Financial Determinants of Investment Decisions in Sustainable Energy Systems Adoption

Dear Colleagues,

In the context of the ongoing energy transition, sustainable energy systems are playing an increasingly important role in the functioning of modern economies and in shaping the long-term economic resilience of various entities. Their development depends not only on technological availability but, above all, on economic and financial conditions that influence investment decisions across different types of economic actors.

Unlike many existing Special Issues that focus on macroeconomic relationships, policy frameworks, or long-term energy transition scenarios, this Special Issue emphasizes micro-level economic and financial decision-making processes related to the implementation of sustainable energy systems.

Particular attention is given to how cost structures, access to capital, financing conditions, investment profitability, and financial risk influence real-world investment choices made by households, farms, and enterprises. These entities are increasingly required to make strategic energy-related decisions in a dynamic market and regulatory environment, where financial constraints and economic efficiency play a decisive role.

This research area lies at the intersection of energy studies, economics, and finance and aligns well with the scope of the journals Sustainability and Energies. The journal publishes research not only on technical aspects of energy systems but also on energy economics, financing, policy, and regulatory issues.

The aim of this Special Issue is to gather high-quality research and review papers addressing the economic and financial determinants of investment decisions in sustainable energy systems. The Issue focuses on how financial and economic factors affect not only the attractiveness of investments but also their actual implementation and long-term viability.

Authors are invited to submit contributions that analyze these processes from both theoretical and empirical perspectives, with a clear emphasis on decision-making mechanisms and practical implementation. Studies based on firm-level data, household behavior, or sector-specific analyses are particularly encouraged.

Examples of relevant topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Investment decisions in sustainable energy systems by households, farms, and enterprises;
• Cost structures and their impact on investment decisions of households, farms, and enterprises in energy systems;
• Economic evaluation and financial viability of energy investments at the household-, farm-, and firm-level;
• Financing constraints and access to capital for households, farms, and enterprises investing in sustainable energy systems;
• Investment profitability and payback analysis in sustainable energy systems across different types of economic actors;
• Financial risk and uncertainty in energy-related investments at the microeconomic level;
• Business and financing models supporting energy investments by enterprises and farms;
• Investment behavior of households, farms, and enterprises in sustainable energy systems;
• Microeconomic and firm-level analyses of energy investment decisions;
• Market conditions affecting the implementation of energy investments by households and enterprises;
• Economic barriers to the adoption of sustainable energy solutions at the household, farm, and enterprise level.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in Energies.

Dr. Agnieszka Strzelecka
Prof. Dr. Danuta Zawadzka
Dr. Ewa Szafraniec-Siluta
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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• sustainable energy systems
• energy investment
• investment decision-making
• cost structures
• financing constraints
• investment profitability
• financial risk
• sustainable energy systems adoption
• microeconomic analysis
• firm-, household-, and farm-level decisions