Recent Advances in Solar Thermal Management Technologies

Dear Colleagues,

Solar thermal management plays a central role in improving the efficiency, reliability, safety, and sustainability of modern energy systems. Rapid progress in solar collectors, solar thermal conversion materials, thermal energy storage, photothermal interfaces, advanced heat transfer fluids, and intelligent control has created new opportunities for more effective capture, transport, storage, and utilization of thermal energy. At the same time, important challenges remain in multiscale heat and mass transfer, thermal losses, transient operation, system integration, durability, economic viability, and performance under real operating conditions. 

This Special Issue aims to present high-quality original research and review articles on recent advances in solar thermal management technologies across materials, components, devices, and system-level applications. Contributions addressing both fundamental mechanisms and engineering implementation are welcome, including analytical, numerical, experimental, data-driven, and hybrid approaches. Particular interest will be given to studies that support better thermal control, improved solar-to-thermal conversion, enhanced heat transfer performance, and more reliable integration of solar thermal technologies into practical energy systems. Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Solar collectors and direct-absorption solar thermal systems;
• Photothermal materials, coatings, and selective surfaces;
• Nanofluids and heat transfer enhancement;
• Thermal energy storage, including phase change materials and thermochemical storage;
• Thermal management in solar desalination, water heating, industrial process heat, and building energy applications;
• Concentrated solar thermal systems;
• Coupled heat and mass transfer in solar devices;
• System design, optimization, control, and fault diagnosis;
• Artificial intelligence, machine learning, and digital twin methods for prediction and optimization;
• Techno-economic, exergy, and sustainability analyses of solar thermal technologies.

By bringing together recent developments in theory, modelling, experimentation, and application, this Special Issue seeks to provide a timely forum for researchers and engineers working to advance efficient, robust, and scalable solar thermal management solutions for current and emerging energy needs.

Dr. Caiyan Qin
Dr. Muhammad Idrees
Dr. Joongbae Kim
Guest Editors

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