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From Consumer Behavior to Business Innovation: Paths to a Sustainable Energy Future

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 January 2026 | Viewed by 2140

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Joanna Duda

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Management, AGH University of Krakow, Gramatyka 10, 30-067 Krakow, Poland
Interests: circular economy; circular business models and strategies in environmental management; entrepreneurial development in the water and wastewater sector; education to support the implementation of circular economy principles; transformation towards a sustainable economy; innovative entrepreneurship; SMEs

Dr. Małgorzata Okręglicka

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Management, Czestochowa University of Technology, Dąbrowskiego 69, 42-201 Częstochowa, Poland
Interests: energy transformation; sustainable development; sustainability; sustainable consumption and production
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Dr. Marcin Suder

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Management, AGH University of Krakow, Gramatyka 10, 30-067 Krakow, Poland
Interests: renewable energy promotion; through innovation networks; photovoltaic market development and national energy strategies; energy transition in small and medium-sized enterprises; regional diversification of renewable enrgy support instruments; digital transformation in energy-related sectors
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue, “From Consumer Behavior to Business Innovation: Paths to a Sustainable Energy Future”, explores the multifaceted transformation toward a sustainable energy future, focusing on the interplay between consumer behavior, technological advances, and business innovation. As societies face an urgent need to reduce emissions and modernize energy systems, understanding how individuals, organizations, and policymakers respond to these challenges is essential.

We welcome articles that examine the drivers and consequences of energy-related decisions at individual, organizational, national, and global levels. Topics may include, but are not limited to, the following: behavioral responses to sustainability messages and digital interventions; the adoption of low-carbon technologies such as photovoltaics, energy storage, and sustainable transportation; generational and cultural differences in energy preferences; and the acceptance of renewable energy.

On the business and policy side, the issue invites contributions on AI-based energy forecasting, comparative investment assessments of renewable and fossil fuels, innovative business models, and strategic management of emerging energy technologies. We also encourage broader coverage of topics such as climate risk, the circular economy, regional variability, and data-driven decision-making. Original research articles, case studies, methodological contributions, and interdisciplinary work that combine behavioral science, economics, engineering, and policy are welcome.

Dr. Joanna Duda
Dr. Małgorzata Okręglicka
Dr. Marcin Suder
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

sustainable energy
energy system
fossil fuel
energy policy
energy consumption behaviors
energy economics
renewable energy adoption
energy decision-making
energy forecasting
smart energy solutions
circular economy in energy
energy market transformation

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 1087 KB

Open AccessArticle

Assessing Efficiency in the Circular Economy Using the Levelized Cost of Waste: A Case Study of Textile Waste Pyrolysis

by Marcelina Bury, Jerzy Feliks and Radosław Kapłan

Energies 2025, 18(21), 5615; https://doi.org/10.3390/en18215615 (registering DOI) - 25 Oct 2025

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Abstract

The growing importance of environmental technologies in a circular economy requires the use of tools that allow a realistic assessment of their economic efficiency. Classical investment indicators, such as NPV or IRR, are proving inadequate in the case of installations whose main objective is not to maximise profit but to reduce waste and emissions. There is a lack of tools in the literature that would allow for an unambiguous assessment of the unit cost of waste treatment, taking into account the life cycle of the installation and market conditions. This study aims to assess the feasibility of using the Levelised Cost of Waste (LCOW) indicator, modelled on the Levelised Cost of Energy (LCOE) from the energy sector, as a planning and decision-making tool in the waste management sector. In this study, an LCOW calculation model was developed and applied to analyse textile waste pyrolysis technology. Simulations were conducted for three plant scales (1000, 5000, and 10,000 Mg/year), and a sensitivity analysis was performed to examine the relationship between the LCOW and by-product prices, energy costs, capital expenditures, and CO₂ emissions. The results confirm that the LCOW is a helpful tool for determining tariffs, identifying subsidy thresholds and comparing technology options. Its application is particularly well suited to small-scale environmental investments where classical approaches fail. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue From Consumer Behavior to Business Innovation: Paths to a Sustainable Energy Future)

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36 pages, 4952 KB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of the Profitability of Heating a Retrofitted Building with an Air Heat Pump in Polish Climatic Conditions

by Aleksander Iwaszczuk, Jarosław Baran and Natalia Iwaszczuk

Energies 2025, 18(20), 5413; https://doi.org/10.3390/en18205413 - 14 Oct 2025

Viewed by 338

Abstract

The transformation of energy systems towards low emission is one of the key assumptions of the climate and energy policy of the European Union and many countries around the world. These changes include not only the power and transport sectors but also the heating of residential buildings, which consume significant amounts of energy and emit large amounts of greenhouse gases. This article presents a detailed comparative analysis of the costs of heating using an air-to-water heat pump and a condensing gas boiler. The study concerned a retrofitted single-family building from the 1990s, located in southern Poland. The calculations were made taking into account daily meteorological data for two full heating seasons: 2022/2023 and 2023/2024. This approach made it possible to more precisely reproduce real operating conditions. The study was conducted for various configurations of the central heating system: surface and radiator. The following parameters were also taken into account: (1) variable heat pump parameters, such as supply temperature LWT and coefficient of performance COP; (2) current tariffs for electricity and natural gas; and (3) forecasted tariffs for electricity and natural gas in the conditions of market liberalization and phasing out of protective mechanisms. A comparison of the two heating seasons revealed lower costs with a heat pump. In some cases, the cost of heat generated by a gas boiler was over 100% higher than with a heat pump. This applies to both heating seasons. Under the current tariffs, the calculated gas cost for the first season was PLN 6856 (EUR 1605) (1 EUR = 4.27 PLN) compared to heat pump heating costs ranging from PLN 3191 to PLN 4576 (EUR 747 to 1072). For future gas and electricity tariffs, the costs were PLN 8227 (EUR 1926) for gas and PLN 3841 to PLN 5304 (EUR 899 to 1242) for a heat pump. Similarly, for the second heating season, these values were PLN 6055 (EUR 1418) for gas heating and PLN 2741–3917 (EUR 642–917) for a heat pump under the current tariffs, and PLN 7267 (EUR 1702) and PLN 3307–4540 (EUR 774–1064) under future tariffs. This means percentage savings of between approximately 33% and 55%, depending on the heating type and tariff. Therefore, the obtained results indicate the higher profitability of using an air heat pump compared to a gas boiler. This advantage was maintained in all the discussed scenarios, and its scale depended on the type of installation, supply temperature, and the selected electricity tariff. The highest economic profitability was noted for low-temperature systems. These results can provide a basis for making rational investment and design decisions in the context of the energy transformation of single-family housing. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue From Consumer Behavior to Business Innovation: Paths to a Sustainable Energy Future)

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30 pages, 2308 KB

Open AccessArticle

Forecasting Installation Demand Using Machine Learning: Evidence from a Large PV Installer in Poland

by Anna Zielińska and Rafał Jankowski

Energies 2025, 18(18), 4998; https://doi.org/10.3390/en18184998 - 19 Sep 2025

Viewed by 466

Abstract

The dynamic growth of the photovoltaic (PV) market in Poland, driven by declining technology costs, government support programs, and the decentralization of energy generation, has created a strong demand for accurate short-term forecasts to support sales planning, logistics, and resource management. This study investigates the application of long short-term memory (LSTM) recurrent neural networks to forecast two key market indicators: the monthly number of completed PV installations and their average unit capacity. The analysis is based on proprietary two-year data from one of the largest PV companies in Poland, covering both sales and completed installations. The dataset was preprocessed through cleaning, filtering, and aggregation into a consistent monthly time series. Results demonstrate that the LSTM model effectively captured seasonality and temporal dependencies in the PV market, outperforming multilayer perceptron (MLP) models in forecasting installation counts and providing robust predictions for average capacity. These findings confirm the potential of LSTM-based forecasting as a valuable decision-support tool for enterprises and policymakers, enabling improved market strategy, optimized resource allocation, and more effective design of support mechanisms in the renewable energy sector. The originality of this study lies in the use of a unique, proprietary dataset of over 12,000 completed PV micro-installations, rarely available in the literature, and in its direct focus on market demand forecasting rather than energy production. This perspective highlights the practical value of the model for companies in sales planning, logistics, and resource allocation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue From Consumer Behavior to Business Innovation: Paths to a Sustainable Energy Future)

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23 pages, 1796 KB

Open AccessArticle

Application of Management Controlling in the Energy and Heating Sector: Diagnosis of Implementation Level and Identification of Development Barriers in the Context of Other Economic Sectors

by Marta Kołodziej-Hajdo, Artur Machno, Janusz Nesterak and Michał Kowalski

Energies 2025, 18(17), 4458; https://doi.org/10.3390/en18174458 - 22 Aug 2025

Viewed by 904

Abstract

The article examines the application of controlling in energy and heating (E&H) companies, with particular emphasis on diagnosing the extent to which reporting and management controlling are implemented, as well as identifying barriers that limit the development of their managerial functions. The aim of the study was to determine the extent to which management controlling is applied in the managerial practice of the E&H sector and how its use differs from practices observed in other sectors of the economy. The research employed a mixed methods approach, including a literature review, a case study of controlling implementation in a selected energy company, and a quantitative analysis based on the Managerial Controlling Index (MCI). The central research question addressed the impact of legal, market, and organisational conditions on the scope of controlling in the E&H sector. The findings indicate that E&H companies record lower MCI scores than companies in other industries, regardless of their size, age, or business profile. The article concludes with a set of managerial recommendations outlining directions for the development of management controlling as a tool for supporting decision-making and enhancing integration with the overall management system. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue From Consumer Behavior to Business Innovation: Paths to a Sustainable Energy Future)

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