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Design and Optimization of Solar and Wind Energy Systems for Sustainable Development

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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: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 6566

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Codruta Jaliu

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Guest Editor

Renewable Energy Systems and Recycling Research Centre, Transilvania University of Brasov, Brasov, Romania
Interests: small hydropower; wind energy; conversion systems; hybrid systems; energy efficiency; product design and development
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Mircea Neagoe

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Guest Editor

Renewable Energy Systems and Recycling Research Center, Transilvania University of Brasov, Brasov, Romania
Interests: mechanisms; mechanical transmissions; robotics; planetary speed increasers; wind turbines; photovoltaic systems; solar tracking systems; artificial intelligence; product design and development
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Radu Săulescu

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Guest Editor

Design of Mechanical Elements and Systems R&D Centre, Transilvania University of Brasov, 500036 Brasov, Romania
Interests: renewable energy systems; counter-rotating wind turbines; dynamics of planetary speed increasers; solar tracking systems; product design and development
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to invite you to publish your most recent research results in this Special Issue of Sustainability titled ‘Design and Optimization of Solar and Wind Energy Systems for Sustainable Development’.

In recent years, the use of renewable energy sources for energy production has increased rapidly. Due to their prominent advantages, solar and wind energy system design and optimization are increasingly being addressed by researchers. The design of renewable energy systems with better performance, lower costs, and optimal control strategies present current research challenges.

This Special Issue aims to explore these topics, examine the factors affecting the behavior of solar and wind energy systems in order to enhance their energy performance, and facilitate their cost-effective development. Design, modeling, simulation, experimental testing, control and optimization present effective methods for developing innovative solutions for renewable energy systems. Therefore, potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

Solar and wind energy potential and forecasting;
Design and optimization of innovative solar and wind energy systems;
Design and optimization of solar–wind-type hybrid energy systems;
Modeling and numerical simulation of solar and wind energy systems;
Efficiency of solar and wind energy system;
Control strategies and algorithms for solar and wind energy systems;
AI techniques for optimal operation of solar and wind energy systems;
Optimization of energy management;
Optimal integration of solar and wind systems in the environment;
Energy security and empowerment of communities by employing solar and wind energy;
Education on solar and wind energy systems.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Codruta Jaliu
Prof. Dr. Mircea Neagoe
Prof. Dr. Radu Săulescu
Guest Editors

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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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

renewable energy
solar energy
wind energy
hybrid system
design
modeling
simulation
optimization
control strategies
conversion efficiency
experimental testing
potential
sustainable development

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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36 pages, 6515 KB

Open AccessArticle

Developing Optimization Models to Provide Maximum Energy Production by Creating Wind Power Plants with Experimental Simulation Design

by Yasemin Ayaz Atalan, Abdulkadir Atalan and Sue Ellen Haupt

Sustainability 2026, 18(3), 1485; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18031485 - 2 Feb 2026

Viewed by 337

Abstract

This study presents an integrated experimental simulation and multi-objective optimization methodology that maximizes energy production and optimizes economic performance in the design of wind power plants (WPPs). The relationship between five fundamental design parameters (wind speed (XWS), hub height (XHH), rotor diameter (XRD), turbine spacing (XTS), and row spacing (XRS)) and five techno-economic outputs (annual AC energy (YAEP), net present value (YNPV), levelized cost of energy (YLCOE), net cost of capital (YNCCpw), and total BOS cost (YTBC)) is systematically investigated using a Multi-Level Full Factorial Experimental Design (DoE) for four different US regions (Southern Wyoming, Southern California, Northeastern West Virginia, and South Florida). The optimization was performed by applying a multi-objective desirability function to regression models derived from 1200 NREL SAM simulation data points, thereby simultaneously evaluating five design parameters across five techno-economic responses. ANOVA results revealed that 77.5% of the variability in annual energy production was due to wind speed and 21.4% to rotor diameter, clearly demonstrating the decisive role of resource quality in project feasibility. Optimization identified the optimal configuration (XRS = 5, XTS = 3, XWS = 10.157 m/s, XHH = 120 m, XRD = 70 m) that provided a balanced trade-off between conflicting objectives, achieving 575.16 GWh of YAEP, $42.02 million of YNPV, $43.66 million of YTBC, 2.368 cents/kWh of YLCOE, and $1.508/W of YNCCpw. The study emphasizes that resource evaluation precedes technological optimization in the planning phase of wind energy projects, demonstrating that integrating DoE, simulation, and multi-objective optimization provides a strong framework for achieving realistic, feasible, and economically sustainable WPPs. The novelty of this approach lies in its ability to simultaneously account for environmental stochasticity and economic feasibility, providing a robust computational roadmap for stakeholders to maximize energy efficiency while minimizing levelized costs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Optimization of Solar and Wind Energy Systems for Sustainable Development)

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18 pages, 40384 KB

Open AccessArticle

Rooftop Photovoltaic Potential Estimation via Appearance-Based Availability Assessment and Multi-Orientation Integration

by Yuansheng Hua, Weiyan Lin, Xinlin Liu, Song Zhu and Jiasong Zhu

Sustainability 2026, 18(1), 158; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18010158 - 23 Dec 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 786

Abstract

Accurately assessing rooftop photovoltaic (PV) potential requires precise identification of rooftop areas and availability. Current deep learning approaches using aerial imagery are faced with two challenges: inconsistent rooftop appearances caused by varying solar azimuths tend to mislead rooftop orientation extraction, and the existence of ancillary rooftop facilities often results in overestimation of solar potential. To tackle these challenges, a novel framework is proposed, with three components: automated extraction of rooftop areas and orientations, appearance-based estimation of rooftop availability coefficients, and PV potential calculation via a multi-orientation quantitative integration strategy. The segmentation network identifies geometric boundaries of rooftops and categorizes pitched roof segments into orientation-specific categories. High-level features of rooftop segments are then extracted from deep networks and clustered to compute availability coefficients at segment-level. Finally, the integration strategy leverages the symmetry assumption of sloped rooftops to mitigate classification errors and improve robustness in solar potential computation. Our framework is trained on the RID dataset with different category definition schemes, and estimation results are compared with solar radiation flux provided by NASA POWER. The overall relative error is less than 1%, which demonstrates the effectiveness of our framework. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Optimization of Solar and Wind Energy Systems for Sustainable Development)

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33 pages, 6288 KB

Open AccessArticle

A Hybrid Fuzzy AHP–MULTIMOORA Approach for Solar Energy Development on Rural Brownfield Sites in Serbia

by Vladimir Malinić, Uroš Durlević, Ljiljana Brašanac-Bosanac, Ivan Novković, Marko Joksimović, Rajko Golić and Filip Krstić

Sustainability 2025, 17(17), 7988; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17177988 - 4 Sep 2025

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1973

Abstract

Global energy demand is steadily increasing, accompanied by a growing emphasis on clean and renewable energy sources. Serbia possesses significant solar energy potential, with solar radiation levels among the highest in Europe—about 40% above the European average. Within this context, rural depopulation clusters offer attractive opportunities for solar energy development due to the availability of underutilized land. This study aims to identify optimal locations for solar power installations in Serbia’s depopulated areas by applying multi-criteria decision-making methods under uncertainty. A hybrid framework, combining fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (fuzzy AHP) and fuzzy MULTIMOORA, was employed to evaluate potential sites. Fuzzy AHP was used to determine the relative importance of criteria, while fuzzy MULTIMOORA ensured a robust ranking of alternatives by addressing the vagueness in data and expert judgments. The analysis identified several high-potential brownfield locations, with the most suitable land class covering 5.01% (16.94 km²) of the examined cluster area (311.3 km²). These areas are typically characterized by flat terrain, high solar irradiation, and minimal environmental constraints, providing favorable conditions for solar farms. Among the assessed sites, location no. 9 consistently ranked highest across all three fuzzy MULTIMOORA variants: FRPA (z = 0.0588), FRS (y = 0.2811), and FFMF (p = 1.6748). The findings confirm that the hybrid fuzzy AHP–MULTIMOORA approach offers valuable support for informed decision-making on solar energy deployment in depopulated rural regions. Moreover, the utilization of rural brownfield sites contributes to the expansion of renewable energy, rural revitalization, and sustainable land management in Serbia. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Optimization of Solar and Wind Energy Systems for Sustainable Development)

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40 pages, 6391 KB

Open AccessSystematic Review

A Systematic Review of Technological Strategies to Improve Self-Starting in H-Type Darrieus VAWT

by Jorge-Saúl Gallegos-Molina and Ernesto Chavero-Navarrete

Sustainability 2025, 17(17), 7878; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17177878 - 1 Sep 2025

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2773

Abstract

The self-starting capability of straight-bladed H-type Darrieus Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWTs) remains a major constraint for deployment, particularly in urban, low speed, and turbulent environments. We conducted a systematic review of technological strategies to improve self-starting, grouped into five categories: (1) aerodynamic airfoil design, (2) rotor configuration, (3) passive flow control, (4) active flow control, and (5) incident flow augmentation. Searches in Scopus and IEEE Xplore (last search 20 August 2025) covered the period from 2019 to 2026 and included peer-reviewed journal articles in English reporting experimental or numerical interventions on H-type Darrieus VAWTs with at least one start-up metric. From 1212 records, 53 studies met the eligibility after title/abstract screening and full-text assessment. Data were synthesized qualitatively using a comparative thematic approach, highlighting design parameters, operating conditions, and performance metrics (torque and power coefficients) during start-up. Quantitatively, studies reported typical start-up torque gains of 20–30% for airfoil optimization and passive devices, about 25% for incident-flow augmentation, and larger but less certain improvements (around 30%) for active control. Among the strategies, airfoil optimization and passive devices consistently improved start-up torque at low TSR with minimal added systems; rotor-configuration tuning and incident-flow devices further reduced start-up time where structural or siting constraints allowed; and active control showed the largest laboratory gains but with uncertain regarding energy and durability. However, limitations included heterogeneity in designs and metrics, predominance of 2D-Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFDs), and limited 3D/field validation restricted quantitative pooling. Risk of bias was assessed using an ad hoc matrix; overall certainty was rated as low to moderate due to limited validation and inconsistent uncertainty reporting. In conclusions, no single solution is universally optimal; hybrid strategies, combining optimized airfoils with targeted passive or active control, appear most promising. Future work should standardize start-up metrics, adopt validated 3D Fluid–Structure Interaction (FSI) models, and expand wind-tunnel/field trials. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Optimization of Solar and Wind Energy Systems for Sustainable Development)

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