Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
8.9
4.1
Journals
Sustainability
Special Issues
Power System Transformation and Smart Electricity Sustainable Development
sustainability-logo
Submit to Sustainability Review for Sustainability Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Power System Transformation and Smart Electricity Sustainable Development

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2026) | Viewed by 3418

Editor

Dr. Laila Zemite

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Electrical and Environmental Engineering, Institute of Power Engineering, Riga Technical University, LV 1048 Riga, Latvia
Interests: energy; renewables; sustainability

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The global energy landscape is undergoing a profound transformation, driven by the urgent need for sustainability, resilience, and efficiency. This Special Issue seeks to explore the dynamic evolution of power systems in response to these challenges. The integration of renewable energy sources, the advent of smart grids, and the increasing role of digital technologies are reshaping how electricity is generated, distributed, and consumed.

Key to this transformation is the development and deployment of smart grid technologies, which facilitate, for example, real-time monitoring, control, and optimization of the power network. Technologies enhance the reliability and efficiency of power delivery, reduce operational costs, and enable the seamless integration of distributed energy resources, such as solar and wind power. Moreover, advancements in energy storage systems and demand-side management are critical components in achieving a balanced and sustainable electricity supply.

This Special Issue aims to provide a platform to share innovative research, case studies, and practical insights on the following themes:

  • Smart grid technologies and their role in modern power systems.
  • Integration of renewable energy sources and the challenges involved.
  • Advanced energy storage solutions and their impact on grid stability.
  • Digitalization of the power sector: IoT, AI, and big data analytics.
  • Policies and regulations fostering sustainable energy development.
  • Case studies on successful power system transformations.
  • Strategies for enhancing energy efficiency and reducing carbon footprint.

Dr. Laila Zemite
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-anonymized 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

  • smart grids
  • renewable energy integration
  • energy storage systems
  • demand-side management
  • digitalization of power systems
  • sustainable energy policies
  • grid optimization
  • distributed energy resources

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

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

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

21 pages, 425 KB  
Article
Microgrid Planning by Stochastic Multi-Objective Multi-Year Optimization with Capacity Expansion and Non-Linear Asset Degradation
by Davide Fioriti, Marina Petrelli, Alberto Berizzi and Davide Poli
Sustainability 2026, 18(8), 3785; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18083785 - 10 Apr 2026
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 591
Abstract
Decentralized microgrids have been proven to enable socioeconomic growth in developing countries. However, they are long-lasting investments whose profitability is highly uncertain due to unstable local socioeconomic contexts, which may delay the breakeven point, if ever reachable. Over the long term, capacity expansion [...] Read more.
Decentralized microgrids have been proven to enable socioeconomic growth in developing countries. However, they are long-lasting investments whose profitability is highly uncertain due to unstable local socioeconomic contexts, which may delay the breakeven point, if ever reachable. Over the long term, capacity expansion and non-linear degradation of components also arise. Moreover, policymakers and developers are increasingly focusing on environmental and social considerations, raising the complexity of project development. Accordingly, multi-year planning has been simplified by addressing single challenges independently. In this paper, we propose a comprehensive procedure to efficiently solve stochastic multi-year problems for off-grid microgrids in developing countries, including capacity expansion and the non-linear degradation of battery and renewable assets. The novel procedure combines the efficient A-AUGMECON2 methodology for multi-objective formulation, the iterative decomposition of the non-linearities of the battery, and the inclusion of a two-step capacity expansion. A case study developed for Soroti, Uganda shows that the proposed model is suitable for planning purposes, with savings even beyond 20%. The Pareto frontier highlights the trade-offs among the net present cost, total emissions, and land use, which can support policy and business decision-making under uncertainty. The methodology renders these complex modeling challenges solvable and is scalable to energy system applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Power System Transformation and Smart Electricity Sustainable Development)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

23 pages, 755 KB  
Article
The Role of Digitalization in Facilitating Renewable Energy Transition and Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Thailand
by Singha Chaveesuk and Wornchanok Chaiyasoonthorn
Sustainability 2026, 18(4), 1985; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18041985 - 14 Feb 2026
Viewed by 704
Abstract
The study investigates the dual transitions of digitalization and renewable energy in Thailand to see if digital expansion facilitates the transition to renewable energy sources and greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation. The study utilized data from the World Bank between 2000 and 2023 to [...] Read more.
The study investigates the dual transitions of digitalization and renewable energy in Thailand to see if digital expansion facilitates the transition to renewable energy sources and greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation. The study utilized data from the World Bank between 2000 and 2023 to reconstruct models for autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) analysis for short-run and long-run dynamics under ecological modernization and technology diffusion theories. Contrary to expected synergies, empirical results revealed that a developing economy would find an ‘investment trade-off’ instead. Digitalization showed no significant immediate impact on renewable energy production; however, it exerted a significant negative lagged effect (coefficient = −0.593), suggesting that digital and energy infrastructures compete for limited financial resources. It was found that there is a 6.3% increase in greenhouse gas emissions for every 1% increase in internet usage. Thus, these results challenge the belief that increased internet usage will help improve the environment. Absent proper supportive policies about both digitalization and green transitions, such as investing in plants and machinery towards digitalization rather than green technology, the pacing effects of digitalization will affect the goals of converting to clean energy. This requires a policy coordination approach to ensure that funds earmarked for green infrastructure are safeguarded. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Power System Transformation and Smart Electricity Sustainable Development)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

21 pages, 1205 KB  
Article
Development of an Innovative Landfill Gas Purification System in Latvia
by Laila Zemite, Davids Kronkalns, Andris Backurs, Leo Jansons, Nauris Eglitis, Patrick Cnubben and Sanda Lapuke
Sustainability 2025, 17(13), 5691; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17135691 - 20 Jun 2025
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1431
Abstract
The management of municipal solid waste remains a critical environmental and energy challenge across the European Union (EU), where a significant portion of waste still ends up in landfills, generating landfill gas (LFG) rich in methane and harmful impurities. In Latvia, despite national [...] Read more.
The management of municipal solid waste remains a critical environmental and energy challenge across the European Union (EU), where a significant portion of waste still ends up in landfills, generating landfill gas (LFG) rich in methane and harmful impurities. In Latvia, despite national strategies to enhance circularity, untreated LFG is underutilized due to inadequate purification infrastructure, particularly in meeting biomethane standards. This study addressed this gap by proposing and evaluating an innovative, multistep LFG purification system tailored to Latvian conditions, with the aim of enabling the broader use of LFG for energy cogeneration and potentially biomethane injection. The research objective was to design, describe, and preliminarily assess a pilot-scale LFG purification prototype suitable for deployment at Latvia’s largest landfill facility—Landfill A. The methodological approach combined chemical composition analysis of LFG, technical site assessments, and engineering modelling of a five-step purification system, including desulfurization, cooling and moisture removal, siloxane filtration, pumping stabilization, and activated carbon treatment. The system was designed for a nominal gas flow rate of 1500 m3/h and developed with modular scalability in mind. The results showed that raw LFG from Landfill A contains high concentrations of hydrogen sulfide, siloxanes, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), far exceeding permissible thresholds for biomethane applications. The designed prototype demonstrated the technical feasibility of reducing hydrogen sulfide (H2S) concentrations to <7 mg/m3 and siloxanes to ≤0.3 mg/m3, thus aligning the purified gas with EU biomethane quality requirements. Infrastructure assessments confirmed that existing electricity, water, and sewage capacities at Landfill A are sufficient to support the system’s operation. The implications of this research suggest that properly engineered LFG purification systems can transform landfills from passive waste sinks into active energy resources, aligning with the EU Green Deal goals and enhancing local energy resilience. It is recommended that further validation be carried out through long-term pilot operation, economic analysis of gas recovery profitability, and adaptation of the system for integration with national gas grids. The prototype provides a transferable model for other Baltic and Eastern European contexts, where LFG remains an underexploited asset for sustainable energy transitions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Power System Transformation and Smart Electricity Sustainable Development)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-3
Back to TopTop