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Design and Optimization of Solar and Wind Energy Systems for Sustainable Development

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 569

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Codruta Jaliu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Renewable Energy Systems and Recycling Research Centre, Transilvania University of Brasov, Brasov, Romania
Interests: small hydropower; wind energy; conversion systems; hybrid systems; energy efficiency; product design and development
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Mircea Neagoe

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Renewable Energy Systems and Recycling R&D Centre, Faculty of Product Design and Environment, Transilvania University of Brasov, 500036 Brasov, Romania
Interests: renewable energy systems; wind turbines; planetary speed increasers; photovoltaic systems; solar tracking systems; sustainable hybrid systems; artificial intelligence; product design and development
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Radu Săulescu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Design of Mechanical Elements and Systems R&D Centre, Transilvania University of Brasov, 500036 Brasov, Romania
Interests: renewable energy systems; counter-rotating wind turbines; dynamics of planetary speed increasers; solar tracking systems; product design and development
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to invite you to publish your most recent research results in this Special Issue of Sustainability titled ‘Design and Optimization of Solar and Wind Energy Systems for Sustainable Development’.

In recent years, the use of renewable energy sources for energy production has increased rapidly. Due to their prominent advantages, solar and wind energy system design and optimization are increasingly being addressed by researchers. The design of renewable energy systems with better performance, lower costs, and optimal control strategies present current research challenges.

This Special Issue aims to explore these topics, examine the factors affecting the behavior of solar and wind energy systems in order to enhance their energy performance, and facilitate their cost-effective development. Design, modeling, simulation, experimental testing, control and optimization present effective methods for developing innovative solutions for renewable energy systems. Therefore, potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Solar and wind energy potential and forecasting;
  • Design and optimization of innovative solar and wind energy systems;
  • Design and optimization of solar–wind-type hybrid energy systems;
  • Modeling and numerical simulation of solar and wind energy systems;
  • Efficiency of solar and wind energy system;
  • Control strategies and algorithms for solar and wind energy systems;
  • AI techniques for optimal operation of solar and wind energy systems;
  • Optimization of energy management;
  • Optimal integration of solar and wind systems in the environment;
  • Energy security and empowerment of communities by employing solar and wind energy;
  • Education on solar and wind energy systems.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Codruta Jaliu
Prof. Dr. Mircea Neagoe
Prof. Dr. Radu Săulescu
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

  • renewable energy
  • solar energy
  • wind energy
  • hybrid system
  • design
  • modeling
  • simulation
  • optimization
  • control strategies
  • conversion efficiency
  • experimental testing
  • potential
  • sustainable development

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

Published Papers (2 papers)

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33 pages, 6288 KB  
Article
A Hybrid Fuzzy AHP–MULTIMOORA Approach for Solar Energy Development on Rural Brownfield Sites in Serbia
by Vladimir Malinić, Uroš Durlević, Ljiljana Brašanac-Bosanac, Ivan Novković, Marko Joksimović, Rajko Golić and Filip Krstić
Sustainability 2025, 17(17), 7988; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17177988 - 4 Sep 2025
Abstract
Global energy demand is steadily increasing, accompanied by a growing emphasis on clean and renewable energy sources. Serbia possesses significant solar energy potential, with solar radiation levels among the highest in Europe—about 40% above the European average. Within this context, rural depopulation clusters [...] Read more.
Global energy demand is steadily increasing, accompanied by a growing emphasis on clean and renewable energy sources. Serbia possesses significant solar energy potential, with solar radiation levels among the highest in Europe—about 40% above the European average. Within this context, rural depopulation clusters offer attractive opportunities for solar energy development due to the availability of underutilized land. This study aims to identify optimal locations for solar power installations in Serbia’s depopulated areas by applying multi-criteria decision-making methods under uncertainty. A hybrid framework, combining fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (fuzzy AHP) and fuzzy MULTIMOORA, was employed to evaluate potential sites. Fuzzy AHP was used to determine the relative importance of criteria, while fuzzy MULTIMOORA ensured a robust ranking of alternatives by addressing the vagueness in data and expert judgments. The analysis identified several high-potential brownfield locations, with the most suitable land class covering 5.01% (16.94 km2) of the examined cluster area (311.3 km2). These areas are typically characterized by flat terrain, high solar irradiation, and minimal environmental constraints, providing favorable conditions for solar farms. Among the assessed sites, location no. 9 consistently ranked highest across all three fuzzy MULTIMOORA variants: FRPA (z = 0.0588), FRS (y = 0.2811), and FFMF (p = 1.6748). The findings confirm that the hybrid fuzzy AHP–MULTIMOORA approach offers valuable support for informed decision-making on solar energy deployment in depopulated rural regions. Moreover, the utilization of rural brownfield sites contributes to the expansion of renewable energy, rural revitalization, and sustainable land management in Serbia. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Optimization of Solar and Wind Energy Systems for Sustainable Development)
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40 pages, 6391 KB  
Systematic Review
A Systematic Review of Technological Strategies to Improve Self-Starting in H-Type Darrieus VAWT
by Jorge-Saúl Gallegos-Molina and Ernesto Chavero-Navarrete
Sustainability 2025, 17(17), 7878; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17177878 - 1 Sep 2025
Viewed by 241
Abstract
The self-starting capability of straight-bladed H-type Darrieus Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWTs) remains a major constraint for deployment, particularly in urban, low speed, and turbulent environments. We conducted a systematic review of technological strategies to improve self-starting, grouped into five categories: (1) aerodynamic [...] Read more.
The self-starting capability of straight-bladed H-type Darrieus Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWTs) remains a major constraint for deployment, particularly in urban, low speed, and turbulent environments. We conducted a systematic review of technological strategies to improve self-starting, grouped into five categories: (1) aerodynamic airfoil design, (2) rotor configuration, (3) passive flow control, (4) active flow control, and (5) incident flow augmentation. Searches in Scopus and IEEE Xplore (last search 20 August 2025) covered the period from 2019 to 2026 and included peer-reviewed journal articles in English reporting experimental or numerical interventions on H-type Darrieus VAWTs with at least one start-up metric. From 1212 records, 53 studies met the eligibility after title/abstract screening and full-text assessment. Data were synthesized qualitatively using a comparative thematic approach, highlighting design parameters, operating conditions, and performance metrics (torque and power coefficients) during start-up. Quantitatively, studies reported typical start-up torque gains of 20–30% for airfoil optimization and passive devices, about 25% for incident-flow augmentation, and larger but less certain improvements (around 30%) for active control. Among the strategies, airfoil optimization and passive devices consistently improved start-up torque at low TSR with minimal added systems; rotor-configuration tuning and incident-flow devices further reduced start-up time where structural or siting constraints allowed; and active control showed the largest laboratory gains but with uncertain regarding energy and durability. However, limitations included heterogeneity in designs and metrics, predominance of 2D-Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFDs), and limited 3D/field validation restricted quantitative pooling. Risk of bias was assessed using an ad hoc matrix; overall certainty was rated as low to moderate due to limited validation and inconsistent uncertainty reporting. In conclusions, no single solution is universally optimal; hybrid strategies, combining optimized airfoils with targeted passive or active control, appear most promising. Future work should standardize start-up metrics, adopt validated 3D Fluid–Structure Interaction (FSI) models, and expand wind-tunnel/field trials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Optimization of Solar and Wind Energy Systems for Sustainable Development)
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