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Energies
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Smart Energy Management and Sustainable Urban Communities
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Smart Energy Management and Sustainable Urban Communities

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "C: Energy Economics and Policy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 May 2025 | Viewed by 5452

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Carlos Cruz

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Electronics, University of Alcala, 28871 Madrid, Spain
Interests: sensors; detectors characterization; digital embedded systems; electronic design; data analysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Manuel Aleixandre

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama 226-8503, Japan
Interests: gas sensors; chemical sensors; nanostructured sensors; pattern recognition; gas sensor calibration; artificial olfactory systems; environmental and indoor air quality monitoring
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The effects of climate change are encouraging actors around the world to seek a reduction of carbon footprints and to increase the production of green energy. In this context, smart energy management is attracting much attention and new options and services are opening for consumer participation such as renewable energy self-consumption, storage, demand response, and energy efficiency. This opens new frontiers to the decentralization of the energy market and revolutionizes the role that everyone, community, or stakeholder in society, will play in the new energy landscape. All this has widespread social implications because of the new forms of people-centered energy production and distribution. This new paradigm, based on cooperation, represents an innovation made possible by the successful combination of new technologies and its rooting in society through a process of changing people's behavior towards a more sustainable scenario. However, the widespread adoption of such sustainable practices and community-based models is not yet realized.

The scope of this special issue aims to illustrate, discuss, and identify key challenges in the adoption of sustainable practices and urban community-based models in our cities. This special issue invites high quality scientific manuscripts covering a wide range of topics related to smart and sustainable communities, strategic energy management, behavioral modeling, energy demand scheduling, demand profiling, smart systems management, energy optimization, green energy, social aspects for smart energy integration.

Dr. Carlos Cruz
Dr. Manuel Aleixandre
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

  • energy demand scheduling
  • demand profiling
  • smart systems management
  • energy optimization
  • green energy
  • social aspects for smart energy integration

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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20 pages, 1250 KiB  
Article
Barriers to the Diffusion of Clean Energy Communities: Comparing Early Adopters and the General Public
by Tanja Kamin, Urša Golob and Tina Kogovšek
Energies 2025, 18(9), 2248; https://doi.org/10.3390/en18092248 - 28 Apr 2025
Viewed by 201
Abstract
The transition to clean energy is at the heart of the European Union’s climate strategy, with citizen participation promoted as a key driver. Clean energy communities (CECs) are central to this vision, yet their uptake across Europe remains limited. This study provides a [...] Read more.
The transition to clean energy is at the heart of the European Union’s climate strategy, with citizen participation promoted as a key driver. Clean energy communities (CECs) are central to this vision, yet their uptake across Europe remains limited. This study provides a novel comparative perspective on perceived barriers to CEC participation by examining two distinct groups: current members (early adopters) and the general public (potential adopters). Using a cross-national mixed-methods approach, we integrate data from semi-structured interviews with CEC members and a representative survey of citizens in six European countries. The results show that awareness of CECs is generally low and that initiatives are still in the early stages of adoption. While interviewees highlighted regulatory complexity and institutional barriers, survey respondents were more likely to cite lack of awareness, knowledge gaps, and financial concerns. The findings reveal distinct patterns in perceived barriers across adopter groups and national contexts. To support broader engagement, we propose a dual strategy: addressing structural challenges through regulatory and policy reform, while strengthening targeted communication and outreach. We also highlight the role of early adopters as trusted messengers who can help bridge the gap between innovation and mainstream adoption. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Energy Management and Sustainable Urban Communities)
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33 pages, 10290 KiB  
Article
Load Shifting and Demand-Side Management in Renewable Energy Communities: Simulations of Different Technological Configurations
by Antonino Rollo, Paolo Serafini, Federico Aleotti, Debora Cilio, Enrico Morandini, Diana Moneta, Marco Rossi, Matteo Zulianello and Valerio Angelucci
Energies 2025, 18(4), 872; https://doi.org/10.3390/en18040872 - 12 Feb 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1042
Abstract
This research investigates the optimization potential of Renewable Energy Communities (RECs) through advanced demand-side management strategies. The study simulates a real distribution network and analyzes load profile optimization in a residential REC configuration, comparing two distinct approaches: Demand-Side Engagement (DSE) and Optimized Demand-Side [...] Read more.
This research investigates the optimization potential of Renewable Energy Communities (RECs) through advanced demand-side management strategies. The study simulates a real distribution network and analyzes load profile optimization in a residential REC configuration, comparing two distinct approaches: Demand-Side Engagement (DSE) and Optimized Demand-Side Management (Opt-DSM). The methodology encompasses load-shifting strategies at the appliance level, progressing from spontaneous behavior patterns to algorithmic optimization. Starting from a baseline scenario of conventional consumption patterns, the research evaluates the effectiveness of both user-driven load shifting (DSE) and automated redistribution through genetic algorithms (Opt-DSM). The analysis framework addresses three key dimensions: economic efficiency through incentive optimization, social cohesion via collaborative engagement, and environmental sustainability through the optimal utilization of locally generated energy. Results demonstrate that enhanced generation-consumption synchronization through Opt-DSM yields superior outcomes for both distribution network performance and participant economics compared to DSE. However, successful implementation requires substantial technological infrastructure investment at individual and community levels, alongside significant modifications to established consumption patterns. This research contributes to the understanding of RECs as innovative socio-technical systems and provides figures to support the analysis related to the balance between technological optimization and user engagement in maximizing shared energy potential. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Energy Management and Sustainable Urban Communities)
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Review

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19 pages, 1108 KiB  
Review
The Potential Related to Microgeneration of Renewable Energy in Urban Spaces and Its Impact on Urban Planning
by Hugo Saba, Filipe Cardoso Brito, Rafael Guimarães Oliveira dos Santos, Toni Alex Reis Borges, Raíssa Silva Fernandes, Márcio Luís Valenca Araujo, Eduardo Manuel de Freitas Jorge, Roberta Mota Panizio, Paulo Brito, Paulo Ferreira and Aloísio Santos Nascimento Filho
Energies 2024, 17(23), 6018; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17236018 - 29 Nov 2024
Viewed by 926
Abstract
This research aims to explore the potential of renewable energy sources in urban planning, focusing on microgeneration technologies, through a structured literature review. A systematic review was conducted using the PRISMA method, encompassing the identification, selection, eligibility, and analysis of studies related to [...] Read more.
This research aims to explore the potential of renewable energy sources in urban planning, focusing on microgeneration technologies, through a structured literature review. A systematic review was conducted using the PRISMA method, encompassing the identification, selection, eligibility, and analysis of studies related to renewable energy microgeneration in urban environments. The findings emphasize key areas such as policy development, energy security, and future scenario projections, with a particular focus on solar energy generation. The review highlights the importance of robust regulatory frameworks and monitoring systems for effectively managing prosumers and ensuring equitable energy distribution. Key challenges identified include the intermittency of renewable energy sources, regulatory complexities, monitoring systems, prosumer management, energy sizing risks, and the lifecycle of microgeneration technologies. The research accentuates the need for outstanding collaboration between academia, industry, and urban planners to accelerate the adoption and implementation of renewable energy solutions. The main conclusion is that such collaboration is essential for addressing challenges, driving innovation, and contributing to the development of sustainable urban energy systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Energy Management and Sustainable Urban Communities)
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27 pages, 643 KiB  
Review
A Rigorous Standalone Literature Review of Residential Electricity Load Profiles
by Angreine Kewo, Pinrolinvic D. K. Manembu and Per Sieverts Nielsen
Energies 2023, 16(10), 4072; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16104072 - 13 May 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2284
Abstract
The introduction of smart meters and time-use survey data is helping decision makers to understand the residential electricity consumption behaviour behind load profiles. However, it can be difficult to obtain the actual detailed consumption data due to privacy issues. Synthesising residential electricity consumption [...] Read more.
The introduction of smart meters and time-use survey data is helping decision makers to understand the residential electricity consumption behaviour behind load profiles. However, it can be difficult to obtain the actual detailed consumption data due to privacy issues. Synthesising residential electricity consumption profiles may be an alternative way to develop synthetic load profiles that initially starts by reviewing the existing synthetic load profile methods. The purpose of this review is to identify the recent methods for synthesising residential electricity load profiles by conducting a rigorous standalone literature review. This review study has been applied and presented transparently and is replicable by other researchers. The review has answered the following research questions: the definition, concept and roles of residential electricity load profile and synthesised data; recent approaches and methods; research purposes; applicable simulations and validation methods of the final selected studies. The results show that the most applied approach in modelling residential electricity load profiles is the bottom-up approach. As it is detailed, it suitable to reflect the local residential behaviour in electricity consumption. Consequently, it is more complex to develop and calibrate the model as identified in the results. Bottom-up models are more powerful in analysing energy consumptions that focus on behavioural patterns, dwelling profiles and control strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Energy Management and Sustainable Urban Communities)
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