Sustainable Energy Systems and Advanced Technologies: Progress, Interdisciplinary Studies and Innovation

Dear Colleagues,

Achieving global sustainable development goals fundamentally depends on profound transformations in both technologies and energy systems. The traditional linear, high‑carbon development model can no longer cope with the twin challenges of climate crisis and resource constraints. An innovation research paradigm characterized by interdisciplinary technologies, multi-physical field coupling, and integrated multi‑energy systems is emerging and flourishing. This Special Issue will focus on cutting-edge technological progress and advanced renewable energy systems, including, but not limited to, next-generation energy systems and their key technologies, energy storage technologies, hydrogen energy technologies, artificial intelligence-driven energy utilization and optimization, carbon capture and utilization, materials science, advanced thermodynamic cycle technologies, and advanced heat transfer and cooling technologies. This Special Issue encourages forward‑looking, original, and cross‑disciplinary research. We welcome theoretical frameworks, methodological advances, techno-economic analyses, and real-world case studies that demonstrate cross-disciplinary innovation in action. Our goal is to provide a top-notch platform for discussing the progress in  the field “Advanced Energy Utilization and Optimization Technologies and Low-carbon Energy Systems for Sustainable future”, outlining a technological and energy blueprint capable of guiding society toward a just, resilient, and net‑zero future, while providing insights and collaboration opportunities for policymakers, industry practitioners, and researchers.

Topics of interest:

1. Advanced energy conversion and storage technologies

Novel materials and designs for high‑efficiency photovoltaics, wind, geothermal, and biomass energy; next‑generation batteries, supercapacitors, hydrogen and fuel cell technologies; long‑duration and distributed energy storage systems.

2. Intelligent and interconnected energy systems

Applications of artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, digital twins, blockchain and other digital tools in energy management, demand response, virtual power plants and microgrids; optimization of multi‑sector coupling among energy, transport, buildings, and industry.

3. Circular economy and low‑carbon technologies

Carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS); waste‑to‑energy and resource recovery; design methodologies and material innovations for full life‑cycle carbon footprint reduction.

4. Convergence paradigms across technologies and energy systems

Bio‑inspired and biomimetic energy systems; nanotechnologies for energy harvesting and conversion; deep intersections of energy systems with information technology, materials science and ecology; disruptive ideas (e.g., decentralized energy democracy, energy‑as‑a‑service, net‑negative carbon systems) and their theoretical or empirical validation.

5. Nuclear energy systems for sustainability

Thermal‑hydraulics and safety analysis of nuclear reactors; severe accident prevention and mitigation technologies; design, development, and licensing of advanced reactors (e.g., small modular reactors, Generation IV systems, molten salt reactors, and high‑temperature gas‑cooled reactors); fuel cycle innovations and waste management strategies.

6. Advanced technologies of flow and heat transfer, thermal management

Fundamental and applied research on enhanced heat transfer (active/passive methods); flow dynamics and heat transfer optimization; thermal management solutions for high‑power electronic chips, data centers, power electronics, and energy storage systems; novel heat exchangers, heat pipes, and phase‑change cooling; micro‑/nano‑scale heat transfer phenomena.

7. Energy efficiency and enhanced heat transfer in modern industrial systems

Advanced heat transfer enhancement and energy‑saving technologies in heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R) sectors; Advanced thermodynamic cycle; industrial process optimization for waste heat recovery; smart control strategies for energy‑efficient buildings and factories; integration of renewable thermal energy in industrial processes.

8. System‑level assessment and policy tools for the future

Technology readiness, social acceptance, energy justice and accessibility analyses; multi‑objective optimization and scenario modelling for sustainability; compatibility and transition pathways between emerging innovations and existing infrastructure.

9. Cross-Disciplinary Materials for Energy Systems

High-temperature alloys, phase-change materials, catalytic materials for hydrogen and carbon utilization, and advanced coatings.

10. Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage

This topic emphasizes CO₂ utilization pathways and long-term storage strategies. Including but not limited to geological storage in saline aquifers, depleted oil/gas reservoirs, and basalt formations; CO₂ injection strategies, trapping mechanisms, monitoring and verification technologies; and enhanced oil recovery (EOR) or enhanced gas recovery (EGR) with permanent storage.

Dr. Liangxing Li
Dr. Kailin Wang
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-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.

• sustainable development
• advanced energy systems
• integrated multi‑energy systems
• nuclear thermal-hydraulics and severe accident mitigation
• artificial intelligence-driven energy utilization and optimization
• carbon capture and utilization
• materials science
• advanced thermodynamic cycle
• flow and heat transfer
• high-power electronics cooling
• industrial energy efficiency (e.g., HVAC&R)
• net-zero future
• circular economy and low-carbon technologies