Internet of Things for Energy-Efficient Smart Cities: Technologies, Big Data and Security
A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "G1: Smart Cities and Urban Management".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 November 2025 | Viewed by 28
Special Issue Editors
Interests: Internet of Things; interoperability; distributed systems; distributed ledger technology; blockchain
Interests: the design of intelligent sensor systems enabled by edge/extreme-edge computing functionalities and tiny machine learning capabilities for a wide range of applications (including monitoring infrastructures, industry and agriculture); focusing on the joint optimization of hardware-software components
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The rapid urbanization of our world presents unprecedented challenges and opportunities, with smart cities emerging as a key strategy to enhance the quality of life for citizens and ensure sustainable development. Central to the evolution of smart cities is the Internet of Things (IoT), a transformative paradigm that connects a vast array of devices, sensors, and systems, enabling intelligent data collection, analysis, and control. As urban environments grow, so does their energy consumption, making energy efficiency a critical imperative. The integration of IoT technologies offers powerful solutions to optimize energy usage across various urban sectors, from smart grids and buildings to transportation and public services. However, the proliferation of IoT devices also generates massive volumes of data—Big Data—that require sophisticated analytical techniques to unlock valuable insights. Furthermore, the interconnected nature of these systems raises significant security and privacy concerns that must be addressed to ensure the trust and reliability of smart city infrastructures.
This Special Issue aims to present and disseminate the most recent advances related to the theory, design, modelling, application, and security of IoT systems for energy-efficient smart cities. We seek high-quality, original research that explores innovative technologies, addresses the challenges of managing and leveraging Big Data, and proposes robust security frameworks to safeguard these critical urban infrastructures.
Topics of interest for publication include, but are not limited to the following:
- Novel IoT architectures and communication protocols for energy-efficient smart cities;
- Low-power IoT devices and energy harvesting techniques for urban deployments;
- Big Data analytics, machine learning, and AI for energy optimization in smart cities;
- Cybersecurity, privacy-preserving mechanisms, and trust management for smart city IoT ecosystems;
- IoT-enabled smart grids, demand-response systems, and renewable energy integration;
- Intelligent transportation systems and their impact on urban energy consumption;
- Energy-efficient smart buildings, homes, and infrastructure management using IoT;
- IoT applications for sustainable urban resource management (e.g., water, waste);
- Edge, fog, and cloud computing paradigms for smart city IoT data processing;
- Blockchain technology for secure and transparent energy management in smart cities;
- Interoperability and standardization challenges in IoT for smart cities;
- Case studies, pilot projects, and real-world deployments of IoT in energy-efficient smart cities;
- Ethical, social, and policy implications of IoT adoption in smart cities.
We look forward to receiving your contributions to this timely and important Special Issue.
Dr. Lorenzo Gigli
Dr. Federica Zonzini
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
- Internet of Things (IoT)
- smart cities
- energy efficiency
- big data
- cyber security
- smart grids
- low-power IoT
- machine learning
- blockchain
- IoT security
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
