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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 July 2026 | Viewed by 5918

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Prof. Dr. Ahmad Sakhrieh

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Department of Mechanical Engineering, American University of Ras Al Khaimah, Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates
Interests: energy systems; renewable energy technologies; thermodynamics and combustion; energy policy; energy economics; sustainability in the built environment Mechanics
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The transition to sustainable energy systems is essential to reducing climate change and achieving global environmental and economic goals, and this Special Issue aims to explore the interconnections between energy economics, policy-making, and technological innovation in the context of environmental sustainability. The topics of interest include energy transition policies, renewable energy integration, cost–benefit analysis of sustainable technologies, and the socio-economic effects of decarbonization policies.

This Special Issue calls for submissions that critically examine policy regimes, market forces, investment schemes, and interdisciplinary models supporting low-carbon and resilient energy futures. Through the convergence of insights from engineering, economics, public policy, and environmental science, the Special Issue seeks to result in a thorough examination of sustainable energy development.

It will complement the journal's objectives by promoting holistic sustainability assessment, implementation, and monitoring approaches, and presenting tools and case studies that can aid decision-makers in government, academia, and industry.

Prof. Dr. Ahmad Sakhrieh
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

energy economics
environmental sustainability
renewable energy
sustainable development
energy transition
energy policy
decarbonization
circular economy
energy efficiency
climate policy

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 768 KB

Open AccessArticle

The Environmental Impact of Reducing Heat Energy Losses Through External Brick Walls in Single-Family Houses

by Agnieszka Sobolewska, Marcin Bukowski and Janusz Majewski

Sustainability 2026, 18(5), 2580; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18052580 - 6 Mar 2026

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 481

Abstract

The use of appropriate thermal insulation is one of the fundamental methods for reducing a building’s energy demand. The article aims to assess the ecological effectiveness of reducing thermal energy losses through the external brick walls of a model single-family building. Environmental impacts resulting from the use of three alternative heat sources (a condensing gas boiler, an oil boiler, and a brine-to-water heat pump) and two types of insulation materials (EPS with recycled material and mineral wool) were determined. Oil heating has the highest combined environmental impact (EUR 4.392). Using EPS as an insulating material generates a lower environmental impact compared to mineral wool (EUR 2.846 vs. EUR 3.775). The impact of climatic conditions was also considered, taking into account seven building locations that correspond to the diverse climatic conditions found in different regions of Poland. The obtained values indicate a clear impact of both the thickness of the thermal insulation layer and the building’s location on the amount of heat loss and, consequently, environmental costs. In locations with higher average annual outdoor temperatures, the determined heat losses are approximately 20% lower. The most significant environmental benefits are observed when switching from no insulation to 150–200 mm of insulation. The results indicate that the environmental benefits resulting from reduced heat losses achieved through the use of thermal insulation are quickly offset by the externalities associated with the production of the insulation. For a thickness of 50 mm, the benefit–cost ratio (B/C) ranges from 1.7 to 8.4, indicating that the environmental benefits achieved by reducing heat loss are approximately two to eight times greater than the costs associated with producing the material. The B/C ratio decreases with increasing insulation thickness, regardless of the building’s location and the type of heat source. As the thickness increases to 100 mm, the ratio drops to 1–5. In the temperate climate zone, where Poland and others UE’s countries are located, a 100–150 mm layer of insulation offers the best compromise between environmental benefits and environmental costs. The results demonstrate the validity of using building insulation and may serve as an argument in environmental policy for supporting it with budgetary funds in Poland and the European Union. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Economics and Sustainable Environment)

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21 pages, 8455 KB

Open AccessArticle

Comparative Experimental Performance Assessment of Tilted and Vertical Bifacial Photovoltaic Configurations for Agrivoltaic Applications

by Osama Ayadi, Reem Shadid, Mohammad A. Hamdan, Qasim Aburumman, Abdullah Bani Abdullah, Mohammed E. B. Abdalla, Haneen Sa’deh and Ahmad Sakhrieh

Sustainability 2026, 18(2), 931; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18020931 - 16 Jan 2026

Viewed by 1202

Abstract

Agrivoltaics—the co-location of photovoltaic energy production with agriculture—offers a promising pathway to address growing pressures on land, food, and clean energy resources. This study evaluates the first agrivoltaic pilot installation in Jordan, located in Amman (935 m above sea level; hot-summer Mediterranean climate), during its first operational year. Two 11.1 kWp bifacial photovoltaic (PV) systems were compared: (i) a south-facing array tilted at 10°, and (ii) a vertical east–west “fence” configuration. The tilted system achieved an annual specific yield of 1962 kWh/kWp, approximately 35% higher than the 1288 kWh/kWp obtained from the vertical array. Seasonal variation was observed, with the performance gap widening to ~45% during winter and narrowing to ~22% in June. As expected, the vertical system exhibited more uniform diurnal output, enhanced early-morning and late-afternoon generation, and lower soiling losses. The light profiles measured for the year indicate that vertical systems barely impede the light requirements of crops, while the tilted system splits into distinct profiles for the intra-row area (akin to the vertical system) and sub-panel area, which is likely to support only low-light requirement crops. This configuration increases the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) by roughly 88% compared to a conventional ground-mounted system due to elevated structural costs. In contrast, the vertical east–west system provides an energy yield equivalent to about 33% of the land area at the tested configuration but achieves this without increasing the LCOE. These results highlight a fundamental trade-off: elevated tilted systems offer greater land-use efficiency but at higher cost, whereas vertical systems preserve cost parity at the expense of lower energy density. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Economics and Sustainable Environment)

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22 pages, 3775 KB

Open AccessArticle

An Investigation into Electric School Bus Energy Consumption and Its V2G Opportunities

by Rupesh Dahal, Hailin Li, John J. Recktenwald, Bhaskaran Gopalakrishnan, Derek Johnson and Rong Luo

Sustainability 2026, 18(2), 838; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18020838 - 14 Jan 2026

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1065

Abstract

This study presents the electrification plan of a school bus (SB) fleet and examines its potential in vehicle-to-grid (V2G) applications. The data collected includes the efficiency of a 120 kW EV charger, energy consumption of a 40-foot electric school bus (ESB), and a diesel bus operating on the same route. The energy consumption data of the ESB and diesel school bus (DSB) were processed to derive the yearly average distance-specific energy consumption of 0.37 mile/kWh (0.60 km/kWh) grid electricity and 5.55 MPG (2.36 km/L), respectively. The energy consumption ratio of the ESB over the DSB is 14.92 kWh/gallon (3.94 kWh/L) diesel. Based on the CO₂ intensity, 1.956 lb/kWh (0.887 kg/kWh) of electricity produced in WV and that of diesel fuel, the distance-specific CO₂ emissions of the ESB were 5.38 lb/mile (1.52 kg/km), which are higher than the 4.08 lb/mile (1.15 kg/km) from the diesel bus operating on the same route. This study also presents the V2G potential of the proposed electrical school bus fleet. Based on the estimated grid-to-vehicle battery (G2VB) efficiency of 92% and vehicle battery-to-grid (VB2G) efficiency of 92%, the grid–vehicle battery–grid (G2VB2G) efficiency is 84.64%. The application of V2G technology is associated with a loss of electricity. Based on the 20% to 80% battery charge, and the estimated 92% VB2G efficiency, the proposed ESB fleet has the potential to provide 14,929 kWh electricity, 55.2% of the ESB fleet battery capacity. The increased cost associated with the implementation of the proposed V2G is about USD 7.5 million, a 400% increase compared to the charger satisfying the operation of ESBs when V2G is not used. The V2G application also is expected to increase the charging cycles, which raises concerns about battery degradation and its replacement during SB service lifetime. Accordingly, more research work is needed to address the increased cost and grid capacity demand, and battery degradation associated with V2G applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Economics and Sustainable Environment)

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32 pages, 4224 KB

Open AccessArticle

Supporting the Design and Development of Solar Cooling Integrated Façades: A Framework of Decisions, Information, and Stakeholder Involvement

by Hamza Hamida, Alejandro Prieto, Thaleia Konstantinou and Ulrich Knaack

Sustainability 2025, 17(17), 7745; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17177745 - 28 Aug 2025

Viewed by 1176

Abstract

Given the global challenges arising from climate change, relevant, promising methods to expedite the energy transition are essential. The integration of solar cooling technologies into façades represents an important option. Potential benefits of applying solar cooling technologies include conserving primary and conventional electricity sources, lowering peak energy demand to achieve cost savings, and offering environmental benefits. This study aimed to support the design team and stakeholders involved at the design and development stages with a framework that supports developing solar cooling integrated façades. This study adopted a participatory research methodology to identify, outline, and validate key decisions, information, and stakeholders supporting product design and development. The key study findings revealed that the integration of solar cooling technologies into façades should be considered at the conception stage, where the client, climate designer, building physicists, building service consultants, and architects were identified as key participants who should be involved in the decision-making process. The most critical information identified for supporting design decisions includes technology costs, performance and efficiency, cooling demand, and construction characteristics of the thermal envelope. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Economics and Sustainable Environment)

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24 pages, 2602 KB

Open AccessArticle

Spatial Evolution of Green Total Factor Carbon Productivity in the Transportation Sector and Its Energy-Driven Mechanisms

by Yanming Sun, Jiale Liu and Qingli Li

Sustainability 2025, 17(17), 7635; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17177635 - 24 Aug 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1265

Abstract

Achieving carbon reduction is essential in advancing China’s dual carbon goals and promoting a green transformation in the transportation sector. Changes in energy structure and intensity constitute key drivers for sustainable and low-carbon development in this field. To explore the spatial spillover effects of the energy structure and intensity on the green transition of transportation, this study constructs a panel dataset of 30 Chinese provinces from 2007 to 2020. It employs a super-efficiency SBM model, non-parametric kernel density estimation, and a spatial Markov chain to verify and quantify the spatial spillover effects of green total factor productivity (GTFP) in the transportation sector. A dynamic spatial Durbin model is then used for empirical estimation. The main findings are as follows: (1) GTFP in China’s transportation sector exhibits a distinct spatial pattern of “high in the east, low in the west”, with an evident path dependence and structural divergence in its evolution; (2) GTFP displays spatial clustering characteristics, with “high–high” and “low–low” agglomeration patterns, and the spatial Markov chain confirms that the GTFP levels of neighboring regions significantly influence local transitions; (3) the optimization of the energy structure significantly promotes both local and neighboring GTFP in the short term, although the effect weakens over the long term; (4) a reduction in energy intensity also exerts a significant positive effect on GTFP, but with clear regional heterogeneity: the effects are more pronounced in the eastern and central regions, whereas the western and northeastern regions face risks of negative spillovers. Drawing on the empirical findings, several policy recommendations are proposed, including implementing regionally differentiated strategies for energy structure adjustment, enhancing transportation’s energy efficiency, strengthening cross-regional policy coordination, and establishing green development incentive mechanisms, with the aim of supporting the green and low-carbon transformation of the transportation sector both theoretically and practically. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Economics and Sustainable Environment)

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