Welcome to our New Journal—AIMS Energy

On behalf of the Editorial Board, I would like to welcome you to the first issue of the AIMS Press Energy Journal.

We anticipate a dynamic and exciting future for the journal given the dramatic changes taking place in the energy sector. The challenges posed by the need to develop a response to climate change, through both mitigation and adaptation, and the growing need to face the problem of increasing energy scarcity are at forefront of the changes taking place. Intersecting these challenges is the additional need to enhance global equity in access to energy while maintaining our cultural and social capital in a world where dem and for energy could double within less than 50 years.

Necessarily, our approach to these challenges will be based on the development of technical solutions, particularly in the all-important alternative and renewable energy sectors. Allied to these is the need to achieve greater efficiency from existing energy transformation technologies, as well as methods to conserve energy and reduce consumption. Scale, cost and availability will also play an important role as we seek new and better ways of meeting our future energy needs.

Our ability to respond to these challenges is tightly bound by our capacity to communicate potential solutions. It is therefore timely that we introduce a new journal able to provide open access to the dialogue we hope to promote between those who wish to participate in this rapidly evolving space.

To achieve this, the coverage of the journal is necessarily wide. Contributions in the form of original research articles, reviews, editorials, letters, and conference reports are welcome on topics related to alternative and renewable energy, biofuels and bioenergy, energy conservation and transformation, combined heat and power, and climate change.

As well as these topics, we anticipate publishing special issues which focus on important and timely topics. Those already in the planning stages cover a range of diverse topics including: bioenergy and climate mitigation, bio-blended fuels, concentrated solar power, building energy use in developing countries and hot corrosion in biomass power systems. We welcome additional suggestions for special issues from our readers.

In keeping with the tradition of AIMS Press, we aim to develop a reputation for publishing high quality, relevant and accessible articles. A rigorous, uncompromising, peer review process is central to the journal’s approach and at all times we will strive for a rapid turnaround in our editorial and publication processes. Our Editorial Board is comprised of leading researchers and technologists who have been selected from more than ten countries, who together have a wide and diverse range of expertise. Our Editorial Board will be actively working to develop and promote the work of the journal as we seek to establish our position in this important area in the coming years.

So once again, it gives me great pleasure to welcome you not only as a reader, but also as a future contributor, to this first issue of the AIMS Energy Journal.