Circular Economy in Energy Infrastructure
A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "C: Energy Economics and Policy".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 March 2026) | Viewed by 3113
Special Issue Editor
Interests: sustainable development; environmental impact assessment; circular economy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The economy can be conceived as transformed energy since every economic activity relies on energy for its enactment. Meanwhile, as the world grapples with the critical need for sustainable development, the energy sector is increasingly exploring the principles of a circular economy to reduce waste, optimize resource use, and lower carbon emissions.
This Special Issue seeks to gather cutting-edge research and thought leadership that will drive innovation and practical applications in the design, management, and operation of energy infrastructure.
Potential contributions can take many forms, including conceptualizations, review papers, research articles, critical perspectives, or case studies, either locally or globally. Most importantly, this Special Issue garners original research results to focus on, without being limited to, the following topics:
- Designing Circular Energy Systems
- Innovative approaches in the design of energy infrastructure that integrate circular economy principles. Topics could include modular energy systems, energy-efficient technologies, and the use of renewable or recycled materials in energy infrastructure development.
- Energy Storage and Circular Economy
- Investigations into sustainable energy storage solutions, including reuse, recycling, and life-cycle management of energy storage technologies, such as batteries and hydrogen storage systems.
- Resource Recovery in Energy Systems
- Exploring methods for resource recovery, including the repurposing of materials, recycling energy-related products, and waste-to-energy initiatives in power generation, transmission, and distribution systems.
- Lifecycle Assessment and Circular Business Models
- Research on lifecycle assessment (LCA) in energy systems and the development of circular business models that prioritize longevity, reusability, and sharing in the energy sector
- Digitalization and Smart Infrastructure
- The role of digital technologies, such as the internet of things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and blockchain, in optimizing circular energy systems and promoting resource efficiency.
- Policy and Regulatory Frameworks
- Analyses of the policy frameworks and regulatory mechanisms that support or hinder the adoption of circular economy principles in energy infrastructure. Papers on international and regional case studies are particularly encouraged.
- Social and Economic Impacts
- Assessing the socio-economic impacts of implementing circular economy strategies in energy systems. Topics include job creation, community involvement, and social equity in energy transitions.
Prof. Dr. Myriam Ertz
Guest Editor
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
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
- circular energy systems
- resource recovery
- sustainable energy storage
- circular economy
- resource efficiency
- energy system optimization
- circular energy policy
- circular energy regulatory framework
- circular energy consumption
- lifecycle assessment of energy systems
- circular energy business models
- circular energy strategies
- modular energy systems
- social equity in energy
- circular energy governance
- energy-efficient technologies
- renewable and recycled materials in energy
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