Bridging Renewable Supply and Energy Demand: Advanced Thermal Energy Storage for a Carbon-Neutral Future
A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy Sustainability".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2027 | Viewed by 184
Special Issue Editors
Interests: advanced heat pump; thermal energy storage; novel working fluids
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: advanced heat pump; thermal energy storage; advanced thermal management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Driven by decarbonization targets and energy security concerns, the rapid expansion of renewable energy is reshaping energy systems worldwide. However, the inherent intermittency of renewable energy, combined with fluctuations in heating, cooling, and power demand, has led to a significant mismatch between energy supply and demand. This mismatch not only results in wasted renewable energy but also contributes to the inability to meet fluctuating demand, leading to inefficiencies and increased costs. Thermal energy storage (TES) technologies offer the ability to store excess renewable energy for later use, ensure reliable heating and cooling in a decarbonized energy future, and enable the feasibility of large-scale and low-cost energy storage solutions.
This Special Issue of Sustainability will highlight innovative research on renewable-energy-oriented advanced thermal storage systems, spanning materials, component/device design, system integration, control/optimization, and sustainability assessment. We welcome contributions that advance fundamental understanding while demonstrating scalable, safe, and economically viable solutions for real-world TES deployment.
Focus and Scope
This Special Issue aims to provide an interdisciplinary platform connecting energy engineering, materials science, data/AI, and sustainability assessment for renewable-driven thermal storage. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Advanced thermal energy storage (sensible/latent/thermochemical TES);
- Novel materials for thermal energy storage (PCM, MOF, ionic liquid, hydrogel, and smart materials);
- System integration with renewable energy conversion: solar–thermal storage, PV–thermal coupling, geothermal TES integration, biomass, and waste heat;
- Thermal energy storage in buildings, data centers, Carnot batteries, and industrial processes;
- Long-duration and large-scale TES applications;
- AI-driven modeling, optimization, and control (digital twins, fault diagnosis, and predictive maintenance);
- Techno-economic and environmental assessment (life cycle assessment, carbon accounting, safety, and reliability);
- Policies, standards, and deployment pathways supporting sustainable TES.
Purpose
The primary objective of this Special Issue is to collect cutting-edge research that improves the performance, durability, safety, and scalability of renewable-energy-oriented TES and accelerates its deployment across sectors. We particularly welcome studies that bridge laboratory advances in storage materials with device/system demonstrations, quantify benefits under realistic operating conditions, and evaluate sustainability holistically, including environmental impact and socio-economic feasibility.
By fostering collaboration among researchers, industry practitioners, and policymakers, this Special Issue seeks to promote technologically feasible, environmentally responsible, and economically viable thermal energy storage solutions aligned with carbon-neutrality goals.
Dr. Yunren Sui
Dr. Wei Wu
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
- thermal energy storage
- renewable energy
- energy storage materials
- AI optimization
- energy storage efficiency
- energy storage density
- carbon neutrality
- Carnot battery
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