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Advances and Applications in Renewable Energy and Sustainable Buildings

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2025 | Viewed by 5009

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Faculty of Management and Computer Modelling, Kielce University of Technology, Al. 1000-lecia Państwa Polskiego 7, 25-314 Kielce, Poland
Interests: passive houses; building physics; renewable energy; risk management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Automatic Control and Computer Science, Kielce University of Technology, Al. 1000-lecia Państwa Polskiego 7, 25-314 Kielce, Poland
Interests: machine learning applications for renewable energy sources; sustainable development

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The rapid economic recovery after the pandemic in 2021, the war between Russia and Ukraine that started in 2022, and the resulting rapid increase in the prices of natural gas, electricity, and oil have deepened the current global energy crisis. Therefore, researchers are currently investigating measures to alleviate the effects of the global energy crisis and contribute to decarbonization. These include advances in and applications of renewable energy and sustainable buildings that focus on improving the energy efficiency of buildings, the indoor climate, and lifecycle costs. Moreover, it is important to stress that renewable energy applications and sustainable buildings are key enablers of the European Green Deal goal to significantly reduce greenhouse emissions by at least 55% by 2030, making Europe the first climate-neutral continent in the world by 2050. Therefore, the aim of this Special Issue is to collect state-of-the-art experimental, economic, and theoretical studies covering various advances in and applications of renewable energy and sustainable buildings. This will enable the exchange of knowledge and experience in the planning, design, operation, and management of modern renewable energy technology applications and solutions for sustainable buildings.

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

  • Advances and applications of renewable energy technologies using water (hydro and tidal), wind, solar, biomass (biofuels and wastes), and geothermal heat;
  • Hybrid renewable energy systems;
  • Artificial intelligence and machine learning applications for renewable energy systems;
  • Digital twins of microgrids in which renewable energy technologies are applied;
  • Current trends in the development of renewable energy technologies;
  • Case studies, best practices, and lessons learned from applications of renewable energy technologies;
  • Novel, sustainable solutions for building design and energy performance;
  • Sustainable, energy-efficient solutions for building partitions;
  • Sustainable strategies for improving indoor thermal comfort in the building and user satisfaction;
  • Passive buildings technology;
  • Innovations in sustainable buildings;
  • Case studies, best practices, and lessons learned from sustainable buildings.

We look forward to receiving insightful contributions.

Dr. Maria Krechowicz
Dr. Adam Krechowicz
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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

  • wind energy
  • solar energy
  • photovoltaics
  • biomass
  • hydropower
  • geothermal energy
  • sustainable buildings
  • passive buildings
  • machine learning
  • artificial intelligence

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 1859 KiB  
Article
Sustainable Transport and Development Partnership: Enhancing Urban Growth in Hobart, Australia Through TOD, PPP and Green Building Practices
by Philip Y. L. Wong, Joseph H. K. Lai and Kinson C. C. Lo
Sustainability 2025, 17(3), 881; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17030881 - 22 Jan 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1239
Abstract
This paper introduces the concept of sustainable transport and development partnership (STDP), a holistic approach integrating transit-oriented development (TOD), public–private partnership (PPP) and green building practices to address high carbon emissions from the building sector. Focusing on Hobart, Australia, the study explores the [...] Read more.
This paper introduces the concept of sustainable transport and development partnership (STDP), a holistic approach integrating transit-oriented development (TOD), public–private partnership (PPP) and green building practices to address high carbon emissions from the building sector. Focusing on Hobart, Australia, the study explores the city’s urban context and potential for STDP implementation, proposing a comprehensive framework that incorporates green building practices across six key dimensions. Through in-depth interviews with PPP experts and on-site observations, the research identifies key transport challenges in Hobart, analyzes their interrelationship with potential STDP initiatives and proposes a set of STDP metrics to evaluate their efficacy. The findings contribute to the discourse on sustainable urban development, offering practical insights for policymakers, developers and researchers and providing a valuable reference for regional cities globally seeking to implement effective and sustainable STDP strategies, ultimately enhancing urban growth and reducing carbon emissions. Full article
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16 pages, 19947 KiB  
Article
Preparation, Characterization and Application of Sustainable Composite Phase Change Material: A Mineral Material Science Comprehensive Experiment
by Haomin Zhang, Huan Gao, Xiaobo Wang and Huixing Dai
Sustainability 2024, 16(24), 11035; https://doi.org/10.3390/su162411035 - 16 Dec 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1016
Abstract
Phase change materials (PCMs) play a significant role in achieving sustainable objectives for green buildings. Organic solid–liquid PCMs have excellent heat energy storage density and suitable working temperatures, making them a focal point of research attention. However, these materials face challenges such as [...] Read more.
Phase change materials (PCMs) play a significant role in achieving sustainable objectives for green buildings. Organic solid–liquid PCMs have excellent heat energy storage density and suitable working temperatures, making them a focal point of research attention. However, these materials face challenges such as potential leakage, low thermal conductivity, and limited fire resistance, which hinder their direct application in the construction industry. Therefore, mineral-based PCMs are highly regarded due to their safety features, environmental friendliness, non-toxicity, and cost-effectiveness within sustainable building development. In this work, a multistage porous kaolinite-based geopolymer encapsulation material using primary raw materials like kaolinite mineral, sodium silicate surfactants, and hydrogen peroxide was successfully synthesized. The PEG is used as the organic solid–liquid PCM while natural graphite mineral serves as a heat transfer enhancement agent to fabricate a novel and sustainable mineral-based composite PCM, which could be applied at the environment temperature from 35–60 °C approximately. Furthermore, a study on material properties was conducted to investigate influencing factors. Comprehensive experimental reform on mineral-based PCMs will offer proficiency in experimental operations and foster the talents’ capacity for comprehensive design, which holds immense significance for understanding and designing mineral materials. This work holds great significance for the sustainable development for education and green buildings. Full article
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22 pages, 6382 KiB  
Article
Sustainable Concrete Roof Tiles: Integrating Aluminium Foil, Fly Ash, Solar PV, and Management
by Mukilan Poyyamozhi, Balasubramanian Murugesan, Rajamanickam Narayanamoorthi, Thenarasan Latha Abinaya, Mohammad Shorfuzzaman and Yasser Aboelmagd
Sustainability 2024, 16(18), 8257; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16188257 - 23 Sep 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1974
Abstract
This research investigates the use of municipal solid waste cremated fly ash as a viable substitute for natural sand in building methodologies, with a focus on sustainability. The waste material is used in the manufacturing of concrete roof tiles that are combined with [...] Read more.
This research investigates the use of municipal solid waste cremated fly ash as a viable substitute for natural sand in building methodologies, with a focus on sustainability. The waste material is used in the manufacturing of concrete roof tiles that are combined with solar PV systems, providing advantages in terms of both thermal comfort and improved energy efficiency. These tiles exhibit thermal insulation prowess by effectively preserving a 2-degree temperature differential and collecting heat from solar panels to enhance their energy-production efficiency. In order to enhance performance even further, aluminium foil is strategically placed on all four sides of the roof walls. The foil acts as a reflector, redirecting solar energy towards the tiles, which leads to a 5% boost in power generation. Particular alignments, such as positioning in an east-west or north-south direction, result in further enhancements in performance of 4% and 3%, respectively. This comprehensive approach not only confirms the use of waste materials for environmentally friendly construction but also emphasizes their crucial role in promoting energy-efficient building methods. Full article
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