticated power electronic systems capable of interfacing and managing, efficiently and reliably, diverse energy sources, storage devices, and thermal loads. Advances in power electronics are therefore essential to enabling real-time energy forecasting and balancing, improving power quality, and facilitating intelligent control across hybrid energy infrastructures, also fostering awareness of thermal energy consumption.

This Special Issue aims to present recent innovations and research in the field of power electronics that directly support the development and operation of Thermal Energy Users. As a multidisciplinary topic, this collection is well-aligned with the scope of Electronics, providing a platform for researchers and practitioners in power electronics, control systems, renewable integration, and energy systems engineering to share findings that contribute to smarter, aware, and more resilient thermal energy usage.

We welcome original research papers and review articles on topics including, but not limited to, the following:

• Power converter design for hybrid thermal-electrical energy systems;
• Control strategies for integrating heat pumps, thermal storage, and RES;
• Power electronics for bidirectional energy flow and peer-to-peer energy exchange;
• Real-time monitoring and control of TECs via digital electronics and IoT;
• Grid interaction and stability of TECs with high renewable penetration;
• Modeling and simulation tools for power electronic systems in community-scale thermal networks;
• Information systems on thermal consumption to increase the awareness of final users;
• Application of smart technologies to improve and facilitate thermal energy monitoring, fostering energy efficiency.

We look forward to your contributions to this exciting and evolving field.

Dr. Alessandro Lorenzo Palma
Dr. Luca La Notte
Guest Editors

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