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Renewable Energy and Sustainable Energy Systems—2nd Edition
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Renewable Energy and Sustainable Energy Systems—2nd Edition

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 August 2026 | Viewed by 5193

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Tianyu Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130025, China
Interests: hybrid energy sotrege system; fuel cell; hybrid electric vehicle
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Yongming Yao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130025, China
Interests: fuel cell UAV; triboelectric nanogenerators
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Energy is the foundation of economic and social development and an important material guarantee for the survival and development of human society. Throughout the history of the development of human society, every major progress in human civilization has been accompanied by the improvement in and replacement of energy. At present, global climate warming and energy supply security have become major strategic issues of common concern to all countries in the world. The idea of the need for sustainable development has gradually become the consensus of the international community. Energy conservation, utilization improvement, and the development of renewable and sustainable sources are becoming the main theme of world energy development. Forecasts have shown that, by the middle of this century, with further growth in energy demand and the gradual depletion of fossil energy resources, renewable and sustainable energy will occupy an increasingly important position in the world’s energy production and consumption, becoming the most important material basis for human survival and development. Therefore, renewable and sustainable energy systems have become highly valued by an increasing number of countries and the focus of the international energy field.

This Special Issue aims to communicate the most interesting and relevant critical thinking in renewable and sustainable energy systems, promote and disseminate knowledge on the various topics and technologies of renewable and sustainable energy systems and components, and share problems, solutions, and novel ideas and technologies to support sustainable development and the transition to a low-carbon future. This Special Issue will publish papers on scientific research, technology development, engineering policy, and management studies related to the general field of renewable and sustainable energy systems.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome on areas that may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Source, specifically fossil fuels, geothermal, hydrogen, hydropower, nuclear, marine, ocean, solar, and wind;
  • Energy, including energy efficiency, conversion, management, sustainability, policy, and economics;
  • Applications in buildings, industry, transport, and urban community;
  • Utilization, such as batteries, supercapacitors, fuel cells, and energy storage technology;
  • System reliability and operation.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Tianyu Li
Prof. Dr. Yongming Yao
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 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. Sustainability 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 2400 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

  • renewable energy
  • sustainable energy
  • energy storage
  • energy system

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 1538 KB  
Article
Effect of Low Temperatures on Blends of Jet A-1 Aviation Kerosene and FAME Biofuel—Case Study
by Marián Hocko, Michal Hovanec, Ivana Kolarikova and Volodymyr Tymofiiv
Sustainability 2026, 18(4), 2069; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18042069 - 18 Feb 2026
Viewed by 564
Abstract
Growing pressure to decarbonize aviation has accelerated the search for alternative fuels to replace conventional Jet A-1 kerosene, with renewable biofuels attracting significant interest. While early demonstrations of kerosene–biofuel blends have been successful, they also introduce new operational challenges. This study examines the [...] Read more.
Growing pressure to decarbonize aviation has accelerated the search for alternative fuels to replace conventional Jet A-1 kerosene, with renewable biofuels attracting significant interest. While early demonstrations of kerosene–biofuel blends have been successful, they also introduce new operational challenges. This study examines the influence of low temperatures on blends of Jet A-1 and FAME (fatty acid methyl ester), focusing on clear point, cloud point, and density—parameters critical for maintaining reliable fuel flow in cold environments. The measurements demonstrate a consistent trend in which greater FAME fractions raise the clear point from 0.5 °C (0% FAME) to 5.8 °C (40% FAME) and the cloud point from −29.3 °C to −23.4 °C over the same range. Mixture density also increases with higher FAME content, from 810 kg·m−3 for pure Jet A-1 to 883 kg·m−3 for 100% FAME. Additionally, density rises as temperature decreases, with an increase of 6–16 kg·m−3 when the temperature drops from 8 °C to −8 °C. These shifts may impair stable fuel delivery to aircraft engine combustion chambers at low temperatures. The findings confirm that higher FAME content elevates clear and cloud point temperatures and increases density, indicating that such blends may be unsuitable for aviation use in polar and subpolar regions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Energy and Sustainable Energy Systems—2nd Edition)
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31 pages, 13081 KB  
Article
Dynamic Analysis of the Mooring System Installation Process for Floating Offshore Wind Turbines
by Yao Zhong, Jinguang Wang, Yingjie Chen, Ning Yu, Mingsheng Chen and Yichang Tang
Sustainability 2026, 18(3), 1199; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18031199 - 24 Jan 2026
Viewed by 632
Abstract
Floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs) constitute a pivotal offshore renewable energy technology, offering a sustainable and eco-friendly solution for large-scale marine power generation. Their low-carbon emission characteristics are highly aligned with global sustainable development goals, playing a crucial role in promoting energy structure [...] Read more.
Floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs) constitute a pivotal offshore renewable energy technology, offering a sustainable and eco-friendly solution for large-scale marine power generation. Their low-carbon emission characteristics are highly aligned with global sustainable development goals, playing a crucial role in promoting energy structure transformation and reducing reliance on fossil fuels. This paper presents a numerical study on the coupled dynamic behavior of a semi-submersible FOWT during its mooring system installation. The proposed methodology incorporates environmental loads from incident waves, wind, and currents. Those forces act on not only the floating platform but also on the three tugboats employed throughout the installation procedure. Detailed evaluations of forces and motion responses are conducted across successive stages of the operation. The findings demonstrated the feasibility of the proposed mooring installation process for FOWTs while offering critical insights into suitable installation weather windows and motion responses of both the platform and tugboats. Furthermore, the novel installation scheme presented herein offers practical guidance for future engineering applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Energy and Sustainable Energy Systems—2nd Edition)
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21 pages, 9978 KB  
Article
Reinforcement Learning-Based Adaptive Hierarchical Equivalent Consumption Minimization Strategy for Fuel Cell Hybrid Engineering Vehicles
by Huiying Liu, Hai Xu, Haofa Li, Binggao He and Yanmin Lei
Sustainability 2025, 17(22), 10167; https://doi.org/10.3390/su172210167 - 13 Nov 2025
Viewed by 727
Abstract
To enhance the operational efficiency of fuel cell engineering vehicles in transportation, reliable energy management strategies (EMSs) are essential for optimizing fuel consumption and power distribution. In this paper, we propose a novel energy management framework that utilizes a reinforcement learning-based adaptive hierarchical [...] Read more.
To enhance the operational efficiency of fuel cell engineering vehicles in transportation, reliable energy management strategies (EMSs) are essential for optimizing fuel consumption and power distribution. In this paper, we propose a novel energy management framework that utilizes a reinforcement learning-based adaptive hierarchical equivalent consumption minimization strategy (ECMS) to regulate fuel cell/battery hybrid system. The structure integrates deep Q-network (DQN), fuzzy logic, and ECMS algorithms and employs a long short-term memory neural network for working condition prediction. By combining DQN with the equivalence factor obtained using the battery state of charge penalty function and adjusting it using a fuzzy logic controller, the stability of the subsequent ECMS is enhanced. In a simulation environment, the proposed EMS achieves a 97.44% fuel economy compared to the dynamic programming-based global optimized EMS. Experimental findings indicate that the hierarchical ECMS effectively decreases the equivalent hydrogen consumption by 3.38%, 9.12%, and 16.39% compared to the adaptive ECMS, DQN-based ECMS, and classic ECMS, respectively. Therefore, the proposed methodology offers superior economic benefits. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Energy and Sustainable Energy Systems—2nd Edition)
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20 pages, 4132 KB  
Article
Performance Evaluation of a 140 kW Rooftop Grid-Connected Solar PV System in West Virginia
by Rumana Subnom, John James Recktenwald, Bhaskaran Gopalakrishnan, Songgang Qiu, Derek Johnson and Hailin Li
Sustainability 2025, 17(19), 8784; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17198784 - 30 Sep 2025
Viewed by 1353
Abstract
This paper presents a performance evaluation of a 140 kW solar array installed on the rooftop of the Mountain Line Transit Authority (MLTA) building in Morgantown, West Virginia (WV), USA, covering the period from 2013 to 2024. The grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) system consists [...] Read more.
This paper presents a performance evaluation of a 140 kW solar array installed on the rooftop of the Mountain Line Transit Authority (MLTA) building in Morgantown, West Virginia (WV), USA, covering the period from 2013 to 2024. The grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) system consists of 572 polycrystalline PV modules, each rated at 245 watts. The study examines key performance parameters, including annual electricity production, average daily and annual capacity utilization hours (CUH), current array efficiency, and performance degradation. Monthly ambient temperature and global tilted irradiance (GTI) data were obtained from the NASA POWER website. During the assessment, observations were made regarding the tilt angles of the panels and corrosion of metal parts. From 2013 to 2024, the total electricity production was 1588 MWh, with an average annual output of 132 MWh. Over this 12-year period, the CO2 emissions reduction attributed to the solar array is estimated at 1,413,497 kg, or approximately 117,791 kg/year, compared to emissions from coal-fired power plants in WV. The average daily CUH was found to be 2.93 h, while the current PV array efficiency in April 2024 was 10.70%, with a maximum efficiency of 14.30% observed at 2:00 PM. Additionally, an analysis of annual average performance degradation indicated a 2.28% decline from 2013 to 2016, followed by a much lower degradation of 0.17% from 2017 to 2023, as electricity production data were unavailable for most summer months of 2024. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Energy and Sustainable Energy Systems—2nd Edition)
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28 pages, 8059 KB  
Article
Research on Online Energy Management Strategy for Hybrid Energy Storage Electric Vehicles Under Adaptive Cruising Conditions
by Zhiwen Zhang, Jie Tang, Jiyuan Zhang, Tianyu Li and Hao Chen
Sustainability 2025, 17(7), 3232; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17073232 - 4 Apr 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1261
Abstract
To address the critical challenge of high energy consumption in single-source electric vehicles, this study proposes a hybrid energy storage system (HESS)-integrated energy management strategy (EMS). Firstly, the car-following and HESS models are constructed. Secondly, a multi-objective optimization framework balancing adaptive cruise control [...] Read more.
To address the critical challenge of high energy consumption in single-source electric vehicles, this study proposes a hybrid energy storage system (HESS)-integrated energy management strategy (EMS). Firstly, the car-following and HESS models are constructed. Secondly, a multi-objective optimization framework balancing adaptive cruise control (ACC) optimal tracking quality and energy economy is developed, where the fast, non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) resolves dynamic power demands. Thirdly, the third-order Haar wavelet enables online rolling decomposition of power profiles. The high-frequency transient power is matched by a supercapacitor, while the low-frequency steady-state power is utilized as an input variable to the optimization controller. Then, a fuzzy logic controller dynamically optimizes HESS’s energy distribution based on state-of-charge (SOC) and load conditions. Finally, the cruise simulation model has been constructed utilizing the MATLAB/Simulink platform. Comparative analysis under the Urban Dynamometer Driving Schedule (UDDS) demonstrates a 3.71% reduction in the total power demand of the ego vehicle compared to the front vehicle. Compared to single-source configurations, the HESS ensures smoother SOC dynamics in lithium-ion batteries. After employing the third-order Haar wavelet for online rolling decomposition of the demand power, the high-frequency transient power matched by the lithium-ion battery is substantially reduced. Comparative analysis of three control strategies demonstrates that the wavelet-fuzzy logic approach exhibits superior comprehensive performance. Consequently, the proposed strategy effectively mitigates high-frequency transient peak charge/discharge currents in the lithium-ion battery and the energy consumption of the entire vehicle. This study provides a novel solution for energy storage systems in hybrid energy storage electric vehicles (HESEV) under ACC scenarios. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Energy and Sustainable Energy Systems—2nd Edition)
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