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Sustainability
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Transitioning to Sustainable Energy: Opportunities and Challenges
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Transitioning to Sustainable Energy: Opportunities and Challenges

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 October 2026 | Viewed by 2926

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Yehia F. Khalil

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Chemical & Environment Engineering Department, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
Interests: green energy systems; chemical process design; artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML); life cycle assessment (LCA); sustainability and circular economy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As the urgency to transition to sustainable energy sources grows within the global community, this Special Issue serves as a crucial platform to discuss and address the numerous challenges and dynamic opportunities associated with this transformation. Our goal is to bring together a diverse array of science-based insights, fundamental and applied research as well as strategies that can pave the way toward a sustainable energy future.

Key Themes: Includes but not limited to

  1. Innovations in Renewable Energy Technologies: Latest advancements and future directions in solar, wind, hydro, and other renewable energy technologies.
  2. Policy and Regulatory Landscape: Examination of current policies, regulatory frameworks, and potential reforms to support sustainable energy initiatives.
  3. Economic Impacts and Opportunities: Analysis of the economic benefits, challenges, and potential job creation linked with the transition to sustainable energy.
  4. Sustainable Energy in Developing Countries: Exploration of unique challenges and solutions for implementing sustainable energy in developing regions.
  5. Corporate Strategies and Sustainable Practices: Case studies and best practices from corporations leading the way in sustainable energy adoption.
  6. Public-Private Partnerships: Examples of successful collaborations between public entities and private sectors to promote and implement sustainable energy projects.

We invite researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and academics to submit original research articles, review papers, case studies, and opinion pieces related to the key themes. Submissions should provide innovative insights and practical implications that contribute to the discourse on sustainable energy.

Why Contribute:

  • Reach a Global Audience: Publish your work in a leading journal read by researchers, policymakers, and industry professionals worldwide.
  • Impactful Research: Contribute to the critical dialogue on sustainable energy and help shape future policies and practices.
  • Collaborative Opportunities: Connect with experts across various fields and collaborate on future research and projects.

Join us in advancing the conversation on sustainable energy and be a part of the solution for a greener, more sustainable future.

Prof. Dr. Yehia F. Khalil
Guest Editor

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.

Keywords

  • sustainability
  • green Energy
  • renewable Energy
  • sustainable Development
  • circular Economy
  • upcycling

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  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

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

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

24 pages, 3306 KB  
Article
Adaptive Hybrid MPPT for Photovoltaic Systems: Performance Enhancement Under Dynamic Conditions
by Mahmoud Ismail, Mostafa I. Marei and Mohamed Mokhtar
Sustainability 2026, 18(1), 80; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18010080 (registering DOI) - 20 Dec 2025
Viewed by 116
Abstract
Optimizing energy conversion in photovoltaic (PV) systems is crucial for maximizing energy conversion efficiency and ensuring reliable operation. Achieving this requires that the PV array consistently operates at the Global Maximum Power Point (GMPP). Conventional Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) algorithms, such as [...] Read more.
Optimizing energy conversion in photovoltaic (PV) systems is crucial for maximizing energy conversion efficiency and ensuring reliable operation. Achieving this requires that the PV array consistently operates at the Global Maximum Power Point (GMPP). Conventional Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) algorithms, such as Perturb and Observe (P&O) and Incremental Conductance (INC), perform effectively under uniform irradiance but fail to track the GMPP under partial shading conditions (PSCs), resulting in energy losses and degraded system efficiency. To overcome this limitation, this paper proposes a hybrid MPPT method that integrates the Crayfish Optimization Algorithm (COA), a bio-inspired metaheuristic, with the P&O technique. The proposed approach combines the global exploration ability of COA with the fast convergence of P&O to ensure accurate and stable GMPP identification. The algorithm is validated under multiple irradiance patterns and benchmarked against established MPPT methods, including voltage-source and current-source region detection, Improved Variable Step Perturb and Observe and Global Scanning (VSPO&GS), and a hybrid Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO)-P&O method. Simulation studies performed in MATLAB/Simulink demonstrate that the proposed technique achieves higher accuracy, faster convergence, and enhanced robustness under PSCs. Results show that the proposed method reliably identifies the global peak, limits steady-state oscillations to below 1%, restricts maximum overshoot to 0.5%, and achieves the fastest settling time, stabilizing at the new power point significantly faster following major step changes, thereby enhancing overall PV system performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transitioning to Sustainable Energy: Opportunities and Challenges)
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22 pages, 436 KB  
Article
Impacts of the Construction of New Energy Demonstration Cities on Energy Utilization Efficiency—Evidence from Chinese Cities
by Zhiyuan Dong, Pengfei Jiang and Tiantian Wang
Sustainability 2025, 17(23), 10677; https://doi.org/10.3390/su172310677 - 28 Nov 2025
Viewed by 288
Abstract
Cities are at the core of resource consumption and carbon emissions, and against a backdrop of increasingly severe global climate change and resource constraints, they have become crucial in achieving an ecological civilization through sustainable development models. Using data from 293 prefecture-level cities [...] Read more.
Cities are at the core of resource consumption and carbon emissions, and against a backdrop of increasingly severe global climate change and resource constraints, they have become crucial in achieving an ecological civilization through sustainable development models. Using data from 293 prefecture-level cities in China from 2006 to 2023 as a research sample, this study empirically examines the impacts of new energy demonstration city construction on energy utilization efficiency, with the aim of providing insights to guide urban sustainable development. Our findings are as follows: firstly, the construction of new energy demonstration cities can effectively enhance energy utilization efficiency. Secondly, digital economy policies and environmental regulations can positively moderate the impact of new energy demonstration city construction on energy utilization efficiency. Thirdly, the construction of new energy demonstration cities can significantly improve energy utilization efficiency through technological innovation and industrial optimization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transitioning to Sustainable Energy: Opportunities and Challenges)
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24 pages, 1893 KB  
Article
Scoring and Ranking Methods for Evaluating the Techno-Economic Competitiveness of Hydrogen Production Technologies
by Yehia F. Khalil
Sustainability 2025, 17(13), 5770; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17135770 - 23 Jun 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2047
Abstract
This research evaluates four hydrogen (H2) production technologies via water electrolysis (WE): alkaline water electrolysis (AWE), proton exchange membrane electrolysis (PEME), anion exchange membrane electrolysis (AEME), and solid oxide electrolysis (SOE). Two scoring and ranking methods, the MACBETH method and the [...] Read more.
This research evaluates four hydrogen (H2) production technologies via water electrolysis (WE): alkaline water electrolysis (AWE), proton exchange membrane electrolysis (PEME), anion exchange membrane electrolysis (AEME), and solid oxide electrolysis (SOE). Two scoring and ranking methods, the MACBETH method and the Pugh decision matrix, are utilized for this evaluation. The scoring process employs nine decision criteria: capital expenditure (CAPEX), operating expenditure (OPEX), operating efficiency (SOE), startup time (SuT), environmental impact (EI), technology readiness level (TRL), maintenance requirements (MRs), supply chain challenges (SCCs), and levelized cost of H2 (LCOH). The MACBETH method involves pairwise technology comparisons for each decision criterion using seven qualitative judgment categories, which are converted into quantitative scores via M-MACBETH software (Version 3.2.0). The Pugh decision matrix benchmarks WE technologies using a baseline technology—SMR with CCS—and a three-point scoring scale (0 for the baseline, +1 for better, −1 for worse). Results from both methods indicate AWE as the leading H2 production technology, which is followed by AEME, PEME, and SOE. AWE excels due to its lowest CAPEX and OPEX, highest TRL, and optimal operational efficiency (at ≈7 bars of pressure), which minimizes LCOH. AEME demonstrates balanced performance across the criteria. While PEME shows advantages in some areas, it requires improvements in others. SOE has the most areas needing enhancement. These insights can direct future R&D efforts toward the most promising H2 production technologies to achieve the net-zero goal. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transitioning to Sustainable Energy: Opportunities and Challenges)
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