Addressing Challenges of Low-Carbon Energy Transition

Dear colleagues,

There are many challenges to be addressed in order to achieve a 100% renewable energy generation scenario. The main problems associated with the rapid penetration of renewables need to be addressed. The security of the energy supply and the growing need for energy storage play important roles in shaping energy policies. Promoting energy prosumers and overcoming the main barriers of renewables market uptake are key issues for the low-carbon energy transition. Tackling the problem of energy poverty during the transition to a zero-carbon economy is one of the most important challenges that policymakers are currently facing. The issues of energy vulnerability and energy justice are closely linked to the problem of energy poverty. Energy vulnerability can be described as a set of circumstances that underpin the risk of falling into energy poverty and which therefore should be carefully addressed during transformation of an energy system. Energy justice acknowledges the needs of the most vulnerable groups by setting out rationale for policy actions; therefore, energy poverty can be combated justly by sustained and multifaceted actions, by decreasing wasteful consumption of energy, and by narrowing the impact of income inequalities. So far, very limited measures aimed at addressing the structural problems of energy poverty have been developed or adopted, like those aimed at renovation of residential buildings or introducing cheap, energy-efficient, renewable energy technologies in households. Some scholars argue that a just low-carbon energy transition can be achieved by implementing these measures and by addressing energy poverty and climate change mitigation problems together. However, there are many gaps in this field of research. Particularly, there is lack of evidence concerning the behaviors and attitudes of households in energy poverty

This Special Issue welcomes contributions from scholars in various fields to close these gaps and to shed more light on the main problems associated with the low-carbon energy transition. There are several important research areas which need to be addressed:  finding the best solutions to integrate renewables in energy generation and addressing energy security, energy storage, energy prosumers, and smart grid issues; defining the main reasons why households do not take up the initiatives designed to help them out of energy poverty; investigating the main barriers to behavior changes; and defining the best measures to overcome behavioral and psychological barriers in order to effect change in habitual behavior so as to increase energy efficiency and mitigate climate change. Large-scale quantitative research based on big data is also necessary in this field. Theoretical studies, reviews, and case studies are welcome.

Dr. Grigorios L. Kyriakopoulos
Prof. Dr. Dalia Streimikiene
Prof. Dr. Tomas Baležentis
Guest Editors

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• Zero-carbon energy generation options
• Barriers to renewable energy penetration
• Energy security problem of low-carbon energy transition
• Smart grids and energy storage options for low-carbon energy transition
• Policies and measures to achieve zero-carbon energy transition
• Promotion of energy prosumers
• Energy poverty and climate change mitigation
• The main drivers of energy poverty
• Behaviors and attitudes of households in energy poverty
• Energy poverty and health
• Energy vulnerability
• Energy justice
• Behavioral barriers
• Just low-carbon energy transition