Integration of Renewable Technologies in Water, Electricity, Heating and Cooling Networks

Dear Colleagues,

In the last few years, several countries, especially in the European Union (EU), have been experiencing a dramatic increase in the utilization of non-programmable renewable energy technologies, mainly solar and wind. Such trend has determined a number of positive effects, such as energy diversification, reduction of pollutant emissions, development of local green economies, and many others. On the other hand, the large, non-programmable amount of renewable energy delivered to the grid poses severe issues in terms of the management of excess energy and balance between demand and supply. This phenomenon determines an increasing cost for the management of an electric grid, which is typically transferred to the final user. In this framework, a novel and more intense attention has to be paid to energy planning activities, in order to select the optimal mix between renewable and fossil technologies, meeting the demands of the user, and allowing one to achieve an optimal balance of the networks. Therefore, a scientific approach is required in order to design and analyze, from energy, environmental and economic points of view, the integration of renewable technologies in energy and water networks. Thus, system flexibility (e.g., using excess renewable electricity for non-conventional applications, such as reverse osmosis desalination or thermal storage by heat pumps) and the development of novel and efficient systems for thermal and electrical energy storage is crucial in order to achieve sustainable and viable water and energy systems, mainly fed by renewable energy sources.

In this context, this Special Issue aims at collecting the most significant and recent studies dealing with the integration of renewable technologies in new or existing water, electricity, heat and cooling networks. Therefore, authors are encouraged to submit manuscripts analyzing the possible utilization of renewables for multiple purposes (electrical, thermal, cooling, water and transport) in order to achieve a full utilization of such sources. Papers investigating novel electrical and thermal storage systems are welcome, too.

The topics of primary interest include but are not limited to:

• Energy planning
• Polygeneration systems based on renewables
• Advanced thermal storage
• Advanced electrical storage: compressed air energy storage (CAES), flying wheels, supercapacitors, etc.
• District heating and cooling systems
• Water pumping by renewables
• Thermally-driven water desalination
• Electrically-driven water desalination
• Integration of renewables with transportation
• System dynamic simulation
• Integration of renewable systems in buildings
• Control strategies and system management
• Economical assessment and funding policies
• Building dynamic simulation

Prof. Dr. Francesco Calise
Prof. Dr. Massimo Dentice d’Accadia
Prof. Dr. Antonio Piacentino
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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