The Future of Renewable Energy: The Role of Solar Power in Sustainable Development
A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy Sustainability".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 May 2026 | Viewed by 32
Special Issue Editors
Interests: renewable energy system integration in the built environment; heat pump technologies and their role in energy rationalization; solar energy utilization including both photovoltaic and solar thermal applications; variable-transmittance building envelope components; passive solar systems such as Trombe walls; indoor environmental quality and thermal comfort; community energy systems and energy sharing models
Interests: energy communities and collective energy self-management models; strategies for enhancing indoor environmental quality and occupant comfort in energy-efficient buildings; integration of renewable energy technologies—particularly heat pumps, photovoltaic and solar thermal systems—into sustainable building design; adaptive building envelopes with variable thermal transmittance; passive solar solutions such as Trombe walls; the interplay between architectural design and energy systems in civil and industrial contexts; optimization of decentralized energy flows in community-scale renewable systems
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The escalating urgency of climate change, coupled with the global drive toward carbon neutrality, underscores the pivotal role of solar energy within the broader renewable energy paradigm. This Special Issue aims to critically engage with and expand the scientific discourse surrounding the integration of solar technologies into sustainable development strategies. As photovoltaic and concentrated solar power systems continue to advance, their deployment increasingly intersects with issues of economic feasibility, energy justice, policy innovation, and environmental sustainability.
In this framework, the synergistic integration of solar energy with high-efficiency technologies—such as heat pumps—emerges as a key enabler for maximizing self-consumption, reducing emissions, and enhancing energy performance at both the building and community levels. The coupling of solar production with electrified heating and cooling systems represents one of the most promising pathways for decarbonizing the built environment.
We invite theoretical and empirical contributions that rigorously investigate the technological frontiers, socio-economic dimensions, and governance mechanisms associated with solar-based energy systems. Relevant topics include, but are not limited to, the following: advanced photovoltaic materials and efficiency enhancement; smart grid integration; energy storage solutions; life cycle and techno-economic assessments; decentralized and off-grid applications; integrated energy models; and regulatory or financial frameworks fostering widespread solar adoption.
This Special Issue seeks to consolidate interdisciplinary research that not only advances the technical potential of solar power but also situates it within broader frameworks of equitable energy transition and planetary sustainability. Contributions adopting systems thinking, simulation modeling, or critical policy analysis are especially welcome.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Dr. Stefania Perrella
Dr. Daniela Cirone
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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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
- solar energy
- photovoltaic systems
- renewable energy transition
- energy policy
- sustainable development
- energy storage
- smart grids
- techno-economic analysis
- off-grid solutions
- energy justice
- heat pumps
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