Integrating Smart Energy Systems for Sustainable Development

Dear Colleagues,

The built environment contributes more than 40% of the total carbon emissions of different economic sectors around the world. Sustainability in the built environment has gained a rapid growth and momentum in the last few decades, and research has been developed to reduce carbon footprint.  Intelligent and smart energy systems have been earmarked to achieve at least 15% of the built environment carbon footprint. Sustainable development through the incorporation of green and intelligent energy systems requires consideration of the three pillars of sustainability: environmental, economic, and social.

In this Special Issue, we welcome contributions that contribute to the new knowledge and understating in the field of sustainable and whole-life-cycle value of integrated energy systems development, and those that explore and discuss the need for environmental, economic, and social sustainability.

We welcome the submission of research works on topics including but not limited to:

• Planning and optimization of energy systems;
• Low-carbon and energy-efficient built infrastructure;
• Indoor environmental quality;
• Social and cultural implications of different energy systems;
• Assessment of built environment sustainability at micro and macro levels;
• Green rating and certification of energy systems;
• Technological innovations in demand response systems;
• Applications of BIM and other information systems for enhancing sustainability;
• Big data analytics and and/or AI for boosting built asset optimization;
• Carbon footprint calculation and reduction in infrastructure and buildings;
• Built asset operation and management for enhanced sustainability;
• Retrofitting and adaptive re-use of existing buildings;
• Development and energy portals to manage energy usage and trading;
• “Circular economy” applications for built environment sustainability.

Dr. Huda Dawood
Dr. Chris Ogwumike
Dr. Tariq Galadanchi Ahmed
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.