Special sessions are very small and specialized events to be held during the conference as a set of oral and poster presentations that are highly specialized in some particular theme or consisting of the works of some particular international project. The goal of special sessions (minimum 4 papers; maximum 9) is to provide a focused discussion on innovative topics. All accepted papers will be published in a special section of the conference proceedings book, under an ISBN reference, and on digital support. All papers presented at the conference venue will be available at the SCITEPRESS Digital Library. SCITEPRESS is a member of CrossRef and every paper is given a DOI (Digital Object Identifier). The proceedings are submitted for indexation by SCOPUS, Google Scholar, DBLP, Semantic Scholar, EI and Web of Science / Conference Proceedings Citation Index.
SYMPOSIA/SPECIAL SESSIONS LIST
SMEN 2026, Special Session on Smart and Renewable Energy Networks for the Net Zero Emission Scenario
Chair(s): Luca Cimmino, Francesco Liberato Cappiello and Maria Vicidomini
REC 2026, Special Session on Navigating Challenges of Renewable Energy Communities
Chair(s): Sesil Koutra
EUFR 2026, Special Session on EU-Funded Research for Smart Cities and Green ICT: Project Showcase
Chair(s): Sonja Klingert, Cornel Klein and Francesco Calise
Special Session on Smart and Renewable Energy Networks for the Net Zero Emission Scenario -
SMEN
2026
Paper Submission:
March 24, 2026
Authors Notification:
April 7, 2026
Camera Ready and Registration:
April 15, 2026
Scope
The global energy transition has become the central goal for policymakers and industry stakeholders. To achieve the ambitious decarbonization targets set for 2050, a new energy paradigm is emerging—one that is largely based on renewable sources and electricity as the primary energy carrier. In this context, the design of intelligent, resilient, and digitally enhanced energy networks is essential to ensure system stability, flexibility, and user-centric efficiency.
Future energy systems will increasingly rely on variable renewable energy sources (solar, wind, etc.), requiring smart integration strategies to overcome intermittency and mismatches between production and demand. Advanced solutions such as ICT-enabled demand-response programs, real-time monitoring, predictive control, and smart storage systems are gaining momentum to guarantee grid stability and resilience.
This Special Session will serve as an open platform for presenting and discussing recent innovations in smart renewable energy networks, with a special focus on technologies, digital tools, and strategies enabling grid balancing, sector coupling, and user engagement. Among these, Power-to-X (PtX) technologies play a pivotal role by converting surplus renewable electricity into storable and versatile forms—such as hydrogen, synthetic fuels, or heat—thereby enhancing grid flexibility and strengthening the water-energy nexus.
The session will also explore the integration of next-generation renewable technologies, energy communities, energy storage systems and sustainable mobility solutions, as well as novel approaches to optimize user energy consumption and enable active prosumer participation. Special attention will be devoted to the electrification of heating and cooling (e.g., widespread adoption of heat pumps) and to the integration of light and heavy electric vehicles into future smart grids.
In response to decarbonization targets, a number of policies and technologies have been developed and implemented in recent years to reduce energy consumption and pollutant emissions in urban areas. In this framework, smart cities, based on advanced energy networks, offer a promising technological solution. They not only enhance the integration of renewable energy sources but also maintain a high quality of life for city residents. Smart energy networks can seamlessly integrate a plurality of energy vectors, renewable sources, and users, optimizing the self-consumption of renewables. Advanced and smart control systems are crucial for managing these complex energy networks. These energy strategies can efficiently distribute surplus energy among network users and across different storage systems and energy vectors.
Special Session on Navigating Challenges of Renewable Energy Communities -
REC
2026
Paper Submission:
March 24, 2026
Authors Notification:
April 7, 2026
Camera Ready and Registration:
April 15, 2026
Scope
Exploring the operational, technical and societal challenges of Renewable Energy Communities and applications in the world.
Special Session on EU-Funded Research for Smart Cities and Green ICT: Project Showcase -
EUFR
2026
Paper Submission:
March 24, 2026
Authors Notification:
April 7, 2026
Camera Ready and Registration:
April 15, 2026
Scope
The transition towards smarter, greener, and more sustainable urban environments is increasingly driven by collaborative research and innovation efforts funded at the European level. This workshop provides a dedicated forum for EU-funded projects to present their work, share findings, and engage with the broader research and practitioner community gathered at SMARTGREENS 2026.
The workshop aims to bridge the gap between ongoing and recently completed EU research initiatives and the wider scientific and industrial audience attending the conference. It offers project consortia a unique opportunity to disseminate results, showcase prototypes and tools, and receive feedback from peers working across the intersecting fields of smart cities, green ICT, energy-aware systems, and sustainable infrastructure.