The Potential and Benefit of Renewable Energy Resources: A Spatial-Temporal Variation Perspective

Dear Colleagues,

Renewable energy resources (solar energy, hydro energy, wind energy, biomass energy, geothermal energy, etc.) are an effective way to relieve the energy crisis and also protect the environment due to its advantages of cleanness, safety, and reproducibility. The key problem of renewable energy resource development is how to estimate the potential of environmental and economic benefits accurately and scientifically. However, compared to the literature available in resource assessment and emission reduction benefit analysis, there have been few reports on integrated research from a spatial–temporal analysis perspective based on multisource data. Thus, theoretical research and practical applications of Potential and Benefit of Renewable Energy Resources from the spatial–temporal analysis perspective still need to be further refined.

This Special Issue mainly focuses on the innovation of the estimation method for the potential of renewable energy resources, especially in the energy benefits, environmental impacts, and the economy assessment from the spatial analysis perspective via geographic information systems (GIS), machine learning methods or hybrid economic models, presenting a relevant opportunity for all scholars to share their knowledge from the multidisciplinary community across the world, including energy economists, social scientist, and geographers.

Further progress in theoretical research and practical applications on the potential and benefits of renewable energy resources using spatial-temporal analysis techniques are welcome. We also seek integrative studies regarding the comprehensive benefits and spatial–temporal characteristics of development models for renewable energy resources using machine learning or hybrid economic theory and methodology, to meet the target of the great potential of scale production and the commercial development prospect. This is expected to address the question of how to evaluate and simulate the potential and benefit of renewable energy resources scientifically and will provide an important theoretical support for planning renewable energy resource development more rationally.

Dr. Jingying Fu
Prof. Zhigang Sun
Prof. Fengming Xi
Guest Editors

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