Review Contributions of 4.0 Technologies to Sustainable Energy Systems: A Scoping Review Gautier George Yao Quenum Gautier George Yao Quenum * Myriam Ertz Myriam Ertz * Laboratory of research on New Forms of Consumption, Canada Research Chair in Technology, Sustainability, Society (Chaire TDS), University of Quebec at Chicoutimi, Saguenay, QC G7H 2B1, Canada * Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed. Energies 2026, 19(12), 2751; https://doi.org/10.3390/en19122751 (registering DOI) Submission received: 13 February 2026 / Revised: 14 April 2026 / Accepted: 27 May 2026 / Published: 8 June 2026 Renewable energy sources, such as solar thermal and photovoltaic, geothermal, biomass, hydropower, and wind, offer significant sustainability advantages. Yet the sector still faces difficulties in several areas that tend to reduce the efficiency of these new energy forms. Some of these challenges include inconsistent electricity supply, the diffuse nature of renewable energy sources, which makes them difficult to exploit, and the inconsistent and unpredictable nature of electricity supply, which has repercussions for renewable energy markets. Although Industry 4.0 is inherently energy-intensive, its positive contribution to renewable energy systems may outweigh its costs. Consequently, this study conducts a scoping review on the role of digital technologies in renewable energy systems. It focuses on open-access conference papers, journal articles, and book chapters published between 2020 and 2026, selected from scientific platforms and databases such as IEEE Xplore, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, and Scopus. A multi-stage screening process and a summary sheet for a set of 89 selected articles were produced to extract the necessary information. The results show that Industry 4.0 influences renewable energy systems at the design and installation stage in predictive maintenance, efficient management, and energy security. Meanwhile, Industry 4.0 in renewable energy systems still faces negative externalities that can be categorised as political, financial, infrastructural, environmental, human, security, and technological. To address these challenges, which tend to become entangled in cycles of negative reinforcement, the paper suggests defining standardised, clear, strict, and stable frameworks at the political, legal, regulatory, and environmental levels to overcome most challenges associated with the digital transformation of renewable energy. The study also recommends flexible, inclusive strategic planning that accounts for the digital maturity of the renewable energy system. From these perspectives, the study contributes to the literature by addressing the role of Industry 4.0 technologies in renewable energy systems from a strategic and coordinated perspective, from both human and technological standpoints. It also offers managerial and policy implications by supporting innovation in renewable energy systems on the one hand and contributing to policy and regulatory decision-making that favour their growth on the other. Industry 4.0; digital technologies; circular energy systems; renewable energy; optimisation; resource efficiency 1. Introduction However, despite their sustainable nature, renewable energies face irregularities throughout the energy supply chain, namely in production, transport, energy distribution, consumption, and storage, although the most significant irregularities are observed in production systems [ 6, 7, 8]. Production systems generally face spatial and temporal constraints, manifested, on the one hand, by the inaccessibility of renewable resources, which makes them difficult to exploit, and on the other hand, by variations in electricity output due to factors such as temperature, wind speed, and cloud cover [ 5]. This disrupts the balance between supply and demand [ 9, 10, 11], significantly limiting the capacity, efficiency, and performance of these energy systems [ 12, 13]. Indeed, the 1990s marked a turning point towards the development of renewable energy technologies [ 19], and the 2010s, a turning point towards Industry 4.0 technologies [ 20]. Furthermore, in response to the negative externalities associated with the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the Fifth Industrial Revolution was launched around the 2020s. This is more clearly a continuation of the Fourth Industrial Revolution; some authors even refer to it as the “4.5 transition of the digitalized industry” ([ 21], p. 3). In any case, this new transition aims to be human-centred, resilient, and sustainable [ 22, 23]. Whilst the human-centred dimension involves promoting talent, diversity, and empowerment, the resilience dimension promotes flexible and adaptable technologies, and the sustainability dimension advocates respect for planetary boundaries including energy self-sufficiency and energy efficiency [ 22, 23]. The decision to conduct a scoping literature review is justified and aims to ascertain the state of the scientific literature on the contribution of Industry 4.0 technologies to renewable energy systems, particularly since the 2020s, when energy efficiency in Industry 5.0 has come to the fore. The aim is to explore and provide an overview of the contributions of Industry 4.0 technologies to renewable energy systems. We therefore formulate the following research question: - What role does Industry 4.0 play in optimising sustainable energy systems and promoting resource efficiency? The trends show that several authors are interested in studying the role of digital technologies in renewable energy systems, but most focus either on one or more specific technologies [ 11], or on a specific functionality of the energy system [ 24], or on a specific sector or field of renewable energy [ 25]. Our study therefore takes a more general approach, focusing on the integrated application of all digital technologies across the entire energy system to achieve greater optimisation and efficiency. It highlights that Industry 4.0 technologies play a vital role in the design and installation of energy systems for their predictive maintenance, efficient management, and finally, energy security. It also reveals that aside from benefits such as improved energy transparency, efficiency, cost-effectiveness, sustainability, and the flexibility of renewable energy systems as well as grid stability, the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies continues to face difficulties on several fronts, which often form part of negative feedback loops. Backed by our recommendations, this study can be useful in several respects. From a literature review perspective, our study is among the first to provide a comprehensive, strategic, and coordinated overview of the integration of digital technologies and their roles within renewable energy systems. From a management perspective, in the era of Industry 4.0, and especially Industry 5.0, where energy efficiency is increasingly essential, the results of this study could serve as a guide for decision-makers, particularly companies, organisations, and agencies supporting digital transformation. It can contribute to innovation and practice in the design, management, and operation of energy infrastructure powered by Industry 4.0; promote the development of new business models within existing companies; or enable the creation of new companies dedicated to producing and marketing renewable electricity. At the political level, this study can inform policy decisions to enable public services to create smart, efficient, cost-effective, and reliable renewable energy systems, whose improved management can ensure the continuous production of renewable energy that can be consumed or prosumed as a service. Furthermore, in the current geopolitical context, characterised by tensions in the Middle East and disruptions to supply chains for conventional energy resources, this study could help accelerate the transition to renewable energy systems by investing in smart systems to enhance the resilience, security, and sustainability of energy infrastructure. 2. Research Methods 2.1. Identifying Research Questions As above-mentioned, the aim of our research is to explore the current state of research on the role of Industry 4.0 in optimising sustainable energy systems and promoting the efficient use of resources. Our research questions are therefore as follows: What role does Industry 4.0 play in optimising sustainable energy systems and promoting resource efficiency? What are the advantages and challenges of integrating digital technologies into renewable energy systems? What are the approaches to overcoming the challenges of adopting digital technologies in renewable energy? 2.2. Identifying Relevant Studies Our research was conducted with the use of scientific platforms and databases such as IEEE Xplore Digital Library, ScienceDirect (Elsevier), SpringerLink, and Scopus, which were searched up to 20 December 2025. These databases were selected for their ability to provide articles in engineering, information technology, and intelligent systems, addressing topics relevant to our research subject: the integration of digital technologies into renewable energy systems to improve optimisation and efficiency. For the IEEE Xplore Digital Library database, we used the following keywords with the following Boolean logic: (“Digital technologies”) OR “Industry 4.0” OR “Industry 4.0” OR “digitalisation”) AND (“circular energy systems”) OR (“renewable energy”) OR (“clean energy”) OR (“sustainable energy”). We therefore applied the following filters: Conferences, Journals, Books, Open Access, Early Access articles, English, French, 2020–2025. This yielded 82,513 results, which we considered large. To narrow the scope, we therefore added a final keyword to the query, namely: Optimisat*. This resulted in 707 articles. See Table 1 for a summary table of our entire literature review approach. The following types of research publications were included in the search: journal articles, conference papers, book chapters, open-access articles, and preprints published in English or French between 2020 and 2026 that contained at least one keyword from the ‘technology’ dimension and at least one keyword from the ‘renewable energy’ dimension of our search query. We excluded peripheral studies focused exclusively on digital technologies or on (renewable) energy systems. Table 2 summarises the eligibility criteria. 2.3. Study Selection The screening of the title, abstract and keywords of each article, enabled to shortlist those publications that best met our research objective ( n = 832). The authors discussed the suitability of each article based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The shortlisted articles were recorded on search platforms before being downloaded and uploaded to the Zotero bibliographic management tool. 2.4. Charting the Data The total of 832 articles in our bibliographic management tool (Zotero), was reduced to 620 after removing duplicates. We then created sub-collections labelled ‘Yes’, ‘No’, and ‘More or less’ within this database to classify the collected articles as acceptable, unacceptable, or subject to slight doubt, respectively. A cursory review, generally focusing on the abstract, discussion, and conclusions of each article, was carried out. More in-depth discussions were held between the two researchers to select the appropriate articles. Articles that were subject to doubt or on which there was no consensus were classified in the ‘More or less’ sub-collection. These were the subject of a second round of in-depth discussions to resolve differences and reach a consensus. 2.5. Summarising the Data The two authors carried out this stage together, using a summary sheet created in Microsoft Excel. The summary sheet included two categories of variables: descriptive variables (Title, Author, Year of publication, Definition) and thematic variables (i.e., Advantages and limitations of renewable energy, Contributions of Industry 4.0 technologies to renewable energy systems, Advantages and challenges associated with the integration of Industry 4.0 technologies into renewable energy systems, Proposed solutions). Then, for each thematic variable, the key ideas were grouped together and highlighted. The roles of Industry 4.0 technologies, often considered individually, have been organised logically to highlight how they work together. 3. Results 3.1. Selection of Sources of Evidence As shown in the PRISMA diagram ( Figure 1) below, our searches of scientific databases and platforms identified 832 articles. This number was reduced to 212 articles following deduplication in Zotero. The first stage of selection resulted in the exclusion of 222 articles because they did not meet the criteria outlined above. A total of 398 reports were therefore selected for data extraction, of which 315 could not be retrieved. This left 183 reports for assessment to determine their eligibility. Of these, 132 reports were excluded as they focused on technical and economic optimisation ( n = 58), power system engineering ( n = 19), environmental sustainability ( n = 15), the circular economy ( n = 17) and general issues related to digitalisation ( n = 24). In total, 50 studies were included in the review, corresponding to 50 reports analysed. 3.2. Characteristics of Sources of Evidence The exploratory review included a total of 50 articles. These articles are characterised by various features (see Appendix A), some of which are outlined below. 3.2.1. The Technological Perspective It was noticeable in Figure 2 that when discussing the roles of Industry 4.0 technologies in renewable energy systems, most authors ( n = 15) referred primarily to artificial intelligence. Some ( n = 11) combined artificial intelligence with two or three other technologies, generally the Internet of Things and digital twins. This group of authors was roughly on a par with those who discussed Industry 4.0 technologies as a whole ( n = 10). Another group of authors focused exclusively on: digital twins ( n = 6); the Internet of Things ( n = 2) and the Blockchain ( n = 2). Few authors have studied the roles of 4.0 technologies in renewable energy systems exclusively from the perspective of the metaverse ( n = 1), the web ( n = 1), and ICT ( n = 1). Finally, one author ( n = 1) discussed renewable energy technologies without specifically mentioning 4.0 technologies. 3.2.2. The Methodological Approaches Figure 3 illustrates that the methodological approaches of the studies reviewed were diverse and varied. Fourteen (14) studies used an experimental approach; ten (10), a quantitative empirical approach; six (6), case studies (including variants); and six (6), systematic literature reviews (all types). It was noted that five (5) studies were conceptual / narrative reviews; three (3) were mixed methods studies and one (1) a qualitative empirical study. 3.2.3. The Time Period Our study was limited to the period from 2019 to 2025. We note, as shown in Figure 4, that most of the studies ( n = 21) were published in 2025. Twenty (20) were published in 2024; eight (8) in 2023; one (1) in 2022; and one (1) in 2019. 3.3. Summary and Presentation of the Results 3.3.1. The Advantages and Challenges of Renewable Energies Advantages of Renewable Energies For these reasons, renewable energy has become essential environmentally for managing energy, environmental, and climate crises [ 3, 32, 33] as it does not emit greenhouse gases [ 29] and can significantly reduce CO 2 emissions [ 34]. They are clean energy sources that help preserve public goods such as air quality and climate stability [ 30, 35]. More broadly, their impact on the local environment is reversible, low, and limited to the period of operation [ 29]. From a policy perspective, the precautions, best practices, and technical solutions that can help limit the environmental impact of renewable energy are well-established and readily applicable to regulations and project authorisation procedures [ 29]. Furthermore, owing to their global distribution, renewable energy sources are likely to mitigate geopolitical tensions associated with the increasing scarcity of conventional resources, such as fossil fuels and natural gas [ 29]. Despite growing interest in these energy sources, their widespread adoption remains hindered by significant technical and economic challenges [ 33]. Issues and Pitfalls of Renewable Energies The challenges of renewable energy are numerous and diverse. Apart from their diffuse nature, which makes them difficult to exploit (e.g., sunlight is not always accessible depending on geography and time) [ 7], renewable energy production is generally intermittent and unstable, as it is subject to considerable fluctuations depending on weather conditions, seasonal variability, the day–night cycle, and other environmental factors [ 7, 8, 30, 36]. Weather and environmental conditions can, for example, damage essential equipment such as solar panels or turbine blades, thereby accentuating the intermittent and unstable nature of these energy sources [ 8]. This situation can affect the reliability and stability of the energy system, leading to an inconsistent and unpredictable renewable electricity supply [ 7, 36]. It can also result in repercussions and an imbalance in the dynamics of the renewable energy market [ 7, 30]. Unfortunately, these high costs lead to low investment in the sector, exacerbating outages and intermittency in renewable energy production [ 38]. Furthermore, transport infrastructure constraints, low demand, and extremely limited storage capacity make it difficult to adopt renewable energy systems [ 38]. In terms of energy storage, storage technologies, in conjunction with decentralised generation resources, typically help maintain the balance between production and demand [ 39, 40]. Among energy storage technologies, we can distinguish thermal energy storage, electrical energy storage, pumped-hydroelectric storage, biological energy storage, compressed-air systems, superconducting magnetic energy storage, and photonic energy conversion systems [ 39, 40]. However, these technologies face limitations that can significantly hinder the effective use of renewable energies [ 36]. There are difficulties related to the placement and sizing of storage systems, particularly due to key factors such as market pricing, renewable energy imbalances, regulatory requirements, wind speed distribution, aggregate load, energy balance assessment, and internal energy production models [ 39]. There are also difficulties in analysing the financial viability and technological feasibility of energy storage systems. These difficulties are linked, on the one hand, to a lack of knowledge of the technical aspects of energy storage technologies, and on the other hand, to the failure to integrate analytical dimensions such as system capital investment, operating costs, maintenance costs, and degradation losses into analytical approaches [ 39, 40]. In the battery storage of electrical energy, battery degradation is generally linked to three factors: increased battery temperature during the charge–discharge cycle, battery aging, and poor estimates and management of charge states, which can significantly affect the performance of the storage system [ 39]. There is also a risk of inequality in the distribution of profits from renewable energy systems. Although renewable energy production infrastructure is generally installed in rural areas, precisely because of their proximity to renewable resources, the energy produced is usually transported and sold in large cities, where infrastructure is more developed. Thus, the added value benefits the private companies that have invested, rather than the populations that depend on these resources [ 43]. In this context, integrating 4.0 technologies into renewable energy systems could be a significant springboard for the transition from conventional to renewable energy sources. 3.3.2. Industry 4.0 and Renewable Energy Systems The Principles of Industry 4.0 Industry 4.0 is based on four key principles: interconnection, information transparency, decentralised decision-making, and technical assistance [ 34]. Integrated Operation of Digital 4.0 Technologies 4.0 technologies enable the transition from microgrids of renewable energy systems to larger, smarter grids [ 8]. They contribute to integrating renewable energy sources into existing conventional grids [ 3]. The Internet of Things enables continuous, real-time data collection from sensors installed on physical equipment throughout the energy network [ 8]. The digital twin, meanwhile, is based on Internet of Things technology and creates a dynamic virtual representation of energy equipment and systems [ 2]. Cloud computing technology facilitates the storage of large amounts of data from the smart grid [ 45]. This technology enables the analysis and processing of complex datasets, facilitating the correlation of data from various sources across the space-time continuum, and in turn, the integration of this information into a unified electrical system model [ 8]. In the context of the continued development and improvement of 4.0 technologies, other so-called 5.0 big data technologies, such as edge computing and fog computing, enable local data processing. Thus, thanks to mobile computing, some complex data are processed and analysed locally, while heavy processing is offloaded to the cloud. Fog computing and edge computing promote analysis, processing, communication, and decision-making close to their source, with the only difference being that edge computing is more advanced at the periphery, i.e., closer to users’ devices [ 8]. In addition, using AI algorithms (machine learning, neural networks, etc.), the data generated is analysed in real-time to provide valuable information about the energy system [ 5, 12, 46]. AI systems communicate with advanced energy management system software, facilitating instantaneous management of the energy network [ 12, 47]. Metaverse technologies are involved in the energy commercialisation phase and represent the immersive virtual world, in which users interact in real-time through digital avatars [ 48]. In this context, blockchain technologies ensure peer-to-peer transactions [ 11, 49]. The Adoption of Industry 4.0 Technologies The digital strategy is defined based on the organisation’s level of digital maturity, established through a digital maturity assessment [ 15]. There are several models for assessing digital maturity. In their study on the digital maturity of small and medium-sized enterprises in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region, Quenum et al. [ 15] developed an integrative framework for assessing digital maturity. First, the approach to defining digital transformation within which the integrative model would be situated was clarified. Then, following an analysis of the various categories of digital maturity models, six (06) models were selected based on both positive and critical criteria. Thus, following a comparison and selection of the most frequently occurring dimensions in accordance with the 40% rule [ 74], and after analysing them, six key dimensions emerged: technology, culture, organisation, human resources and people, and strategic planning. The same process was followed to identify six progressive levels of maturity and the key characteristics associated with each. Figure 5 summarises the different levels of digital maturity and their characteristics. The Contributions of 4.0 Technologies to Renewable Energy Systems Contributions of 4.0 technologies to the design and installation of energy systems 2. Role of 4.0 technologies in predictive maintenance and system reliability From a maintenance perspective, against a backdrop of advanced energy management systems [ 12, 47], the integrated 4.0 energy system can perform predictive analysis and preventive and adaptive control [ 2, 8, 12, 46, 75, 76, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83]. Indeed, 4.0 digital technologies enable continuous real-time monitoring and control of the system as well as accurate diagnostics [ 2, 5, 32, 83]. They enable the detection of defects in physical equipment, the identification of technical failures, and the mitigation of sudden breakdowns [ 5, 8, 32, 36, 75]. They also enable accurate estimation of the remaining useful life of a system (e.g., a floating offshore wind turbine), thereby reducing maintenance and operating time and costs [ 2, 76, 78, 83]. The system can thus react automatically [ 83, 84], i.e., make control or monitoring decisions in real-time, perform adaptive scheduling of energy resources, or plan its own maintenance [ 5, 8, 32, 36]. 3. Contribution of 4.0 technologies to the management of electrical energy systems The integration of digital technologies into renewable energy systems [ 12, 47] is promoting the growth of new service-oriented business models [ 8, 78, 85]. Thanks to these technologies, renewable energy systems are developing remote production process administration and control capabilities, thereby facilitating operational monitoring and decision-making by government bodies and energy network operators [ 8, 46, 86, 87]. Remote control promotes decentralised energy management and instantaneous operational management of the energy network, including planning and scheduling, demand response, and communication among network stakeholders [ 2, 8, 12, 46, 75, 76, 83, 88]. The ability to remotely control the system also enables more efficient, cost-effective management of investment risk by allowing local energy storage [ 8, 76, 78]. More broadly, this results in improved network and energy management, including production, storage, transportation, consumption, and demand response [ 8, 36, 49, 75, 84, 85]. Other outcomes include improved performance and energy efficiency during production, reduced energy consumption, increased system flexibility, latency control, and better knowledge of the location of network components [ 8, 46]. 4. Contribution of 4.0 technologies to energy security The integration of metaverse technologies into energy systems promotes energy security [ 75]. Virtual reality applications can provide immersive training environments for energy professionals, ensuring safety and operational efficiency, particularly in high-risk sectors such as nuclear energy [ 75]. The metaverse also serves as a framework for a fully decentralised, flexible, and efficient electrical system that promotes secure energy trading, particularly through peer-to-peer (P2P) energy markets that enable consumers and prosumers to actively participate in energy production and exchange [ 11, 24]. In this context, blockchain technology plays an important role in peer-to-peer transactions. It facilitates these transactions, reduces transaction costs, promotes the use of smart contracts, improves transparency, and thereby strengthens confidence in decentralised energy exchange platforms [ 11, 49]. Advantages and Challenges of Integrating Digital Technologies into Renewable Energy Systems Advantages of integrating digital technologies into renewable energy systems The integration of cyber-physical systems into energy networks also helps optimise their performance [ 5, 46, 77, 83]. It optimises energy storage, processes, batteries, resource use, and energy production and consumption through user selection, pricing, and related mechanisms [ 6, 8, 36, 46, 75, 84]. Renewable energy systems 4.0 also help optimise operating expenses by responding to dynamic market signals, purchasing when prices are low, and selling surplus energy during periods of high demand [ 5]. Finally, it facilitates advanced financial analysis by considering factors such as long-term interest rates, inflation, borrowing costs and efficiency losses. This approach enables a more accurate assessment of the present value of energy, as well as the creation of forward-looking simulations [ 76, 86]. Table 3 below summarises the key contributions of Industry 4.0 to renewable energy systems. 2. Challenges of 4.0 technologies for renewable energy systems Despite the advantages of integrating 4.0 technologies into renewable energy systems, several challenges hinder their widespread adoption. These challenges are political, financial, infrastructural, environmental, human, security-related, and technological. Then, in terms of technological challenges, the interconnection of systems and networks, and the need for them to operate intelligently, are extremely complex and remain very demanding in terms of the computation and analysis of large datasets [ 8, 46]. In addition, digital cybersecurity measures can further complicate the system [ 32]. Added to this are the difficulties of creating successful virtual replicas of physical equipment and precisely adjusting their parameters [ 13]. Finally, an analysis of causal loops, as shown in Figure 6, helps identify the dynamic interactions among political, financial, technological, and socio-environmental factors that influence the integration of Industry 4.0 technologies into renewable energy systems. The analysis highlights multiple feedback loops that help explain reinforcing, stabilising, or other effects. A positive (+) link means that when the cause increases, the effect increases, or when the cause decreases, the effect decreases. Conversely, a negative (−) link means that when the cause increases, the effect decreases, or when the cause decreases, the effect increases [ 83]. We have several reinforcing loops and a single contradictory loop. Loop 1 Poor coordination among stakeholders leads to reduced interoperability, which leads to reduced system performance, which in turn leads to reduced stakeholder confidence, ultimately increasing poor coordination among them. Loop 2 The high costs of digital technologies reduce the likelihood of their adoption. Low adoption of digital technologies reduces economies of scale, which in turn reduces cost savings, leading to further cost increases. Loop 3 Poor infrastructure reduces the adoption of digital technologies. Low adoption of digital technologies reduces investment opportunities, ultimately exacerbating infrastructure weaknesses. Loop 4 The use of digital technologies increases energy consumption, which increases the carbon footprint. The increase in carbon footprint reduces environmental sustainability, which, in turn, reduces the acceptability and deployment of digital technologies. The decline in the acceptability and deployment of digital technologies reduces their use. Loop 5 A skilled workforce increases the adoption of digital technologies. The adoption of digital technologies leads to greater experience and learning, ultimately enhancing skills. Increased skills ultimately lead to a larger skilled workforce. Loop 6 System vulnerability increases the risk of cyberattacks. The increased risk of cyberattacks dampens stakeholder confidence, in turn reducing technology adoption. Reduced technology adoption leads to lower investment in security, ultimately increasing system vulnerabilities. Loop 7 The complexity of systems increases the computing requirements. Increased computing requirements lead to increased costs. Increased costs lead to reduced adoption of digital technologies, thereby reducing system optimisation. Reduced system optimisation increases its complexity. Approaches to Overcoming the Challenges of Adopting Digital Technologies in Renewable Energy Systems Approaches to addressing the challenges associated with adopting digital technologies in renewable energy are primarily political and administrative [ 6, 100]. At the environmental level, public governance must systematically integrate environmental assessments and life-cycle analyses into regulatory frameworks to ensure consistency across digitisation, energy performance, and sustainability objectives [ 8]. In terms of security, frameworks promote data security and transparency for the industry and provide robust technical means to facilitate the adoption of 4.0 technologies [ 78]. Managers, for their part, must be able to clearly define who can access the data, who has the right to use it, and where it is stored securely. These same control, security, and governance requirements apply to open data interfaces and protocols [ 78]. Finally, from a technological perspective, the 4.0 renewable energy ecosystem requires institutional and administrative support for technological innovation, robust data governance, and enhanced coordination among policymakers, industry, and academia to drive the digital transformation of energy systems [ 6]. Table 4 summarises the challenges and approaches to solutions for Industry 4.0 technologies underpinning renewable energy systems. 4. Discussion Our study highlights that Industry 4.0 technologies play a role in renewable energy systems at several levels, notably in the design and installation of equipment; system forecasting and maintenance to enhance reliability; energy management; and system security, thereby contributing to their reliability and overall optimisation. The potential of Industry 4.0 technologies is even greater given their applicability across multiple sectors. A study by Zhelykh et al. (2022) [ 105] highlighted how the modelling and simulation of modular buildings can enhance the optimisation and safety of renewable energy supply systems in this type of construction. Often, significant innovations in the field of renewable energy remain, to a certain extent, limited by the lack of integration with Industry 4.0 technologies. A study by Furdas et al. (2024) [ 106] on maintaining thermal stability in renewable energy systems, specifically biogas produced from fallen leaves in urban parks, analyses the optimal temperature of the organic mass and the anaerobic fermentation time to maximise reactor efficiency. The integration of Industry 4.0 technologies, notably artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things, could facilitate the monitoring and control of the system’s temperature, thereby enhancing its operational efficiency. Even though Industry 4.0 technologies have potential in renewable energy, numerous challenges remain across the political, financial, infrastructural, environmental, human, security, and technological spheres. Except for the environmental dimension, where the use of technologies for environmental sustainability may be contradictory, most of these challenges are part of a cycle of negative reinforcement, thereby limiting the adoption of digital technologies in renewable energy systems. To stabilise these dynamics, it is necessary to address the system’s structural variables. In this respect, the study contributes to the literature by being the first to address the role of Industry 4.0 technologies in renewable energy systems from a strategic and coordinated perspective, considering both human and technological aspects. It also offers implications for management and policy; on the one hand, by supporting innovation in renewable energy systems, and on the other hand, by contributing to the development of policies and regulations conducive to their development. Moreover, in a geopolitical context marked by tensions in the Middle East and potential disruptions to conventional energy supply chains, this study’s findings highlight the need to accelerate the transition to renewable energy systems. Investment in smart systems appears to be a strategic lever for strengthening the resilience, security, and sustainability of energy infrastructure. Furthermore, given the importance of the subject, this exploratory study would have benefited from additional empirical support. The inclusion of empirical data, quantitative analyses, case studies, or comparative assessments would have strengthened the robustness of the results and improved their external validity. 5. Conclusions 4.0 technologies play a very important role in the innovation of renewable energy systems. They aim to increase interconnection, transparency of information, decentralised decision-making, and technical assistance. Industry 4.0 technologies contribute to the optimisation of sustainable energy systems and the promotion of resource efficiency by intervening in the design and installation of energy systems; in the predictive maintenance of systems; in the efficient management of systems; and finally, in energy security. However, the digital transformation of energy systems still faces political, financial, infrastructural, environmental, human, security, and technological challenges. The responses to these challenges are primarily political and administrative. It is essential to define clear, standardised, strict, and stable frameworks across the political, legal, regulatory, and environmental levels to overcome the challenges of digital transformation in renewable energy. It is also necessary to have a strategic plan tailored to the system’s level of digital maturity. Author Contributions Conceptualization, G.G.Y.Q. and M.E.; Methodology, G.G.Y.Q.; Validation, G.G.Y.Q. and M.E.; Investigation, G.G.Y.Q.; Writing—original draft, G.G.Y.Q.; Writing—review & editing, M.E.; Supervision, M.E.; Project administration, M.E. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. Funding This research was funded by the Canada Research Chair program grant number CRC-2021-00452. Data Availability Statement No new data were created or analyzed in this study. Conflicts of Interest The authors declare no conflict of interest. Appendix A References Figure 1. PRISMA diagram (selection of articles). Figure 1. PRISMA diagram (selection of articles). Figure 2. Technological perspective. Figure 2. Technological perspective. Figure 3. Methodological approach. Figure 3. Methodological approach. Figure 4. Time period. Figure 4. Time period. Figure 5. Levels of digital transformation maturity, Quenum et al. [ 15]. Figure 5. Levels of digital transformation maturity, Quenum et al. [ 15]. Figure 6. Causal loop diagram of the adoption of digital technologies in renewable energy systems. Figure 6. Causal loop diagram of the adoption of digital technologies in renewable energy systems. Table 1. Results of the database searches. Table 1. Results of the database searches. Database Main Query (Simplified) Number of Results IEEE Xplore Digital technologies/Industry 4.0 AND renewable energy/sustainable energy 82,513 IEEE Xplore Digital technologies AND renewable energy AND optimisat * 707 ScienceDirect Digital technologies AND renewable energy AND optimisation/efficiency 56,619 ScienceDirect Digital technologies AND renewable energy AND optimisation/efficiency 14,026 Scopus Digital technologies AND renewable energy AND optimisation/efficiency 2 Scopus Digital technologies AND renewable energy 41 SpringerLink Digital technologies AND renewable energy AND optimisation/efficiency 1658 Note: (*) indicates a truncation wildcard used to retrieve multiple variations of the same root word in the database search. Table 2. Eligibility criteria. Table 2. Eligibility criteria. Inclusion Criteria Exclusion Criteria Journal articles, conference papers, book chapters, open-access, and preprints published articles English or French articles From 2019 to 2025 articles Containing at least one keyword from the “technology” dimension and one keyword from the “renewable energy” dimension. Related studies on digital technologies or on (renewable) energy systems Table 3. Contributions of 4.0 technologies to renewable energy systems. Table 3. Contributions of 4.0 technologies to renewable energy systems. Dimension Key Contributions References 4.0 Technologies Used Illustrations Contributions of 4.0 technologies to the design and installation of energy systems Advanced modelling and real-time simulations; anticipation of multiple scenarios; estimation of yields and technical characteristics; early detection of faults and validation of estimates during installation. [ 2, 5, 8, 13, 32, 75, 76, 77, 78] Artificial intelligence, digital twins, cyber-physical systems, big data, and advanced analytics. Simulation of solar and wind power generation; flood forecasting for hydroelectric power plants; fault detection during geothermal drilling. Contribution of 4.0 technologies in predictive maintenance and system reliability Continuous monitoring and control; accurate diagnostics; fault detection and prevention; remaining life estimation; maintenance and scheduling automation. [ 2, 5, 8, 12, 32, 36, 46, 47, 75, 76, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84] Industrial IoT, AI and machine learning, advanced energy management systems, cyber-physical systems. Prediction of fatigue damage to wind turbine blades; automatic planning of maintenance operations. Contribution of 4.0 technologies to electrical energy system management Remote administration and control; decentralised management; network planning and scheduling; management of production, storage, transport, and consumption; improved flexibility and latency control. [ 2, 8, 12, 36, 46, 47, 49, 75, 76, 78, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88] IoT, digital energy management platforms, smart control systems, and digital-physical storage solutions. Remote control of facilities; real-time demand response; energy storage close to consumption points. Contribution of 4.0 technologies to energy security Securing operations; immersive training; secure, decentralised energy exchanges; transparency and trust in transactions. [ 11, 24, 49, 75] Virtual reality, metaverse, blockchain, smart contracts. Immersive training in nuclear environments; P2P energy markets between prosumers via blockchain. Table 4. Challenges and approaches to solutions for 4.0 technologies for renewable energy systems. Table 4. Challenges and approaches to solutions for 4.0 technologies for renewable energy systems. Challenges Problems References Approaches to Solutions Disclaimer/Publisher’s Note: The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor(s). MDPI and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content. © 2026 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license. Quenum, G.G.Y.; Ertz, M. Contributions of 4.0 Technologies to Sustainable Energy Systems: A Scoping Review. Energies 2026, 19, 2751. https://doi.org/10.3390/en19122751 Quenum GGY, Ertz M. Contributions of 4.0 Technologies to Sustainable Energy Systems: A Scoping Review. Energies. 2026; 19(12):2751. https://doi.org/10.3390/en19122751 Quenum, Gautier George Yao, and Myriam Ertz. 2026. "Contributions of 4.0 Technologies to Sustainable Energy Systems: A Scoping Review" Energies 19, no. 12: 2751. https://doi.org/10.3390/en19122751 Quenum, G. G. Y., & Ertz, M. (2026). Contributions of 4.0 Technologies to Sustainable Energy Systems: A Scoping Review. Energies, 19(12), 2751. https://doi.org/10.3390/en19122751
