Announcements

1. “Exploring Hydrogen Embrittlement: Mechanisms, Consequences, and Advances in Metal Science”
by Dinara Sobola and Rashid Dallaev
Energies 2024, 17(12), 2972; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17122972
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/12/2972

2. “Review of Cell-Balancing Schemes for Electric Vehicle Battery Management Systems”
by Adnan Ashraf, Basit Ali, Mothanna S. A. Alsunjury, Hakime Goren, Halise Kilicoglu, Faysal Hardan and Pietro Tricoli
Energies 2024, 17(6), 1271; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17061271
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/6/1271

3. “A Comprehensive Review of Nanotechnology Applications in Oil and Gas Well Drilling Operations”
by Alhaitham M. Alkalbani and Girma T. Chala
Energies 2024, 17(4), 798; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17040798
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/4/798

4. “A Review on the Anaerobic Co-Digestion of Livestock Manures in the Context of Sustainable Waste Management”
by Rahul Kadam, Sangyeol Jo, Jonghwa Lee, Kamonwan Khanthong, Heewon Jang and Jungyu Park
Energies 2024, 17(3), 546; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17030546
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/3/546

5. “Using Solar PV and Stationary Storage to Buffer the Impact of Electric Minibus Charging in Grid-Constrained Sub-Saharan Africa”
by Johan H. Giliomee, Brendan G. Pretorius, Larissa Füßl, Bernd Thomas and Marthinus J. Booysen
Energies 2024, 17(2), 457; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17020457
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/2/457

6. “LSTM-Autoencoder Deep Learning Model for Anomaly Detection in Electric Motor”
by Fadhila Lachekhab, Messouada Benzaoui, Sid Ahmed Tadjer, Abdelkrim Bensmaine and Hichem Hamma
Energies 2024, 17(10), 2340; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17102340
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/10/2340

7. “Overview on Permanent Magnet Motor Trends and Developments”
by Vasileios I. Vlachou, Georgios K. Sakkas, Fotios P. Xintaropoulos, Maria Sofia C. Pechlivanidou, Themistoklis D. Kefalas, Marina A. Tsili and Antonios G. Kladas
Energies 2024, 17(2), 538; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17020538
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/2/538

8. “A Review of Passive Solar Heating and Cooling Technologies Based on Bioclimatic and Vernacular Architecture”
by Julia Lima Toroxel and Sandra Monteiro Silva
Energies 2024, 17(5), 1006; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17051006
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/5/1006

9. “Economic Dispatch Optimization Strategies and Problem Formulation: A Comprehensive Review”
by Fatemeh Marzbani and Akmal Abdelfatah
Energies 2024, 17(3), 550; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17030550
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/3/550

10. “Cooling Techniques for Enhanced Efficiency of Photovoltaic Panels—Comparative Analysis with Environmental and Economic Insights”
by Tarek Ibrahim, Mohamad Abou Akrouch, Farouk Hachem, Mohamad Ramadan, Haitham S. Ramadan and Mahmoud Khaled
Energies 2024, 17(3), 713; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17030713
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/3/713

We cordially invite you to attend the 1st International Online Conference on Inventions—Energy Security and Sustainable Development organized by MDPI Inventions (ISSN: 2411-5134). It will take place virtually from 25 to 26 June 2026.

Conference Chair: Prof. Dr. Eugen Rusu, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University Dunarea de Jos of Galati, Romania

The topics of interest:
S1. Energy transition, decarbonization, and environmental policy;
S2. Advanced sustainable energy conversion systems;
S3. Energy system analysis and modeling;
S4. Advances and challenges in extracting offshore energy;
S5. Hydrogen and other strategies to decarbonize energy systems. 

Important dates:
Abstract Submission Deadline: 27 February 2026;
Abstract Acceptance Notification: 27 March 2026;
Free Registration Deadline: 22 June 2026.

Guide for authors:
To submit your abstract, please click on the following link: https://sciforum.net/user/submission/create/1468.

To register for the event, please click on the following link: https://sciforum.net/event/IOCIV2026?section=#registration.

For details regarding Abstract Submission, Poster and Slide Submission, and Publication Opportunities, you may refer to the “Instructions for Authors” section: https://sciforum.net/event/IOCIV2026?section=#instructions.

For any enquiries regarding the event, please contact iociv2026@mdpi.com.

We look forward to seeing you at the 1st International Online Conference on Inventions—Energy Security and Sustainable Development.

We are pleased to announce that Energies (ISSN: 1996-1073) ranked 10th under the subcategory “Sustainable Energy” in the latest released 2025 Google Scholar Metrics on 22 July 2025. The latest release covers papers published from 2020 to 2024 and includes citations from all articles that were indexed in Google Scholar as of July 2025.

The h5-index of Energies is 148, and the h5-median is 197. We express our gratitude to all the editors, reviewers, authors and readers of Energies for your support for the journal.

(source: 2025 Google Scholar Metrics)

You are welcome to browse the most cited publications over the last 5 years here.

Please feel free to contact us at energies@mdpi.com if you have any questions or suggestions for Energies.

Supplementary explanations:

• Scholar Metrics—provide an easy way for authors to quickly gauge the visibility and influence of recent articles in scholarly publications;
• h5-index—The h5-index is the h-index for articles published in the last 5 complete years. H articles published in 2020-2024 have at least h citations each;
• h5-median—The h5-median for a publication is the median number of citations for the articles that make up its h5-index.

1. “Hydrogen Safety Challenges: A Comprehensive Review on Production, Storage, Transport, Utilization, and CFD-Based Consequence and Risk Assessment”
by Marcella Calabrese, Maria Portarapillo, Alessandra Di Nardo, Virginia Venezia, Maria Turco, Giuseppina Luciani and Almerinda Di Benedetto
Energies 2024, 17(6), 1350; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17061350
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/6/1350

2. “Assessing the Costs of Commercialising Tidal Energy in the UK”
by Donald R. Noble, Kristofer Grattan and Henry Jeffrey
Energies 2024, 17(9), 2085; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17092085
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/9/2085

3. “Hydrogen-Powered Vehicles: Comparing the Powertrain Efficiency and Sustainability of Fuel Cell versus Internal Combustion Engine Cars”
by Kirill Durkin, Ali Khanafer, Philip Liseau, Adam Stjernström-Eriksson, Arvid Svahn, Linnéa Tobiasson, Tatiana Santos Andrade and Jimmy Ehnberg
Energies 2024, 17(5), 1085; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17051085
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/5/1085

4. “Energy Forecasting: A Comprehensive Review of Techniques and Technologies”
by Aristeidis Mystakidis, Paraskevas Koukaras, Nikolaos Tsalikidis, Dimosthenis Ioannidis and Christos Tjortjis
Energies 2024, 17(7), 1662; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17071662
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/7/1662

5. “Enhancing the Performance of Savonius Wind Turbines: A Review of Advances Using Multiple Parameters”
by Anesu Godfrey Chitura, Patrick Mukumba and Ndanduleni Lethole
Energies 2024, 17(15), 3708; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17153708
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/15/3708

6. “The Influence of the Global Energy Crisis on Energy Efficiency: A Comprehensive Analysis”
by Bożena Gajdzik, Radosław Wolniak, Rafał Nagaj, Brigita Žuromskaitė-Nagaj and Wieslaw Wes Grebski
Energies 2024, 17(4), 947; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17040947
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/4/947

7. “Electric Vehicles—An Overview of Current Issues—Part 1—Environmental Impact, Source of Energy, Recycling, and Second Life of Battery”
by Marek Guzek, Jerzy Jackowski, Rafał S. Jurecki, Emilia M. Szumska, Piotr Zdanowicz and Marcin Żmuda
Energies 2024, 17(1), 249; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17010249
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/1/249

8. “E-Fuels: A Comprehensive Review of the Most Promising Technological Alternatives towards an Energy Transition”
by Sonia Dell’Aversano, Carlo Villante, Katia Gallucci, Giuseppina Vanga and Andrea Di Giuliano
Energies 2024, 17(16), 3995; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17163995
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/16/3995

9. “Reinforcement Learning Model-Based and Model-Free Paradigms for Optimal Control Problems in Power Systems: Comprehensive Review and Future Directions”
by Elinor Ginzburg-Ganz, Itay Segev, Alexander Balabanov, Elior Segev, Sivan Kaully Naveh, Ram Machlev, Juri Belikov, Liran Katzir, Sarah Keren and Yoash Levron
Energies 2024, 17(21), 5307; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17215307
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/21/5307

10. “AI-Driven Innovations in Building Energy Management Systems: A Review of Potential Applications and Energy Savings”
by Dalia Mohammed Talat Ebrahim Ali, Violeta Motuzienė and Rasa Džiugaitė-Tumėnienė
Energies 2024, 17(17), 4277; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17174277
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/17/4277

The Outstanding Reviewer Award is given annually in recognition of reviewers who generously contribute their time to reviewing papers and display thoroughness, professionalism, and timeliness in doing so.

We spoke with Dr. Zhengmao Li, winner of the Energies 2024 Outstanding Reviewer Award, to hear his opinions and ask about his experiences with scientific research and awards.

Name: Dr. Zhengmao Li
Affiliation: Aalto University, Finland
Research interests: combined heat and power; hydrogen; multi-energy system planning and operation

1. Could you give a brief introduction of yourself to the readers?
My name is Zhengmao Li, and I am an assistant professor at Aalto University. I work in the power and energy area, with a focus on smart grids and hydrogen. Thank you for the award, and I am happy to contribute further to the journal.

2. How was your experience reviewing for Energies?
My experience was excellent, first of all because Energies has a strong focus on its responsibility to authors and readers. For example, if a reviewer misses a deadline, the system will send a reminder. This is very helpful, because we are very busy, but this mechanism guarantees that the review is submitted on time. This also ensures that the process will stay on track. This shows respect for the authors’ work, and I hope all MDPI journals use this mechanism.

3. Do you have any suggestions for improving our review process?
The current system works very well, and if I were to suggest something, it would be to focus on reviewers who are experts on the topic of the paper. If more related research could be recommended to me, I would be more than happy to accept the invitations.

4. In your opinion, which research topics will be of particular interest to the research community in the coming years?
Some interesting topics will be energy systems, energy management and optimization, smart grid, and AI applications in energy systems.

5. What motivated you to participate actively in the peer review process, and what do you find most rewarding about it?
This gives me the opportunity to learn new things and broaden my perspective; the peer review process helps me grow as a researcher.

6. How do you manage your time and balance your responsibilities as a researcher and a reviewer?
My primary focus is my research; however, I like to integrate reviewing into my work when I need a break or a change in pace. It is a very good way of recharging while also engaging in meaningful academic work.

7. What advice would you give to early career researchers who are starting to participate in peer reviews?
The most important aspect is not to treat reviewing responsibilities as a burden but as a learning opportunity. It is a good chance to cultivate and deepen our research understanding.

8. How do you see the role of reviewers evolving with the advancements in artificial intelligence and automated tools in research publishing?
AI can be a useful tool for improving language and summarizing the main contents of a text. AI cannot replace a human when it comes to evaluating the scientific contribution of a paper or making editorial decisions. The peer review process will still rely heavily on human experience and judgement, and it will be strongly influenced by experience.

The Outstanding Reviewer Award is given annually in recognition of reviewers who generously contribute their time to reviewing papers and display thoroughness, professionalism, and timeliness in doing so.

We spoke with Dr. Bozena Gajdzik, winner of the Energies 2024 Outstanding Reviewer Award, to hear her opinions and about her experiences with scientific research and awards.

Name: Dr. Bozena Gajdzik
Affiliation: Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice, Poland
Research interests: management; digitalization; Industry 4.0; industrial transformation; sustainability

Below is a short interview with one of the winners—Dr. Bozena Gajdzik:

1. Could you give a brief introduction of yourself to the readers?
My name is Bożena Gajdzik. I am a scientist from Poland; since 2008, I have started engaging with foreign journals (with IF). Two years later (2010), my cooperation with MDPI began, as a reviewer and as an author of scientific publications. In the review preferences, I chose Energies because climate policy has entered a radical era of changes. As a scientist (a steel industry expert in the Polish market), I want to participate in the process of industrial transition to Net Zero (for the good of us all). While reviewing scientific papers for Energies, I was able to learn about many aspects and determinants of the ongoing transformation, not only in Europe, but also outside Europe. They did not always share the same views, due to differences in climate transformation models between continents, but it was worth learning about them. Now, as a scientist, I have a broader view of the world’s energy policy.

2. How was your experience reviewing for Energies?
My experience with Energies is positive. First of all, I appreciate the high quality of scientific publications from all over the world, and in addition, I find the peer review system used by MDPI clear. 

3. Do you have any suggestions for improving our review process?
There are no comments regarding the quality of the review system and the procedures used. I recommend that other scientists familiarize themselves with this peer review system and participate in the development of the journal.

4. In your opinion, which research topics will be of particular interest to the research community in the coming years?
In the coming years, energy transformation will continue to be the number one topic. Energy transformation is a complex process that poses numerous challenges to countries (economies, societies and industries). Therefore, we can expect the development of the energy transformation topic. Practitioners and theoreticians of energy transmission still have a lot to say (and write).

5. What motivated you to participate actively in the peer review process, and what do you find most rewarding about it?
My motivation to cooperate with Energies was based on the high quality of scientific papers and their current topics related to the problems of the world. The world faces numerous political, economic, and social challenges due to climate change and energy transformation.

6. How do you manage your time and balance your responsibilities as a researcher and a reviewer?
Time management? We always lack it, but I like the cooperation with Energies because thanks to it I absorb new knowledge published by other scientists, so I can develop scientifically and review at the same time (two in one, so I save time, or so I think).

7. What advice would you give to early career researchers who are starting to participate in peer reviews?
My advice to beginner reviewers is to try to systematically review thematic papers and you will gain additional knowledge for your development.

8. How do you see the role of reviewers evolving with the advancements in artificial intelligence and automated tools in research publishing?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) helps, but it is worth knowing the ethical policies of individual journals and using AI in accordance with the publisher's expectations.

Conference: 76th Annual Meeting of the International Society of Electrochemistry
Date: 7–12 September 2025
Location: Mainz, Germany

MDPI will be attending the 76th Annual Meeting of the International Society of Electrochemistry as an exhibitor. The event will take place in Mainz, Germany, from 7 to 12 September 2025.

The scientific program offers plenary lectures, symposia, tutorials and forums related to the following fields of electrochemistry:

• Analytical Electrochemistry;
• Analysis in Small Space and Short Time Domains;
• Sensors and Biosensors;
• Batteries, Fuel Cells and Supercapacitors;
• Electrodeposition and Electroplating;
• Corrosion and Passivity;
• Electrochemical Engineering and Technology;
• Innovative Electrolytes: Liquids, Solids and Membranes;
• Environmental Electrochemistry;
• Closing Element Cycles: Recycling and Upcycling;
• Electrocatalysis and Electrolysis of Small Molecules: CO2, Water, N2, etc.;
• Electrosynthesis of High-Value Products;
• Mechanisms in Molecular Electrochemistry;
• Photoelectrochemistry;
• In situ/Operando Characterization of Electrochemical Processes;
• Theoretical and Computational Electrochemistry.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Batteries;
• Energies;
• Surfaces;
• Molecules;
• Physchem;
• Chemistry;
• AppliedChem;
• Electrochem;
• Clean Technol.

If you are attending this conference, please feel free to start an online conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person at booth #11 and answering any questions you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following website: https://annual76.ise-online.org/.

Six new journals covering a range of subjects launched their inaugural issues in June 2025. We are excited to be able to share with you the newest research rooted in the value of open access. We are pleased to present the latest research and to make it accessible to all.

We extend our sincere thanks to all the Editorial Board Members for their commitment and expertise. Each journal is dedicated to upholding strong editorial standards through a thorough peer review process, ensuring impactful open access scholarship.

Please feel free to browse and discover more about the new journals below.

Journal	Founding Editor-in-Chief	Journal Topics (Selected)
	Prof. Dr. Chang-Pu Sun, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Beijing, China; Computational Science Research Center, China Editorial | View inaugural issue	quantum information and phenomena; condensed matter physics and statistical physics; atomic, molecular, and optical physics; computational physics and mathematical methods View journal scope | Submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Hualiang Lin, Sun Yat-sen University, China; Prof. Dr. Jose L. Domingo, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Spain Editorial | View inaugural issue	green and organic food; green infrastructures; green exercise; environmental impact of the healthcare sector; effects of climate change on human health | View journal scope | Submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Francesco Veglio, University of L’Aquila, Italy Editorial | View inaugural issue	ultra-pure substances; water purification; air purification; gas purification; inorganic chemical purification; purification technologies View journal scope | Submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Junxing Zheng, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China Editorial | View inaugural issue	computer-aided design and engineering; artificial intelligence and machine learning; building information modeling (BIM) and digital twins; robotics and automation in construction; smart sensors and Internet of Things (IoT); intelligent control systems and facilities management View journal scope | Submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Assunta Di Vaio, University of Naples Parthenope, Italy Editorial | View inaugural issue	sustainability, managerial, and biodiversity accounting; carbon management accounting; corporate social responsibility; artificial intelligence and disclosure View journal scope | Submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Changjun Liu, Sichuan University, China Editorial | View inaugural issue	bioeffects of electromagnetic waves; electromagnetic science and engineering; microwave, millimeter-wave, and terahertz technologies; metamaterials and metasurfaces; communication, sensing, and networks; energy, power, and sustainable applications; quantum and emerging technologies; artificial intelligence and advanced fabrication View journal scope | Submit an article

We will attend the 2025 IEEE/ASME International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics (AIM2025), which will take place in Hangzhou, China, from 14 to 18 July 2025.

Serving as a leading conference in the field of intelligent mechatronic systems, AIM 2025 is committed to advancing diversity in the technology industry, promoting a culture of inclusion and equity, and welcoming, engaging, and rewarding all who contribute to the field. It will bring together experts and researchers from around the world to exchange views on cutting-edge research outcomes and future developments.

The following open access journals will be represented at the event:

• Machines;
• Inventions;
• Robotics;
• Electronics;
• Designs;
• Journal of Manufacturing and Materials Processing;
• Journal of Low Power Electronics and Applications;
• Hardware;
• Energies;
• Applied Sciences;
• Automation;
• Technologies.

If you plan to attend this conference, please feel free to stop by our booth. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person to answer any questions you may have!

For more information about the conference, please visit the following link: https://www.aim2025.org/index.html.