About the Conference
Concept Note: The global transition toward a low-carbon future has made sustainable and clean energy a cornerstone of economic growth, environmental stewardship, and societal well-being. As nations strive to meet their commitments under the Paris Agreement and achieve net-zero emissions targets, there is an urgent need for innovative technologies, resilient energy systems, and evidence-based policies that can accelerate the adoption of renewable energy while ensuring energy security and equitable development. Rapid advancements in renewable energy, energy storage, hydrogen technologies, smart grids, digitalization, and circular economy practices are creating new opportunities to transform the energy landscape and address pressing challenges related to climate change, resource depletion, and sustainable development.
Against this backdrop, the International Conference on “Advancing Sustainable & Clean Energy for Net-Zero Development (ASCEND–2026)” aims to provide a vibrant interdisciplinary platform for researchers, academicians, industry leaders, policymakers, and practitioners to exchange ideas, share cutting-edge research, and discuss emerging trends in clean energy and sustainability. The conference seeks to foster collaboration across diverse disciplines, promote innovative solutions for decarbonization, and contribute to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through technical sessions, expert discussions, and knowledge-sharing initiatives, ASCEND–2026 aspires to advance scientific understanding and practical strategies that support a resilient, inclusive, and net-zero future for communities worldwide.
The conference shall include some extended activities under the Doctoral school in Sustainable Energy Engineering (SEED) through collaboration between six universities in four different countries: Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Linnaeus University (LNU) and Lund University (LTH), all in Sweden, Kathmandu University (KU) in Nepal, TERI School of Advanced Studies (TERI SAS), India and Universidad Mayor de San Simón (UMSS) in Bolivia
About TERI School of Advanced Studies
The TERI School of Advanced Studies (TERI SAS), New Delhi, is a premier "Deemed to be University" established in 1998 by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI). It achieved university status in 1999 and moved to its eco-friendly campus in Vasant Kunj, India in 2008 to anchor application-focused research in resource scarcity. A key salient feature of TERI SAS is its specialized curriculum focused entirely on different thematic areas of sustainable development, offering an array of undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programmes aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. A defining feature of the university is its highly interdisciplinary energy programmes, such as the M.Tech. in Renewable Energy Engineering & Management, M.Sc. in Energy Studies & Management and B.Sc in Energy & Computer Applications. These curricula systematically blend technical engineering principles, data-driven energy modelling, energy financing & economics, energy policy, carbon markets, energy storage etc. This approach ensures students look beyond technology to address policy making, regulatory interventions and market viability. The university maintains an impressive 1:15 faculty-to-student ratio on a campus that serves as a living lab, featuring earth air tunnel, solar rooftop systems, wind turbines, VRV based HVAC systems, rain water harvesting, smart metering and many other green features. Research contributions at TERI SAS deliver high-impact solutions across smart grid integration, life cycle assessments, energy policy, and decarbonisation pathways. This innovative research culture is driven by distinguished faculty members holding elite accolades. Backed by this rigorous training, the university boasts a powerful global alumni presence. Graduates are currently working as UN sustainability consultants, climate policy advisors to government ministries, and green business leaders across major international conglomerates, steering global communities toward a more sustainable future. Its graduates actively shape the global transition as energy transition analysts at the International Energy Agency (IEA), carbon market strategists, grid integration engineers, and green business leaders across major international energy firms and policy ministries.
📢 Call for Papers
Join us at ASCEND 2026 and be part of the conversation that shapes tomorrow's energy landscape. Share your ideas, present your research, showcase your innovations, connect with global experts, and contribute to the collective effort of driving meaningful change.
Let us collaborate, innovate, and ASCEND together toward a sustainable energy future for generations to come.
Original research papers are invited in multidisciplinary research areas aligned with sustainability, energy transition, decarbonization, and net-zero goals under the following thematic tracks:
📄 Paper Format
Research papers (maximum 6 pages) must be prepared according to IEEE standards and formatted strictly as per the prescribed template.
Download IEEE Paper TemplateTrack 1: Renewable Energy Technologies and Sustainable Power Systems
- Solar, wind, offshore renewables, floating PV, hydro, geothermal, biomass, and ocean energy technologies
- Hybrid renewable energy systems and firm dispatchable power plants
- Renewable energy integration, inverter-based resources (IBR), grid-forming technologies, and power quality
- Distributed energy resources (DERs), virtual power plants (VPPs), and demand-side flexibility
- Grid flexibility, ancillary services, synthetic inertia, and national grid codes
- Power system resilience, climate vulnerability, and disaster recovery
Track 2: Energy Storage, Hydrogen, and Emerging Clean Energy Solutions
- Electrochemical, thermal, mechanical, long-duration energy storage (LDES), and hybrid energy storage technologies
- Battery management systems (BMS), state-of-health estimation, degradation analysis, and second-life applications
- Green hydrogen production, electrolyzers, storage, transport, fuel cells, e-fuels, and H₂ safety
- Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G), Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X), and EV charging infrastructure
- Sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), maritime decarbonization, and alternative clean fuels
- Next-generation clean energy technologies including solid-state batteries, sodium-ion batteries, and perovskites
Track 3: Net-Zero Industries, Energy Efficiency, and Circular Economy
- Industrial decarbonization in steel, cement, chemicals, and other hard-to-abate sectors
- Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS), direct air capture (DAC), and negative emission technologies
- Industrial energy efficiency, sustainable buildings, green construction materials, and low-carbon physical design
- Waste-to-energy technologies, resource recovery, industrial symbiosis, and circular economy models
- Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Scope 1–3 carbon accounting, sustainable supply chains, and critical minerals
- Battery and PV module recycling, end-of-life management, and urban mining of critical materials
Track 4: AI and Machine Learning for Smart Mobility, Cities, and Energy Systems
- AI, PINNs, and time-series forecasting for renewables, load demand, and energy pricing
- AI/ML optimization, predictive control, digital twins, and dynamic thermal rating for smart grids and microgrids
- IoT, edge computing, smart sensors, and intelligent building operations
- AI-enabled electric and hydrogen mobility, fleet management, smart charging, and intelligent transportation systems
- Blockchain, peer-to-peer (P2P) trading, transactive energy, and decentralized energy networks
- Cybersecurity, zero-trust architectures, data privacy, trustworthy AI, and Green AI computing
Track 5: Climate Action, Policy, Economics, and Sustainable Development
- Climate change mitigation, adaptation, and geoengineering governance
- Energy policy, regulatory frameworks, and national net-zero roadmaps
- Green finance, carbon pricing, taxonomies, and blended finance for clean energy
- Energy access, equity, SDGs, and just energy transition
- Geopolitics of energy, critical mineral supply chains, and energy security
- Public engagement, social acceptance of renewable infrastructure, and community-owned energy models
- Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs) and climate-energy-economic modelling
🎤 Registration & Presentation Guidelines
At least one author of each accepted paper must register under the appropriate category and present the paper either:
- Offline: TERI School of Advanced Studies, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi, India
- Online: Through Microsoft Teams
📚 Publication Guidelines
All accepted papers will be published in the conference proceedings and/or a special edition of a peer-reviewed reputed journal with ISSN/ISBN.
Selected high-quality papers may be recommended for publication in SCOPUS-indexed journals, subject to additional publication charges and the journal's review policy.
📅 Important Dates
Registration Fee Details
ASCEND 2026 Conference Registration Charges
| Registration Category | Foreign Authors (USD) | Indian Authors (INR) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offline | Online | Offline | Online | |
| Students (UG & PG) / Research Scholars | $100 | $50 | ₹1,500 | ₹1,000 |
| Faculty from Academic Institutions | $150 | $80 | ₹2,000 | ₹1,000 |
| Researchers from Industry | $150 | $80 | ₹2,000 | ₹1,000 |
| Listener (Without Paper Presentation) | $50 | Nil | ₹800 | Nil |
🌟 Conference Committees
🏛️ Organizing Committee
🌍 Advisory Committee
- Dr. Anders Malmquist, Associate Professor, Heat & Power Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden
- Dr. Brijesh Mainali, Associate Professor, Dept of Built Environment & Energy Technology, Linnaeus University, Sweden
- Prof. Krushna Mahapatra, Dept of Built Environment & Energy Technology, Linnaeus University, Sweden
- Prof. Sunil Prasad Lohani, School of Engineering, Kathmandu University, Nepal
- Dr. Dilip Khatiwada, Associate Professor, Energy Systems, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden
- Prof. Misse Wester, Division of Risk Management and Societal Safety, Lund University, Sweden
- Prof. Prateek Sharma, Vice Chancellor, Delhi technological University, New Delhi
- Prof. Anwar Shahzad Siddiqui, Department of Electrical Engineering, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi
- Prof. Sanjay Agrawal, School of Engineering & Technology, IGNOU, New Delhi
- Prof. Sadhan Mahapatra, Department of Energy, Tezpur University, Assam
- Prof. Ramesh Narayanan, Department of Energy Science and Engineering, IIT Delhi
- Prof. Abdul Khaliq, Department of Food Technology, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi
- Prof. S. K. Samdarshi, Department of Energy Engineering, Central University of Jharkhand
- Dr Ritu Mathur, Director, Energy Assessment & Modelling, TERI, New Delhi
- Mr Girish Sethi, Senior Director, Energy, TERI, New Delhi
- Mr Alekkhya Datta, Director, Electricity & Renewables, TERI, New Delhi
⚙️ Technical Committee
- Dr. Avik Bhattacharya, Department of Electrical Engineering, IIT Roorkee
- Prof. Shiraz Kirmani, Department of electrical Engineering, Aligarh Muslim University
- Dr. Aviruch Bhatia, Senior Research Scientist, Plaksha University
- Dr. Amit Dhir, Sustainable Energy, Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology
- Dr. M. Rizwan Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering, DTU
- Prof. Pushpendra Singh, Mechanical Engineering Department, DTU
- Dr V. S. K. V. Harish, Electrical Engg. Department, NSUT
- Prof. Nathi Ram Chauhan, Indra Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women, Delhi
- Prof. Ikbal Ali, Department of Electrical Engineering, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi
- Dr. Pratham Arora, Department of Hydro and Renewable Energy, IIT Roorkee
- Dr. Rhythm Singh, Department of Hydro and Renewable Energy, IIT Roorkee
- Dr Arunabha Ghosh, Founder-CEO, CEEW (Energy Transition, Climate Change)
- Dr. Nitin Bassi, Fellow and Lead (Circular Economy), CEEW
- Prof. K. A. Subramanian, Department of Energy Science and Engineering, IIT Delhi
- Dr. Subhendu Dutta, Department of Energy Science and Engineering, IIT Delhi
- Dr. Aakash Chand Rai, Department of Sustainable Energy Engineering, IIT Kanpur
- Dr. Amarendra Edpuganti, Department of Sustainable Energy Engineering, IIT Kanpur
- Dr. Mayur Prakash Bonkile, Department of Energy Science and Engineering, IIT Kharagpur
- Dr. Prashant Singh, VTT Technical Research Centre, Finland
- Dr. Tabassum Abbasi, Department of Energy, UPES Dehradun
- Dr. Sharique Anees, Department of Electrical Engineering, IUST
- Prof. Abhishek Gandhar, Department of Electrical & Electronics Engineering, BVCOE
- Prof. Danish Equbal, Department of Electrical & Electronics Engineering, GCET
☁️ CMT Acknowledgment
The Microsoft CMT service was used for managing the peer-reviewing process for this conference. This service was provided for free by Microsoft and they bore all expenses, including costs for Azure cloud services as well as for software development and support.
Partnering Institutions under the Doctoral School in Sustainable Energy Engineering (SEED)
