Announcements

MDPI is delighted to announce the establishment of the Michele Parrinello Award. Named in honor of Professor Michele Parrinello, the award celebrates his exceptional contributions and his profound impact on the field of computational physical science research.

The award will be presented biennially to distinguished scientists who have made outstanding achievements and contributions in the field of computational physical science—spanning physics, chemistry, and materials science.

About Professor Michele Parrinello

"Do not be afraid of new things. I see it many times when we discuss a new thing that young people are scared to go against the mainstream a little bit, thinking what is going to happen to me and so on. Be confident that what you do is meaningful, and do not be afraid, do not listen too much to what other people have to say.”

——Professor Michele Parrinello

Born in Messina in 1945, he received his degree from the University of Bologna and is currently affiliated with the Italian Institute of Technology. Professor Parrinello is known for his many technical innovations in the field of atomistic simulations and for a wealth of interdisciplinary applications ranging from materials science to chemistry and biology. Together with Roberto Car, he introduced ab initio molecular dynamics, also known as the Car–Parrinello method, marking the beginning of a new era both in the area of electronic structure calculations and in molecular dynamics simulations. He is also known for the Parrinello–Rahman method, which allows crystalline phase transitions to be studied by molecular dynamics. More recently, he has introduced metadynamics for the study of rare events and the calculation of free energies.

For his work, he has been awarded many prizes and honorary degrees. He is a member of numerous academies and learned societies, including the German Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften, the British Royal Society, and the Italian Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, which is the major academy in his home country of Italy.

Award Committee

The award committee will be chaired by Professor Xin-Gao Gong, a computational condensed matter physicist, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and professor at the Department of Physics, Fudan University. Professor Xin-Gao Gong will lead a panel of several senior experts in the field to oversee the evaluation and selection process. The Institute for Computational Physical Sciences at Fudan University (Shanghai, China), led by Professor Xin-Gao Gong, will serve as the supporting institute for the award.

"We hope the Michele Parrinello Award will recognize scientists who have made significant contributions to the field of computational condensed matter physics and at the same time set a benchmark for the younger generation, providing clear direction for their pursuit—this is precisely the original intention behind establishing the award."

——Professor Xin-Gao Gong

The first edition of the award was officially launched on 1 November 2025. Nominations will be accepted before the end of March 2026. For further details, please visit mparrinelloaward.org.

About the MDPI Sustainability Foundation and MDPI Awards

The Michele Parrinello Award is part of the MDPI Sustainability Foundation, which is dedicated to advancing sustainable development through scientific progress and global collaboration. The foundation also oversees the World Sustainability Award, the Emerging Sustainability Leader Award, and the Tu Youyou Award. The establishment of the Michele Parrinello Award will further enrich the existing award portfolio, providing continued and diversified financial support to outstanding professionals across various fields. 

In addition to these foundation-level awards, MDPI journals also recognize outstanding contributions through a range of honors, including Best Paper Awards, Outstanding Reviewer Awards, Young Investigator Awards, Travel Awards, Best PhD Thesis Awards, Editor of Distinction Awards, and others. These initiatives aim to recognize excellence across disciplines and career stages, contributing to the long-term vitality and sustainability of scientific research.

Find more information on awards here.

We are honored to recognize the 2024 MDPI Top 1000 Reviewers—scholars whose exemplary commitment to rigorous and constructive peer review is vital in upholding the highest standards of academic publishing.

Selected from a distinguished pool of 215,000 reviewers from 65 countries and regions worldwide, these honorees stand out for their exceptional expertise, diligence, and dedication to advancing research through timely and thoughtful reviews. Their constructive and impartial feedback ensures the publication of high-quality, impactful research, while their timely reviews facilitate swift revisions and faster publication of innovative work.

Peer review is the invisible foundation of academic progress. With gratitude and respect, we celebrate these 1000 scholars who made that foundation stronger in 2024. We respected all privacy preferences, with part of nominees opting for limited attribution.

The names of these reviewers are listed below in alphabetical order by first name:

We are pleased to announce updates to our article template, aimed at improving the readability and visual appeal of our publications. The following updates will be applied to articles published in volumes in 2026, starting from 19 December 2025.

Left information bar:

• Updated the logo and URL for “Check for updates”;
• Removed the “Citation” section (Note: Citation details remain accessible via “Cite” in the online article version);
• Changed the link in “Copyright” to a hyperlink format.

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• Added a DOI link at the bottom-right corner of each page.

The updated template is now available for download from the Instructions for Authors page of each journal.

We hope that the new version of the template will provide users with better experience and make the process more convenient.

For any questions or suggestions, please contact our production team at production@mdpi.com.

We are delighted to share an outstanding achievement with you all. Our journal is proud to announce that 25 of our esteemed Editorial Board Members have been recognized as highly cited researchers for the year 2025 by Clarivate^TM.

This prestigious distinction is a testament to the impactful work and significant contributions these scholars have made to their respective fields. Their research has not only advanced scientific knowledge but has also inspired and influenced countless researchers worldwide.

The highly cited researchers list identifies scientists and social scientists who have demonstrated significant influence through their most cited works in their field. This recognition is a reflection of the exceptional quality, creativity, and impact of their research.

The following is a list of Energies’ Editorial Board Members named highly cited researchers in 2025:

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to each of these distinguished individuals for this well-deserved honor. Their inclusion in this list is a proud moment for our journal and a validation of the high standards we uphold in academic publishing.

Please join us in celebrating this remarkable accomplishment. We are grateful for their continued dedication and leadership in driving the frontiers of research and look forward to their future contributions.

Once again, congratulations to our Editorial Board Members on this prestigious recognition.

We are pleased to highlight several papers written by Chinese academicians that were published in Energies (ISSN: 1996-1073) in 2024. We would like to invite you to explore this selection of high-quality papers, which may be of interest to you.

1. “Allowable Pillar Width for Salt Cavern Gas Storage Based on Triangular Well Layout: A Case Study in China”
by Rui Cai, Hongling Ma, Xiaopeng Liang, Kai Zhao and Chunhe Yang
Energies 2024, 17(2), 324; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17020324
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/2/324

2. “The Research and Development of a Jet Disturbance Combustion System for Heavy-Duty Diesel Engines”
by Yize Liu, Wanhua Su, Binyang Wu and Jiayong Wang
Energies 2024, 17(5), 1065; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17051065
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/5/1065

3. “Mean Droplet Size Prediction of Twin Swirl Airblast Nozzle at Elevated Operating Conditions”
by Jiaming Miao, Bo Wang, Guangming Ren and Xiaohua Gan
Energies 2024, 17(20), 5027; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17205027
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/20/5027

4. “Improvement of Heat Transfer Correlation for Fluoroplastic Steel Heat Exchanger and Theoretical Analysis of Application Characteristics”
by Kai Li, Zhihao Meng, Hong Feng, Yihong Wang, Qi Wang and Xiang Gao
Energies 2024, 17(20), 5054; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17205054
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/20/5054

5. “Key Issues of Salt Cavern Flow Battery”
by Si Huang, Yinping Li, Xilin Shi, Yahua Liu, Hongling Ma, Peng Li, Yuanxi Liu, Xin Liu, Mingnan Xu and Chunhe Yang
Energies 2024, 17(20), 5190; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17205190
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/20/5190

We are pleased to highlight several papers written by Chinese academicians that were published in Energies (ISSN: 1996-1073) in 2023. We would like to invite you to explore this selection of high-quality papers, which may be of interest to you.

1. “Study on Artificial Filter Cake Evaluation Method of Oleophilic Nano-Plugging Agent”
by Feng Dai, Pingya Luo, Chunlin Wu, Rui Wang, Yingmin Liu and Weian Huang
Energies 2023, 16(8), 3559; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16083559
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/8/3559

2. “Analytical Calculation of Air Gap Magnetic Field of SPMSM with Eccentrically Cut Poles Based on Magnetic Pole Division”
by Jiahe Zhang, Jiapei Hu, Guobiao Gu and Fangmian Du
Energies 2023, 16(11), 4450; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16114450
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/11/4450

3. “Study on the Effect of Exhaust Gas Recirculation Coupled Variable Geometry Turbocharger and Fuel Quantity Control on Transient Performance of Turbocharged Diesel Engine”
by Wenyu Gu and Wanhua Su
Energies 2023, 16(16), 6008; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16166008
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/16/6008

4. “Design and Analysis of an Axial Center-Piercing Hydrocyclone”
by Yang Gao, He Liu, Jiaqing Yu, Xiaojie Zhao, Gang Cao, Qinghai Yang, Deli Jia and Lichen Zheng
Energies 2023, 16(19), 6800; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16196800
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/19/6800

5. “Energy Transitions in Yunnan Province Based on Production Function Theory”
by Meng Peng, Li Tan, Huan Li, Jin Wu, Tao Ma, Hongzhang Xu, Jiayu Xu, Weidong Zhao and Jiming Hao
Energies 2023, 16(21), 7299; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16217299
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/21/7299

6. “Deepwater PDC Jetting Bit-Drilling Technology Based on Well Structure Slimming”
by Weiguo Zhang, Deli Gao, Yijin Zeng and De Yan
Energies 2023, 16(21), 7394; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16217394
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/21/7394

7. “Energy-Saving Control Method for Factory Mushroom Room Air Conditioning Based on MPC”
by Mingfei Wang, Wengang Zheng, Chunjiang Zhao, Yang Chen, Chunling Chen and Xin Zhang
Energies 2023, 16(22), 7623; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16227623
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/22/7623

8. “Study of Impact of Sediment on the Stability of Salt Cavern Underground Gas Storage”
by Xiaopeng Liang, Hongling Ma, Rui Cai, Kai Zhao, Xuan Wang, Zhuyan Zheng, Xilin Shi and Chunhe Yang
Energies 2023, 16(23), 7825; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16237825
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/23/7825

We are thrilled to share the updated Exceptional Reviewers List for 2025. This program was designed to recognize and honor scholars who have delivered consistently exceptional review reports to our journal. Committed to fostering rigorous research and promoting knowledge exchange, Energies (ISSN: 1996-1073) recognizes the significant role our reviewers play in maintaining the quality and integrity of the articles we publish. According to surveys conducted in 2024, 92% of our authors rate the peer-review process as being good or excellent, thanks to our pool of excellent reviewers.

We spoke with Dr. Federico Minelli, one of the Exceptional Reviewers for 2025, to hear about his scientific research experience.

Name: Dr. Federico Minelli
Affiliation: Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, Piazzale V. Tecchio, 80, 80125 Naples, Italy

1. Could you give a brief introduction of yourself to the readers?
My name is Federico Minelli, and I conduct research in applied thermodynamics and heat transfer for buildings. My research includes robust energy optimization of building HVAC systems, smart building systems, energy efficiency, and the integration of renewable energy systems in buildings. I collaborate with researchers across Europe, North America, Africa, and Asia.

2. How was your experience of reviewing for Energies?
The reviewing system is very straightforward and efficient. The platform is intuitive to use and actually is probably one of my favorite platforms among those I have used as a reviewer. Communicating with the editorial team is easy and the editorial office responds promptly to requests, which supports rigorous, timely reviews and predictable timelines for both reviewers and authors.

3. Do you have any suggestions for improving our review process?
Tangible reviewer recognition (e.g., discounts or other benefits) can help sustain high-quality reviews. Considering the increasing use of AI-assisted technologies, a systematic editorial check of references and other sensitive elements of manuscripts could enhance reliability without slowing the process. At the moment, uncontrolled use of AI is my main concern. For example, it is often difficult for reviewers to verify the coherence of all the references, so introducing an editorial step in which an assistant editor performs this task would help.

4. What motivated you to participate actively in the peer review process, and what do you find most rewarding about it?
I treat reviewing as a collaboration. I help authors strengthen their work and provide constructive feedback to support improvements. In turn, it helps me stay up to date on current and emerging research trends. It also informs my editorial actions and responsibilities.

5. How do you manage your time and balance your responsibilities as a researcher and a reviewer?
I find both research and reviewing to be rewarding, focused activities. I usually schedule dedicated time slots in the early and late hours of the workday to review papers and stay updated on recent publications. I also read during my morning commute. I typically plan one-hour sessions for reviewing, to maintain focus. For each review, I perform two passes (overview first, then technical details).

6. What advice would you give to early career researchers who are starting to participate in peer reviews?
My first suggestion to scholars in their early career or doctoral stages is to discuss their review with supervisors before submitting it. At the beginning, consider co-reviewing with them. Also, read papers at several levels: first for overall consistency, then for details. Provide actionable suggestions rather than general impressions and state a clear recommendation with reasons. Don’t skip reading sections that are sometimes taken for granted, such as methods or equations. Since technical correctness is primarily assessed by reviewers, give methods and equations careful attention.

7. How do you see the role of reviewers evolving with the advancements in artificial intelligence and automated tools in research publishing?
I am not against the use of AI, but authors who use it should always provide a clear declaration. AI can improve how we manage scientific research, write papers, and communicate scientific results. However, it is our responsibility to ensure the human component remains central. Scientific judgment should remain human, and AI use should be thoroughly disclosed. It is also an important editorial responsibility to perform in-depth checks. Ensuring that reviewers are human and not AI agents is paramount for the trustworthiness of the process. Implementing measures that discourage verbatim pasting into the review system from external sources could help. However, targeted editorial checks of review reports can also raise quality without intrusive measures.

We are excited to announce that MDPI will be attending the MRS Fall Meeting and Exhibit, taking place from 30 November to 5 December 2025, in Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Join us at the world’s foremost international scientific gathering for materials research, the MRS Meeting showcases leading interdisciplinary research in both fundamental and applied areas presented by scientists from around the world.

Why visit MDPI’s booth?

• Explore our open access journals covering coloring matters, electronic materials, technology, materials degradation, and more;
• Meet our team and learn how to publish your research with MDPI;
• Discover partnership opportunities and how MDPI supports the scientific community;
• Get exclusive conference materials and gifts.

The following MDPI journals will be represented at the conference:

• Batteries;
• Coatings;
• Electronic Materials;
• Spectroscopy Journal;
• Physics;
• Journal of Functional Biomaterials;
• Energies;
• Chemosensors;
• Methane;
• Corrosion and Materials Degradation;
• Colorants;
• Microplastics;
• Materials.

MDPI recently conducted a successful Academic Publishing Workshop in collaboration with the University of Southampton Malaysia. The session was designed to equip researchers and PhD students with advanced skills in publication strategy and navigating the future of scholarly communication. The session provided valuable insights to faculty and students alike, ensuring they remain competitive and ethical in the global research landscape.

Strategic Insights on Publication Trends

The workshop kicked off with Dr. Nicholas Cho presenting an in-depth session on “Web of Science—Publication Trends and Hot Topics Identification”. This segment focused on empowering researchers to utilize the Web of Science platform strategically. 

Dr. Cho demonstrated practical methods for analyzing global research data, allowing attendees to identify emerging research fronts and pinpoint “hot topics” that are attracting high-impact attention. This training is crucial for making informed decisions on where to focus research efforts and selecting the most appropriate journals for submission. 

Navigating the AI Revolution in Publishing

Following the data-driven segment, Ms. Stefania Hetrea led a timely and critical discussion on “Artificial Intelligence in the Scientific Publishing Industry: New Challenges”. Ms. Hetrea provided a comprehensive overview of how AI tools, such as Large Language Models (LLMs), are reshaping the publishing process. 

The session addressed both the opportunities AI provides for efficiency and the crucial ethical and practical challenges it introduces. Key discussions focused on maintaining academic integrity and understanding evolving publisher policies regarding the use of AI-generated content.

The collaborative workshop, successfully hosted by the University of Southampton Malaysia and delivered by MDPI, offered a potent blend of strategic data analysis and forward-looking guidance on ethical publishing. 

The expertise shared by Dr. Nicholas Cho and Ms. Stefania Hetrea provided attendees with the tools necessary to enhance their research impact and confidently navigate the evolving world of scientific publishing.