Smart Energy Systems: Dynamics, Control and Optimal Planning for Low-Carbon Energy Systems
A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "F5: Artificial Intelligence and Smart Energy".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 March 2026
Special Issue Editors
Interests: smart energy; application of machine learning technology in energy systems; multi-storage collaborative technology; cutting-edge carbon neutrality technology; thermal management technology for new energy systems; fuel cell optimization control (UAV and cogeneration systems)
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: power-to-methanol technology; solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) systems; energy efficiency in data centers; hydrogen production and utilization; renewable energy application (solar energy, hydropower, etc.); thermal management technologies; cryptocurrency energy consumption and environmental impact
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: thermal energy storage; melting and solidification characteristics; heat transfer enhancement; phase change material; thermochemical energy storage; lithium-ion battery thermal management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: energy storage technology; carbon capture and storage; thermal management and storage; geothermal energy exploitation; hydrate extraction and application
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: power systems control; intelligent control systems; optimal power system operation and planning; integration of modern control theory and AI in power systems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The global transition toward sustainable, low-carbon energy systems has become imperative to address climate change, enhance energy security, and meet rising energy demands. As renewable energy sources (e.g., solar, wind, hydro) gain prominence, coupled with advancements in digitalization, electrification, and decentralized energy generation, traditional energy systems—characterized by rigidity, inefficiency, and reliance on fossil fuels—are increasingly inadequate. Smart Energy Systems (SES) emerge as a transformative solution: they integrate cutting-edge technologies, multi-energy carriers (electricity, heat, gas, and mobility), and data-driven optimization to enable flexible, resilient, and carbon-neutral energy flows across scales (from microgrids to transnational networks), with a core focus on understanding their dynamics, refining control mechanisms, and facilitating optimal planning.
Against this backdrop, this Special Issue aims to map the state of the art and chart the future trajectory of Smart Energy Systems. We invite rigorous, cross-disciplinary contributions that advance theory, technology, or socio-economic understanding of the dynamics inherent in renewable integration, the design of robust control strategies for managing energy flows, the optimal planning of storage and infrastructure, and demand-response efficiency and the alignment of innovation with equitable, sustainable development—all in service of advancing low-carbon energy systems.
Topics of interest for publication include, but are not limited to,
- Integration of variable renewable energy (VRE) into smart grids (e.g., forecasting, grid stability).
- Smart microgrids and nanogrids: design, control, and resilience for off-grid and urban applications.
- Advanced energy storage technologies (e.g., batteries, hydrogen, thermal storage) and their smart management.
- Multi-energy systems: synergies between electricity, heating, cooling, gas, and transport (e.g., EV integration, power-to-X).
- SES in urban and rural contexts: smart architectures and infrastructure, sustainable city planning, rural electrification, and community-led initiatives.
- Demand response and user engagement: smart metering, behavioral analytics, and incentives for flexible energy use.
- Resilience and security of SES: mitigating cyber threats, extreme weather impacts, and supply chain disruptions.
- Digitalization and AI in SES: machine learning, IoT, digital twins, and big data for optimization and monitoring.
- Emerging technologies: blockchain for peer-to-peer energy trading, quantum computing for complex system optimization.
Prof. Dr. Li Sun
Dr. Ali Khosravi
Dr. Chunrong Zhao
Dr. Pengfei Lv
Prof. Dr. Kwang Y. Lee
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
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.
Keywords
- smart grid
- microgrids
- grid automation
- VRE integration
- energy management systems
- multi-energy systems
- advanced energy storage
- demand response
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