Abstract

The global transition towards sustainable development necessitates the integration of renewable energy systems with circular resource management to mitigate environmental impacts and enhance efficiency. This review emphasises the urgent need to assess how circular economy strategies interact with the deployment of renewable energy in practical settings. It is posited that a synergistic integration of these two approaches can significantly improve sustainability outcomes. The study utilises a systems-level analysis that encompasses thermodynamic evaluations, spatial planning, and optimisation of energy flows through advanced process integration methodologies. Several groups of challenges have been identified – thermodynamic, spatial, and multiplicity challenges. The multiplicity challenge class is the most complex, encompassing topology, variability, and organisational subclasses. The review points to several possible tools to be applied – including Energy Quality Pinch for the thermodynamic challenges, P-graph framework and digital orchestration to address the multiplicity and organisational challenges. The review concludes that the strategic application of intelligent coordination mechanisms, transparent accounting frameworks, and emerging technologies has the potential to realise the benefits of sustainable circular energy systems fully.