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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: closed (20 November 2022) | Viewed by 17791

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Dr. George Kyriakarakos

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Department of Natural Resources Development and Agricultural Engineering, School of Environment and Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos Street, 11855 Athens, Greece
Interests: renewable energy; energy efficiency; rural industrialization and climate change mitigation; utilization of artificial intelligence approaches for the design, sizing, management and control of complex energy systems, as well as for developing decision support systems for energy policy planning and climate change mitigation; technical and regulatory issues concerning renewables, energy efficiency and rural electrification
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The energy sector plays a crucial role in the transformation of the economy towards achieving the targets of carbon neutrality globally in line with the Paris Agreement. Efforts should be made in industry, transport, and buildings to increase energy efficiency and to boost renewable energy technologies contributing to the decarbonization of the economy. This Special Issue will focus on how energy sectors may adapt to constantly evolving markets, aiming to support the transition to sustainable, reliable, and competitive energy systems. This issue aims to discuss new drivers of energy transition, integration of renewable sources into the energy system, energy pricing, smart grids, and energy market design. Energy researchers are welcome to submit theoretical and empirical papers on any topic related to the theme of the call. We encourage the submission of papers addressing the mentioned policy goals and particularly exploring the following issues: environmental opportunities of energy transition to overcome the pandemic economic crisis, role of the energy transition on economic growth and job creation, energy efficiency, renewable energies, low carbon technologies, carbon capture and storage, strategic technology switching, electricity pricing, electricity storage systems, smart grid networks, smart cities, carbon pricing, energy risk management, and green finance.

Dr. George Kyriakarakos
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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 transition
renewables
green finance
energy pricing

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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27 pages, 1369 KiB

Open AccessArticle

EU-Funded Energy-Related Projects for Sustainable Ports: Evidence from the Port of Piraeus

by Charalampos Platias and Dimitris Spyrou

Sustainability 2023, 15(5), 4363; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15054363 - 28 Feb 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1492

Abstract

Energy matters are a challenge for many ports and port industry stakeholders, especially in today’s rapidly changing environment and on the back of multiple transitions in the sector. In particular, mainstreaming environmental targets and sustainability in port operation and development affects strategic choices. This article focuses on EU-funded energy-related projects in the Port of Piraeus, presenting field evidence in the form of a case study. We take stock of efforts undertaken, results achieved and impacts of the projects so far, in order to provide useful insights for the industry, but also reflections on policy and governance in this subject area. We argue that implemented projects have created added value for the port and clearly helped achieve its stated objectives, in relation to both energy and environmental issues and promoting sustainability. What is more, goal-setting has often been initiated within the framework of the projects and/or their implementation. In addition, project identification and implementation have produced positive externalities for the port, thus laying the groundwork for further change. Project impacts obviously depend on many different factors, as well as on their interaction. The momentum for EU-funded energy-related projects in the port sector will hold up and most probably grow, as will mainstreaming sustainability. Industry, policy and governance need to step up their efforts in order to maximise results. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Towards Sustainable Energy Markets)

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40 pages, 2635 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Electricity Market in Greece: Current Status, Identified Challenges, and Arranged Reforms

by Jemma J. Makrygiorgou, Christos-Spyridon Karavas, Christos Dikaiakos and Ioannis P. Moraitis

Sustainability 2023, 15(4), 3767; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043767 - 18 Feb 2023

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 5217

Abstract

The approach of an integrated electricity market is widespread across Europe, since such a market structure has numerous benefits for both the grid and consumers. The current structure and the related policy framework of the electricity markets adopted within the European countries is based on a benchmark model, the so-called Target Model, which describes a reference energy market framework. In this paper, a comprehensive overview of the legislative effort and the resulting Target Model is provided, aiming to set the basis for the description of the adopted electricity markets in Europe. In a second stage, the current status of the Greek electricity market that operates under the Target model scheme is given via the analysis of the involved submarkets, i.e., the forward market, the day-ahead market, the intraday market, and the balancing market. An intricate case study of the Target Model operation in the Greek electricity market within a day of operation is examined, which actually completes the former description. Within the case study, the Greek electricity market is further investigated for its efficiency and the impact on the obtained electricity prices from the first day of the Target Model implementation, which took place in November 2020, and, finally, today is analysed. The results show an overall successful implementation and satisfactory performance of the Target Model in Greece, with an important main result being the reduction of prices in the balancing market and the increase of the intraday market liquidity. However, several challenges are identified and described in detail, while at the same time measures for their confrontation are proposed in order to improve market operation and fully exploit the benefits of the Target Model. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Towards Sustainable Energy Markets)

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31 pages, 4868 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Practical Methodology for Building a Municipality-Led Renewable Energy Community: A Photovoltaics-Based Case Study for the Municipality of Hersonissos in Crete, Greece

by Emmanuel N. Efthymiou, Sofia Yfanti, George Kyriakarakos, Panagiotis L. Zervas, Panagiotis Langouranis, Konstantinos Terzis and George M. Stavrakakis

Sustainability 2022, 14(19), 12935; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141912935 - 10 Oct 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2362

Abstract

This paper presents a practical methodology to facilitate decision-making for the development of a renewable energy community (REC) in the municipality of Hersonissos in Crete, Greece. The impact of energy sharing produced from renewables through direct or indirect citizen participation presents an enormous opportunity to strengthen energy democracy and to alleviate energy poverty. Triggered by the latter being amongst the most essential goals for implementing policies towards low-carbon economies at the local level, the current study presents a step-by-step methodology to facilitate decision-making for building a municipality-led REC. Initially, potential sites and alternative sittings of photovoltaic (PV) plants are explored for detecting the optimal installation with respect to technical and possible legislative restrictions. The best REC business model is then selected based on a SWOT analysis, complemented with a detailed techno-economic analysis of the foreseen investments. According to the design calculations, the optimal PV plants/business-model option that emerged may achieve impressive environmental and economic benefits, i.e., reducing the municipality’s annual electricity-induced CO₂ emissions and electricity expenses by at least 68.40% and 594,461.54 €, respectively. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Towards Sustainable Energy Markets)

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21 pages, 11670 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Harmonizing the Electricity Markets in Africa: An Overview of the Continental Policy and Institutional Framework towards the African Single Electricity Market

by George Kyriakarakos

Sustainability 2022, 14(17), 10924; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141710924 - 01 Sep 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1749

Abstract

Africa is a huge continent with an area equal to 30,244,049 km² and a population of over 1.3 bn. According to the World Energy Outlook 2021, the electrification rate for Sub-Saharan Africa is at 79% for urban areas and only 28% for the rural areas. Given the low electricity infrastructure in Africa in production, transmission and distribution as well as the very low access in rural areas, it is understood that coordinated activities must take place for both on-grid and off-grid electrification activities, if the targets set for 2030 are to be met. This paper aims to present the challenges faced in the harmonization of the electricity markets in Africa due to the complexities of political continental integration, as well as continental economic integration, by performing a review of the progress made so far. It is one of the few efforts that have aimed to present in a single document the institutional framework of the electricity sector in Africa, and how these institutions collaborate in order to form and deploy policies at the continental and regional levels, affecting ultimately the deployment of policies at the national level. It also presents the current status of the continental electricity market policy framework activities towards the achievement of the 2030 goals in line with Agenda 2063, and the crucial role the African Single Electricity Market (AfSEM) is set to play. Finally, it provides lessons learnt and recommendations on facilitating the way forward in terms of the institutional actors’ collaboration, both for Africa and globally, in terms of developing regional energy markets. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Towards Sustainable Energy Markets)

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28 pages, 6393 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Two-Stage Optimal Dispatching Model for Micro Energy Grid Considering the Dual Goals of Economy and Environmental Protection under CVaR

by Jun Dong, Yaoyu Zhang, Yuanyuan Wang and Yao Liu

Sustainability 2021, 13(18), 10173; https://doi.org/10.3390/su131810173 - 11 Sep 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1693

Abstract

With the development of distributed renewable energy, a micro-energy grid (MEG) is an important way to solve the problem of energy supply in the future. A two-stage optimal scheduling model considering economy and environmental protection is proposed to solve the problem of optimal scheduling of micro-energy grid with high proportion of renewable energy system (RES) and multiple energy storage systems (ESS), in which the risk is measured by conditional value-at-risk (CVaR). The results show that (a) this model can realize the optimal power of various energy equipment, promote the consumption of renewable energy, and the optimal operating cost of the system is 34873 USD. (b) The dispatch of generating units is different under different risk coefficients λ, which leads to different dispatch cost and risk cost, and the two costs cannot be optimal at the same time. The risk coefficient λ shall be determined according to the degree of risk preference of the decision-maker. (c) The proposed optimal model could balance economic objectives and environmental objectives, and rationally control its pollutant emission level while pursuing the minimum operation costs. Therefore, the proposed model can not only reduce the operation cost based on the consideration of system carbon emissions but also provide decision-makers with decision-making support by measuring the risk. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Towards Sustainable Energy Markets)

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26 pages, 4915 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Research on Decision Optimization Model of Microgrid Participating in Spot Market Transaction

by Jun Dong, Yuanyuan Wang, Xihao Dou, Zhengpeng Chen, Yaoyu Zhang and Yao Liu

Sustainability 2021, 13(12), 6577; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13126577 - 09 Jun 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1402

Abstract

The development of electricity spot trading provides an opportunity for microgrids to participate in the spot market transaction, which is of great significance to the research of microgrids participating in the electricity spot market. Under the background of spot market construction, this paper takes the microgrid including wind power, photovoltaic (PV), gas turbine, battery storage, and demand response as the research object, uses the stochastic optimization method to deal with the uncertainty of wind and PV power, and constructs a decision optimization model with the goal of maximizing the expected revenue of microgrids in the spot market. Through the case study, the optimal bidding electricity of microgrid operators in the spot market is obtained, and the revenue is USD 923.07. Then, this paper further investigates the effects of demand response, meteorological factors, market price coefficients, and cost coefficients on the expected revenue of microgrids. The results demonstrate that the demand response adopted in this paper has better social–economic benefits, which can reduce the peak load while ensuring the reliability of the microgrid, and the optimization model also ensure profits while extreme weather and related economic coefficients change, providing a set of scientific quantitative analysis tools for microgrids to trade electricity in the spot market. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Towards Sustainable Energy Markets)

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Review

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24 pages, 1697 KiB

Open AccessReview

Assuring Energy Reporting Integrity: Government Policy’s Past, Present, and Future Roles

by Mohammed Hammam Mohammed Al-Madani, Yudi Fernando and Ming-Lang Tseng

Sustainability 2022, 14(22), 15405; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142215405 - 19 Nov 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2617

Abstract

This study investigates government policy influence on energy reporting integrity in the past, present, and future. The study attempts to identify the dominating key themes in energy reporting and explore the function of government incentives and policies in influencing the integrity of energy consumption reports. A thorough literature review screening and theme identification were conducted through a systematic review. The data used in this study are mainly derived from English-language journals acquired from reputable academic databases such as Web of Science and Scopus. Social network analysis was used to examine the data retrieved with the VOSviewer software. The findings demonstrate that the key themes of government policy, energy reporting, energy management, and integrity are strongly focused in studies on energy policy, climate change, energy efficiency, renewable energy, life cycle assessment, carbon emissions, and sustainability. These topics included energy management, renewable energy, energy efficiency, emissions reporting, and energy transitions. The results suggest that there is little empirical support for how government policy promotes and validates the accuracy and integrity of energy reporting. The findings offer potential strategies for removing energy policy development, implementation, and reporting barriers. This study found that transparent disclosure of a company’s energy consumption attracts new investment. The integrity and transparency of the energy report attest to a firm’s commitment to working toward sustainable development goals. The study recommends that the government should align energy policies with clear guidelines about transparent energy disclosure and reform the existing sanctions and incentives to enforce the law. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Towards Sustainable Energy Markets)

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