Advanced Modern Technologies for Renewable Energy Development and Utilization

Dear Colleagues,

The development and utilization of renewable energy have become critical strategic imperatives globally, driven by the mounting constraints of traditional fossil energy and pressing ecological challenges. Conventional energy sources (oil, natural gas, coal) that long dominated the energy mix face the dual challenges of supply scarcity and unsustainability. With global industrialization and urbanization advancing, surging energy demand widens the fossil energy supply–demand gap, triggering energy price volatility and threatening national energy security, urging a shift toward renewable alternatives.

Moreover, fossil energy utilization entails severe environmental costs, with massive greenhouse gas emissions exacerbating climate change and pollutants endangering public health. This has spurred a global consensus on ecological conservation, fostering an irreversible trend of expanding renewable energy’s share in the global energy structure.

This transition is jointly propelled by improved policy frameworks, enhanced public environmental awareness, and, crucially, technological innovations in the energy sector. Over 130 countries have set carbon neutrality goals, with supportive policies facilitating renewable energy development. However, large-scale adoption and efficient utilization of renewable energy still rely on advanced technologies to overcome existing bottlenecks.

Against this backdrop, this Topic focuses on “Advanced Modern Technologies for Renewable Energy Development and Utilization,” aiming to showcase cutting-edge technological breakthroughs and applications that underpin the sustainable energy transition, providing vital insights for academia and industry.

This Topic mainly aims to include original research and studies related to (but not limited to) the following topics:

Solar Energy Technologies

• Advanced photovoltaic (PV) materials, devices, and systems (e.g., perovskite solar cells, tandem solar cells, bifacial PV modules);
• Concentrated solar power (CSP) systems, thermal energy storage, and hybrid CSP-PV configurations;
• Solar thermal utilization technologies (e.g., solar water heating, solar cooling, solar-driven industrial processes);
• Smart solar energy management, grid integration, and off-grid solar applications.

Wind Energy Technologies

• Design, optimization, and manufacturing of next-generation wind turbines (e.g., large-scale offshore turbines, floating wind turbines, vertical-axis wind turbines);
• Wind resource assessment, site selection, and wind farm layout optimization;
• Wind turbine condition monitoring, fault diagnosis, and predictive maintenance technologies;
• Wind energy grid integration, power quality control, and wind–solar hybrid systems.

Hydro Energy Technologies

• Advanced small-scale hydropower, micro-hydropower, and run-of-river hydropower systems;
• Pumped storage hydropower (PSH) technologies for energy storage and grid regulation;
• Hydrokinetic energy conversion (e.g., tidal, wave, and current energy technologies);
• Environment-friendly hydro energy development and ecological impact mitigation.

Bioenergy Technologies

• Advanced biomass conversion technologies (e.g., pyrolysis, gasification, anaerobic digestion, fermentation);
• Biofuel production (e.g., bioethanol, biodiesel, biogas, synthetic biofuels) and upgrading processes;
• Waste-to-energy technologies (e.g., municipal solid waste, agricultural residue, industrial organic waste utilization);
• Integrated bioenergy systems for power, heat, and fuel co-production.

Geothermal Energy Technologies

• Enhanced geothermal systems (EGSs) and advanced geothermal resource exploration technologies;
• Geothermal power generation, direct use for heating/cooling, and district heating systems;
• Geothermal energy storage and hybrid geothermal–renewable energy systems;
• Geothermal reservoir modeling, monitoring, and sustainable management.

Energy Storage Systems for Renewable Integration

• Advanced battery technologies (e.g., lithium-ion, flow batteries, sodium-ion batteries, solid-state batteries);
• Mechanical energy storage (e.g., compressed air energy storage, flywheel energy storage);
• Chemical energy storage (e.g., hydrogen storage, ammonia synthesis and utilization);
• Energy storage system integration, control strategies, and cost optimization.

Smart Grid and Renewable Energy Integration Technologies

• Microgrid, nanogrid, and virtual power plant (VPP) technologies for distributed renewable energy;
• Power electronics devices (e.g., inverters, converters, transformers) for renewable energy grid connection;
• Demand response, energy management systems (EMSs), and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven grid optimization;
• Energy internet, blockchain-based energy trading, and peer-to-peer (P2P) renewable energy sharing.

Emerging Renewable Energy Technologies

• Ocean energy (tidal, wave, ocean thermal energy conversion, salinity gradient energy);
• Hydrogen energy production from renewable sources (green hydrogen) and fuel cell technologies;
• Algae-based bioenergy systems and innovative biomass resources;
• Novel renewable energy harvesting technologies (e.g., piezoelectric energy, thermoelectric energy).

Techno-Economic Analysis and Sustainability Assessment

• Cost reduction strategies and life cycle assessment (LCA) of renewable energy systems;
• Policy and market mechanisms for promoting renewable energy deployment;
• Environmental impact mitigation, carbon footprint reduction, and circular economy in renewable energy sectors;
• Resilience and reliability assessment of renewable energy systems under extreme climate conditions.

This Topic aims to gather cutting-edge research that bridges theory and practice, fostering collaboration among researchers, engineers, and policymakers to accelerate the global energy transition.

Prof. Dr. Qingan Li
Prof. Dr. Dongran Song
Prof. Dr. Mingzhu Tang
Dr. Xiaojiao Chen
Topic Editors