From Carbon Fossil Based Energy to Alternative Energy Production Technologies

Dear Colleagues,

The shift from carbon-based fossil fuels to alternative energy involves replacing coal, oil and gas with renewable sources driven by reduced costs and sustainability goals to cut emissions. The success of the energy transition depends on reducing energy-related CO₂ emissions to mitigate climate change and limit global temperature to within 1.5 °C of pre-industrial levels.

This Special Issue is open to address this target through:

1. Energy Transition Pathways and Systems Transformation. The topics concern framing the issue explicitly around transition by developing:

• Pathways to net-zero and deep decarbonisation (1.5 °C-aligned scenarios)
• Energy system transformation and sector coupling (power–heat–transport–industry)
• Integrated energy systems and multi-energy networks
• Development of energy transition and energy-fossil dependence reduction at local and non-local scales concerning economic, environmental and social impacts)

2. Energy, Environment and Sustainable Transition. The topics concern the design, development and testing of all the processes and technologies aimed at bioenergy and biofuel production to decarbonize the energy system. The decarbonization should be quantitatively evaluated.

      Technologies and processes can include:

• Bioenergy and biofuels for decarbonisation (including BECCS)
• Clean and low-carbon energy technologies
• The hydrogen energy chain (green, blue and transition hydrogen)
• Energy transition and climate change mitigation
• Carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS)
• Circular economy approaches in energy systems
• Waste-to-energy and resource recovery
• Environmental and techno-economic and social assessments of transition technologies through Life cycle assessment and sustainability metrics, economic analysis and social life cycle assessment

3. Energy Storage, Flexibility and Grid Integration. This topic is fundamental for modernising power grids, especially with the increase in demand and use of renewable energy sources. It represents the possibility to mitigate the issue related to intermittent power, ensuring stability, preventing blackouts, managing peak demand and enabling a reliable, clean energy transition, making the system resilient and efficient.

      The topic includes:

• Storage and flexibility are central enablers of the energy transition.
• Grid-scale and distributed energy storage systems
• Batteries, fuel cells, supercapacitors and hybrid systems
• Long-duration energy storage
• Power-to-X and energy carriers (hydrogen, ammonia and e-fuels)
• Demand-side management and energy flexibility
• Thermal energy storage and phase-change materials

4. Electrification and Smart Energy Infrastructure. This topic concerns the process, technologies and advancements that shift energy demand from carbon-intensive fossil fuels to cleaner electricity carriers, offering superior efficiency and emission reductions.

      The topic includes:

• Electrification of transport, industry and buildings
• Electric vehicles and charging infrastructure
• Smart grids, microgrids and virtual power plants
• Grid digitalisation, AI and data-driven energy management
• Power electronics for renewable integration
• Resilient and low-carbon power systems

5. Renewable and Low-Carbon Energy Sources. This topic includes research, process development and technologies that can drive reductions in carbon emissions to achieve net-zero targets. In detail, to reach net-zero, we need both renewables and nuclear energy. While renewables like wind and solar are abundant and variable, nuclear energy complements them by providing a high-energy-dense power source. Together, they create a balanced and reliable clean energy system.

      The topic includes:

• Solar energy systems (PV, CSP and hybrid systems)
• Wind energy (onshore, offshore and floating)
• Hydropower and pumped hydro storage
• Geothermal energy
• Biomass and bio-based energy systems
• Nuclear energy in low-carbon transitions and nuclear waste management
• Fossil energy with decarbonisation pathways (CCUS and fuel switching)
• Emerging renewable sources (ocean, wave, tidal and OTEC)

6. Energy Conversion, Efficiency and Fundamentals. This topic includes experimental set-up, process strategies and modelling aimed at developing higher efficiency systems, which means systems able to produce less waste and fewer emissions by requiring less primary energy input for the same useful output.

     The topic includes:

• Advanced heat and mass transfer in low-carbon systems
• Thermodynamics of renewable and hybrid energy systems
• Entropy and exergy analysis for energy efficiency improvement
• Energy efficiency and loss reduction in transition technologies
• Process intensification and low-energy system design

7. Policy, Economics and Governance of Energy Transition. The energy transition depends on a balanced requirement of policy, economics and governance. This involves setting targets, providing financial incentives and ensuring international cooperation.

     The topic includes:

• Including this section will significantly strengthen the transition focus.
• Energy transition policies and regulatory frameworks
• Carbon pricing, markets and financing mechanisms
• Investment and risk analysis for clean energy projects
• Innovation systems and technology diffusion
• Energy justice, access and affordability

Dr. Francesca Demichelis
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• alternative energy system
• bio-economy
• sustainability
• innovation