Designing Effective Energy Policy: Integrating Behavioral Economics and System Optimization
A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "C: Energy Economics and Policy".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 5 May 2026 | Viewed by 67
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
At present, the global transition toward sustainable energy systems requires not only technological innovation but also a deeper understanding of the economic and behavioral factors that govern energy consumption. Despite advances in renewable energy deployment, a significant portion of energy inefficiency stems from consumer habits, cognitive biases, and socio-economic constraints, which directly impact the efficacy of energy policies and the profitability of system investments. Behavioral economics insights are increasingly recognized as critical tools for optimizing energy system performance, designing effective demand-side management (DSM) programs, and improving the market uptake of energy technologies.
This Special Issue aims to provide a robust, evidence-based framework for energy policy design by publishing high-quality interdisciplinary research that explores the behavioral and economic drivers of modern energy consumption. We invite theoretical, empirical, and experimental studies that investigate how individuals, households, and firms make energy-related decisions—particularly in residential, commercial, and industrial contexts—with a direct focus on policy implications and system-wide economic outcomes.
The topics of interest for publication include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Policy evaluation of energy efficiency programs using quasi-experimental methods.
- Economic modeling of energy efficiency investments and their impact on system costs.
- The role of nudges, defaults, and information framing in optimizing energy conservation and load shifting.
- Impact of income, pricing, and subsidies on electricity and fuel demand and their role in energy market stability.
- Consumer acceptance and diffusion of energy innovations (e.g., smart meters, EVs, home energy management systems) and the resulting market dynamics.
- Behavioral determinants of residential energy use as inputs for predictive energy system models.
- Energy poverty and equity in access to modern energy services and the design of equitable energy policies.
- The role of technological and business model innovation in shaping energy consumption patterns.
This Special Issue aligns with Energies’ scope by integrating economic and behavioral perspectives into sustainable energy research, positioning human factors as critical variables in energy system optimization and policy effectiveness. This supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy; SDG 13: Climate Action).
Dr. Mohamed Albaity
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.
Keywords
- energy policy optimization
- behavioral energy economics
- demand-side management
- energy system efficiency
- market uptake of energy technologies
- energy innovation
- policy evaluation
- energy consumption behavior
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