Integrated and demand-responsive energy futures in the context of sustainable development of energy systems

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) confirms that 2024 was the warmest year measured and sets a new negative record of 1.55 ◦C above the pre-industrial level [1]. With regard to the Paris Agreement this does not mean that the agreement is obsolete. The opposite is true. The measured temperature is an alert that current efforts are not sufficient to prevent the world from worse climate scenarios. Since 2002, the conference on the sustainable development of energy, water and environment systems (SDEWES) provides a growing international platform to develop and discuss key innovations and findings for climate action. The 19th edition if SDEWES conference took place in Rome, Italy. From 8 to September 12, 2024, 700 participants from 62 countries across six continents contributed in 77 sessions, four invited plenary lectures and two panels pointing out advanced research and solutions for defossilisation of energy systems and their future design. In addition, the fourth Latin America SDEWES conference took place in Vina ˜ del Mar, Chile, from 14 to January 17, 2024, and the second Asia Pacific SDEWES conference was held in Gold Coast, Australia, from 2 to April 5, 2024. These conferences brought additional 93 scientist from 27 countries respectively 83 scientists from 22 countries together. Fig. 1 shows the bibliometric network of keywords from 141 publications associated with the SDEWES conferences in Rome, Gold Coast and Vina ˜ del Mar, which have appeared in a variety of special issues such as [2–4]. The dominant trends are district heating, energy efficiency and green hydrogen. Decarbonisation, energy transition and climate change can be identified as overarching goals (e.g. Refs. [5,6]). Important measures in this regard appear to be renewable energies, energy flexibility and the circular economy. Methodologically, dynamic simulation, optimisation and model predictive control are represented. Technologically, heat pumps, electrolysers and energy storage systems are found. In-line with previous special issues in ENERGY (e.g. Refs. [7–10]) and in other associated journals (e.g. Refs. [11–14]) this editorial reviews a selection of latest research in these fields. It starts with highlighting research on technical improvements on the demand side in section 2 and shows novel approaches and findings on the supply side in section 3