Sustainable Energy: Efficient Technological Solutions Combining Environmental, Economic, Political and Social Aspects, 2nd Edition

Topic Information

Dear Colleagues,

Greetings from the Topic Editors.

This is the second edition of the successful Topic “Sustainable Energy: Efficient Technological Solutions Combining Environmental, Economic, Political and Social Aspects” (https://www.mdpi.com/topics/0509Z729CX).

We are inviting submissions to the Topic that investigate the key subject area of Sustainable Energy.

The energy sector has characterized humanity at every step of its evolution, from the primordial discovery of fire to the Industrial Revolution, up to ICT and IoT, which are already projected to feature increasing use of AI. Energy has always represented the opportunity to satisfy one's own needs, although only by exploiting and consuming the resources that the planet has made available to humanity through tens of thousands of years of transformation processes. The transformed organic matter created by the planet has been utilized by humanity since its inception; however, we must also consider sustaining these resources so that future generations can also satisfy their needs. There is "nothing else" other than sustainability; today, more than ever, the "conditio sine qua non" perspective of development should be adopted.

The Topic, also titled “Sustainable Energy,” is focused on the combination of new and efficient technological solutions that utilize environmental, economic, political, and social aspects to aid humanity in this new ecosystem of sustainability.

Topics of interest for publication include, but are not limited to:

• Renewable Sources;
• Conversion Technologies;
• Biofuels;
• Hydrogen and Fuel Cells;
• Energy storage, Transport, and Distribution;
• Environment;
• Ecology, Biodiversity, and Natural Balances;
• Environmental Impacts Analysis;
• Carbon Footprint;
• Energy Security;
• Integrated Resource Usage Planning;
• Energy Efficiency;
• Energy Systems for Mobility and Infrastructure;
• Energy Systems Analysis, Modeling, and Control;
• Smartification and Intelligent Systems.

This Topic seeks to contribute to the energy sustainability agenda through examining and enhancing new and efficient technological solutions.

We therefore are inviting research papers on innovative technical developments, reviews, case studies, analyses, and assessments that are relevant in regard to improving and sustaining this new ecosystem of sustainability.

Prof. Dr. Adriano Santiangeli
Prof. Dr. Fabio Orecchini
Prof. Dr. Fabrizio Zuccari
Topic Editors

Keywords

Participating Journals

Journal Name	Impact Factor	CiteScore	Launched Year	First Decision (median)	APC
Clean Technologies cleantechnol	4.1	6.1	2019	33.5 Days	CHF 1600	Submit
Energies energies	3.0	6.2	2008	16.8 Days	CHF 2600	Submit
Processes processes	2.8	5.1	2013	14.9 Days	CHF 2400	Submit
Sustainability sustainability	3.3	6.8	2009	19.7 Days	CHF 2400	Submit
Buildings buildings	3.1	3.4	2011	15.3 Days	CHF 2600	Submit

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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All Clean Technol. Energies Processes Sustainability Buildings

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21 pages, 11659 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Machine Learning-Based Evaluation of Solar Photovoltaic Panel Exergy and Efficiency Under Real Climate Conditions

by Gökhan Şahin and Wilfried G. J. H. M. van Sark

Energies 2025, 18(6), 1318; https://doi.org/10.3390/en18061318 - 7 Mar 2025

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 655

Abstract

The purpose of this study article is to provide a detailed examination of the performance of exergy electric panels, exergy efficiency panels and exergy solar panels under the climatic circumstances of the Utrecht region in the Netherlands. The study explores the performance of [...] Read more.

The purpose of this study article is to provide a detailed examination of the performance of exergy electric panels, exergy efficiency panels and exergy solar panels under the climatic circumstances of the Utrecht region in the Netherlands. The study explores the performance of these solar panels in terms of both their energy efficiency and their exergy efficiency. Additionally, the study investigates critical factors such as solar radiation, module internal temperature, air temperature, maximum power, and solar energy efficiency. Environmental factors have a considerable impact on panel performance; temperature has a negative impact on efficiency, whereas an increase in solar radiation leads to an increase in energy and exergy output. These findings offer significant insights that can be used to increase the utilization of solar energy in locations that have a temperate oceanic climate, particularly in the context of the climatic conditions of the Utrecht region. The usefulness of the linear regression model in machine learning was validated by performance measures such as R², RMSE, MAE, and MAPE. Furthermore, an R² value of 0.94889 was found for the parameters that were utilized. Policy makers, researchers, and industry stakeholders who seek to successfully utilize solar energy in the face of changing climatic conditions may find this research to be an important reference. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Sustainable Energy: Efficient Technological Solutions Combining Environmental, Economic, Political and Social Aspects, 2nd Edition)

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27 pages, 6711 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Using Investments in Solar Photovoltaics as Inflation Hedges

by Seyyed Ali Sadat, Kashish Mittal and Joshua M. Pearce

Energies 2025, 18(4), 890; https://doi.org/10.3390/en18040890 - 13 Feb 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 577

Abstract

Mainstream strategies for protecting wealth from inflation involve diversification into traditional assets like common stocks, gold, fixed-income securities, and real estate. However, a significant contributor to inflation has been the rising energy prices, which have been the main underlying cause of several past [...] Read more.

Mainstream strategies for protecting wealth from inflation involve diversification into traditional assets like common stocks, gold, fixed-income securities, and real estate. However, a significant contributor to inflation has been the rising energy prices, which have been the main underlying cause of several past recessions and high inflation periods. Investments in distributed generation with solar photovoltaics (PV) present a promising opportunity to hedge against inflation, considering non-taxed profits from PV energy generation. To investigate that potential, this study quantifies the return on investment (ROI), internal rate of return (IRR), payback period, net present cost, and levelized cost of energy of PV by running Solar Alone Multi-Objective Advisor (SAMA) simulations on grid-connected PV systems across different regions with varying inflation scenarios. The case studies are San Diego, California; Boston, Massachusetts; Santiago, Chile; and Buenos Aires, Argentina. Historical inflation data are also imposed on San Diego to assess PV system potential in dynamic inflammatory conditions, while Boston and Santiago additionally analyze hybrid PV-battery systems to understand battery impacts under increasing inflation rates. Net metering credits vary by location. The results showed that PV could be used as an effective inflation hedge in any region where PV started economically and provided increasingly attractive returns as inflation increased, particularly when taxes were considered. The varying values of the ROI and IRR underscore the importance of region-specific financial planning and the need to consider inflation when evaluating the long-term viability of PV systems. Finally, more capital-intensive PV systems with battery storage can become profitable in an inflationary economy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Sustainable Energy: Efficient Technological Solutions Combining Environmental, Economic, Political and Social Aspects, 2nd Edition)

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14 pages, 2680 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Life Cycle Assessment of Resource-Oriented Sanitation Based on Vacuum Toilet and Vacuum Kitchen Waste Shredder: A Case Study in Rural Southeastern China

by Yu Zhang, Yunpeng Shi, Shangyi Shu, Shikun Zhu and Bin Fan

Sustainability 2024, 16(20), 8836; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16208836 - 12 Oct 2024

Viewed by 1084

Abstract

The resource value of feces and kitchen waste has not been fully emphasized and utilized in rural sanitation management in China. In this paper, we propose a new ecological sanitation model with the core technology of “vacuum toilet and vacuum kitchen waste shredder—vacuum [...] Read more.

The resource value of feces and kitchen waste has not been fully emphasized and utilized in rural sanitation management in China. In this paper, we propose a new ecological sanitation model with the core technology of “vacuum toilet and vacuum kitchen waste shredder—vacuum collection—resource treatment”, i.e., the modern home–farm cycle sanitation (MHFCS) system. We compared the environmental performance of the MHFCS system with that of a typical end-pipe treatment sanitation (EPTS) system (Johkasou—small onsite wastewater treatment system) in rural China using a life cycle assessment (LCA) approach. The results showed that the main source of environmental impacts of the MHFCS system was the collection and treatment process of domestic organic liquid wastes; the greenhouse gas emissions were 64.543 kg CO₂eq·PE⁻¹·year⁻¹, and the MHFCS system indirectly gained a fertilizer substitution benefit of 65.960 kg CO₂eq·PE⁻¹·year⁻¹ through nutrient element recycling. The MHFCS system has significant advantages in terms of net GHG emissions. Sensitivity analyses showed that resource consumption of vacuum facilities was a key factor for the MHFCS system. This system offers the potential to break down the barriers of the EPTS system in order to meet environmental sustainability and market demands for systemic diversity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Sustainable Energy: Efficient Technological Solutions Combining Environmental, Economic, Political and Social Aspects, 2nd Edition)

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