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Energy Sustainability: Research and Application in Energy Thermal Conversion and Heat Transfer

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2025 | Viewed by 1686

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Miguel Angel Reyes

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry, Energy and Mechanical Technology, Rey Juan Carlos University, E-28933 Mostoles, Spain
Interests: solar energy; renewable energy; hydrogen generation; thermal energy; energy storage
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Energy thermal conversion and heat transfer are fundamental processes in various industrial applications, from power generation to building climate control. The optimization and innovation in these areas are crucial for enhancing energy efficiency, reducing carbon footprints, and ensuring sustainable energy use. In recent decades, the scientific community has made significant advancements in understanding heat transfer mechanisms and developing novel energy conversion technologies. However, with increasing global energy demands and the push for cleaner energy solutions, further research and practical applications in this field are more essential than ever. Addressing both the theoretical and applied aspects of thermal energy management can lead to substantial breakthroughs in creating a sustainable energy future.

The aim of this Special Issue is to gather cutting-edge research focused on the study and application of energy thermal conversion and heat transfer, with a strong emphasis on sustainability. By fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, this issue aims to bridge the gap between scientific innovation and practical implementation. The topics align with Sustainability’s core mission of advancing sustainable technologies, particularly in energy systems. This Special Issue will contribute to the journal's objective of promoting research that supports the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in energy efficiency (SDG 7) and climate action (SDG 13).

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Innovations in thermal energy conversion technologies;
  • Advanced materials and methods for enhanced heat transfer;
  • Sustainable heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems;
  • Energy recovery and storage through thermal processes;
  • Applications of nanotechnology in heat transfer enhancement;
  • Thermodynamic optimization in renewable energy systems;
  • Waste heat recovery and its integration into energy grids.

By inviting contributions from researchers across disciplines, this Special Issue will offer a comprehensive perspective on the challenges and opportunities in advancing energy thermal management for a more sustainable future.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Miguel Angel Reyes
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

  • thermal energy
  • heat transfer
  • energy conversion
  • solar energy
  • heating
  • energy recovery
  • energy storage
  • thermodynamics
  • heat recovery
  • hydrogen generation

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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35 pages, 6500 KiB  
Article
Historical Analysis of Real Energy Consumption and Indoor Conditions in Single-Family Passive Building
by Szymon Firląg, Abdullah Sikander Baig and Dariusz Koc
Sustainability 2025, 17(2), 717; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17020717 - 17 Jan 2025
Viewed by 561
Abstract
The paper includes a historical analysis of real energy consumption and indoor conditions in a single-family passive building located in Warsaw, Poland. Passive houses have emerged as a sustainable alternative to the conventional construction of houses, having advantages such as low energy consumption, [...] Read more.
The paper includes a historical analysis of real energy consumption and indoor conditions in a single-family passive building located in Warsaw, Poland. Passive houses have emerged as a sustainable alternative to the conventional construction of houses, having advantages such as low energy consumption, comfortable indoor temperatures, an environmentally friendly nature, and low carbon emissions. This research consists of indoor temperature assessments over a 5-year period (2018–2022) which include comfort assessments made in accordance with the standard EN 16798-1 and precise assessments made for extreme weather events over a two-week critical period including the heating and cooling seasons. The real energy consumption analysis, including electric heating, outdoor lighting, indoor lighting, ventilation, and domestic hot water, was compared against passive house and nearly-zero energy standards. The results of the study show that the building is thermally comfortable to live in, as it remained mainly in the first comfort category, IEQ I. There was no such issue as overheating and underheating even during extreme weather events. The energy need for heating remained very close to the passive standard, namely 15 kWh/(m2·year). The total primary energy consumption for heating, hot water, and electricity meets the standard required value of 120 kWh/(m2·year). These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of passive house design principles at achieving high levels of thermal comfort and energy efficiency in cold climates. In addition, it is demonstrated that it is possible to maintain comfortable indoor temperatures (even with outdoor air temperatures reaching 35 °C) without air conditioning or cooling systems. The integration of a photovoltaic system offers a viable pathway toward transforming the building into a zero-energy standard, contributing to sustainability goals and reducing carbon emissions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Sustainability: Research and Application in Energy Thermal Conversion and Heat Transfer)
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Review

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29 pages, 3887 KiB  
Review
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Technology Methodology and Analysis of Waste Heat Recovery from High-Temperature Solid Granule: A Review
by Zhihan Li, Tuo Zhou, Weiqin Lu, Hairui Yang, Yanfeng Li, Yongqi Liu and Man Zhang
Sustainability 2025, 17(2), 480; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17020480 - 9 Jan 2025
Viewed by 937
Abstract
High-temperature solid granules are by-products produced by various industrial processes and contain an obvious quantity of waste heat. Therefore, recovering their heat can not only reduce energy costs but also prevent polluting the environment, which has a significantly valuable sense of sustainable development. [...] Read more.
High-temperature solid granules are by-products produced by various industrial processes and contain an obvious quantity of waste heat. Therefore, recovering their heat can not only reduce energy costs but also prevent polluting the environment, which has a significantly valuable sense of sustainable development. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technology is widely used to solve challenges involving heat recovery, which can simulate the heat and mass transfer processes of the gas–solid two-phase flow. Herein, a review about the mass flow analysis methods, including the Euler–Euler and Euler–Lagrange methods, as well as heat transfer mechanisms, covering heat conduction, heat convection and heat radiation, is made. Meanwhile, the bases of numerical models, mass flow and heat transfer are also summarized. In addition, at the end of the paper, a prospect about this research field is proposed. This article not only reviews common research methods but also summarizes relevant new models and methods that have emerged in recent years. Based on existing work, it both fully demonstrates the widespread application of CFD technology in the field of recovering heat from high-temperature solid granule fields and summarizes the development trends and further utilization prospects of the technology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Sustainability: Research and Application in Energy Thermal Conversion and Heat Transfer)
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