Journal profile · Energy & Fuels
RENEWABLE & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY REVIEWS
ISSN 1364-0321 · eISSN 1879-0690 · Elsevier Ltd · UNITED STATES · Quarterly
RENEWABLE & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY REVIEWS: CAS Zone 1 · Engineering (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 17.92; hybrid open access; APC about USD 5,220; review about 172 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); community-reported acceptance: about 25%; 1,218 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
RENEWABLE & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY REVIEWS is published by Elsevier Ltd and is in Zone 1 of Engineering in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Energy and Environment Impacts, Hybrid Renewable Energy Systems and Integrated Energy Systems Optimization, together about 23.7% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The mission of Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews is to communicate the most interesting and relevant critical thinking in renewable and sustainable energy in order to bring together the research community, the private sector and policy and decision makers. The aim of the journal is to share problems, solutions, novel ideas and technologies to support sustainable development, the transition to a low carbon future and achieve the emissions targets as established by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews publishes review papers, new technology analyses with respect to existing literature and original research studies that have a significant review element, which may take the form of a critique, comparison, or analysis. A bibliographic literature review, as well as country specific reviews are not considered suitable.The journal considers articles on the following themes, provided the link to renewable and sustainable energy is clear and thoroughly examined:Energy resources - bioresources (e.g. biomass, waste), fossil fuels (including natural gas) related to sustainability of systems, geothermal, hydrogen, hydropower, marine and ocean energy, solar and windApplications - buildings, industry and transport including information communication systems related to the improvement of system performanceUtilization - batteries, conversion technologies, fuel cells, storage technologies, technical developments and technology scalingEnvironment - atmosphere, climate issues, meteorology, mitigation technologies (e.g. carbon capture and storage (CCS), carbon capture and utilization (CCU), and solar radiation management)Techno-socio-economic aspects - health, industry, policy, regulatory, social (e.g. access, education, equality, equity)Systems - carbon accounting, energy-food-water nexus, energy modelling, life cycle assessment (LCA), nutrient-energy-water (NEW) nexus, smart infrastructureSustainability - the United Nations Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs)Ocean systems - ocean technology, ocean exploration, environmental protection of the oceans.This journal welcomes contributions that support and advance the UN's sustainable development goals, in particular SDG 7 (Affordable and clean energy) and SDG 13 (Climate Action)
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Energy & Fuels
Editor-in-chief Soteris KalogirouPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 18 in mainland China (about 23%); most named Mainland China 18, United Kingdom 12, United States 10, India 6, Italy 3 (80 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Energy and Environment ImpactsEnvironmental Science9.8%
- Hybrid Renewable Energy SystemsEnergy7.8%
- Integrated Energy Systems OptimizationEngineering6.1%
- Environmental Impact and SustainabilityEnvironmental Science5.3%
- Solar Thermal and Photovoltaic SystemsEnergy5%
- Building Energy and Comfort OptimizationEngineering4.7%
- Smart Grid Energy ManagementEngineering4.4%
- Biofuel production and bioconversionEngineering4.1%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Engineering Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Engineering | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Energy & Fuels | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Green & Sustainable Science & Technology | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Engineering Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Engineering | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Green & Sustainable Science & Technology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Energy & Fuels | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Engineering Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Engineering | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Energy & Fuels | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Green & Sustainable Science & Technology | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 17.92LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 18Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 36.8LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 36.8Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 4LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 4.23LetPub ·
- h-index
- 222LetPub ·
- h-index
- 555OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 14,433OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 18.6OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 4.4%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 32.04%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 1,134LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 17,186 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 772 | 282 | 1,567 |
| 2025 | 1,218 | 463 | 20,416 |
| 2024 | 889 | 373 | 31,578 |
| 2023 | 984 | 413 | 57,150 |
| 2022 | 926 | 413 | 81,801 |
| 2021 | 1,195 | 426 | 118,999 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Publisher-reported review time from the journal's website
172 dayssubmission to acceptance · community reports about 8 months
The publisher's own definition applies; dates from this journal's articles in the last 24 months are not available yet, so the publisher's figure is used.
Figures by source
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 8 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 25%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 2 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 97 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 172 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 9 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 5,220 / EUR 4,880 / GBP 4,180 / JPY 647,440 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 5,070 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
Open calls for papers3, by deadline
- Embedding Circular Practices into Renewable and Sustainable Energy Production and ManagementDeadline
- International Conference on Zero Carbon Built Environment 2026Deadline
- 2nd International Conference on Emerging Technologies in Energy and Environment (ICETE2 -2026) - Renewable and Sustainable Energy ReviewsDeadline
What to prepare8 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 10,000 words
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Templates
- LaTeX
- Highlights
- Required
- Cover letter
- Required
- Not considered
- A bibliographic literature review; country specific reviews; two-part articles
Article types accepted10, with length limits
- letterRenewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews publishes Review articles and new technology analyses with respect to existing literature and original research studies…Length not stated
- opinionRenewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews publishes Review articles and new technology analyses with respect to existing literature and original research studies…Length not stated
- original researchRenewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews publishes Review articles and new technology analyses with respect to existing literature and original research studies…Length not stated
- perspectiveRenewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews publishes Review articles and new technology analyses with respect to existing literature and original research studies…Length not stated
- perspectives'Perspectives' are an article type reserved for opinions, still supported by evidence, but not always presenting new experimental findings.Length not stated
- research articleRenewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews publishes Review articles and new technology analyses with respect to existing literature and original research studies…main text ≤ 8,000 words
- research articleseither a 'Review article' or 'Research article', provided the conditions mentioned above are fulfilled - they must have a significant review element, which may …Length not stated
- reviewRenewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews publishes Review articles and new technology analyses with respect to existing literature and original research studies…Length not stated
- review articleRenewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews publishes Review articles and new technology analyses with respect to existing literature and original research studies…main text ≤ 10,000 words
- review articlesRenewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews publishes Review articles and new technology analyses with respect to existing literature and original research studies…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI use
Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tool…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Group authorship
1 to 7 keywords required Model summary
Group authorship refers to the attribution of an article to a defined and named group of authors whose members have contributed to the work. Examples include research consortia, clinical trial groups, collaborative networks, task forces or working groups, expert panels or consensus groups, and participatory research groups. Group authorship must be declared on the title page at submission. When av…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interests
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. Examples of potential competing interests include:EmploymentConsultanciesStock ownershipHonorariaPaid expert testimonyPatent applications or registrationsGrants or any other fundingAffiliation with the journal as an Editor or Advisory Board …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability
Data statement required at submission Model summary
To foster transparency, you are required to state the availability of any data at submission.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright License options
Authors will be offered open access user license options which will determine how you, and third parties, can reuse your open access article. We advise that you review these options and any funding body license requirements before selecting a license option.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
Single anonymized review process Model summary
This journal follows a single anonymized review process. Your submission will initially be assessed by our editors. If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to be reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers for an independent expert assessment of the scientific quality. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected for publication will be made by our editors.Re…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint sharing allowed Model summary
Preprint sharingAuthors may share preprints in line with Elsevier's article sharing policy. Sharing preprints, such as on a preprint server, will not count as prior publication.We advise you to read our policy on multiple, redundant or concurrent publication. In support of Open Science, this journal offers its authors a free preprint posting service on SSRN, Elsevier’s preprint and early research …
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Elsevier Ltd
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Quarterly
- ISSN
- 1364-0321
- Electronic ISSN
- 1879-0690
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about RENEWABLE & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY REVIEWS
What CAS zone is RENEWABLE & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY REVIEWS in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, RENEWABLE & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY REVIEWS is in Zone 1 of Engineering, and in Zone 1 of the minor category Energy & Fuels / Green & Sustainable Science & Technology; it is a Top journal. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 1 of Engineering. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of RENEWABLE & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY REVIEWS?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 17.92; CiteScore 36.8, h-index 555.
How long does peer review take at RENEWABLE & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY REVIEWS?
The publisher reports about 172 days (submission to acceptance); authors report an average review time of about 8 months; the community-reported acceptance is “about 25%”. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of RENEWABLE & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY REVIEWS?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Manuscript length: ≤ 10,000 words; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Templates: LaTeX; Highlights: Required; Cover letter: Required. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of RENEWABLE & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY REVIEWS based?
Of the 80 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 18 (about 23%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Mainland China (18), United Kingdom (12) and United States (10). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index RENEWABLE & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY REVIEWS?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, RENEWABLE & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY REVIEWS is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is RENEWABLE & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY REVIEWS open access, and what is the APC?
RENEWABLE & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY REVIEWS is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 5,220.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-24). Last updated: .