Supply chains are profoundly energy-intensive, consuming over half of global energy and emitting nearly a third of greenhouse gases. Yet legacy supply chains lack visibility and intelligence to curb this immense footprint. The rise of smart connectivity and advanced analytics promises a new paradigm for major energy savings across nodes of manufacturing, transportation, storage, and distribution. The Internet of Things (IoT) allows supply chain operations to be instrumented with intelligent sensors and systems that generate granular, real-time data. This data fuels optimization, prediction, automation, and transformation of sprawling, fragmented supply networks into integrated, efficient ecosystems.

The benefits of IoT adoption for supply chain energy optimization spans multiple dimensions. Intelligent manufacturing powered by industrial IoT and predictive analytics minimizes waste through data-driven insights into forecasting, scheduling, quality control, and preventive maintenance. Fleet telematics track vehicle locations, status, and performance metrics to optimize delivery routes, leading to reduced mileage. Smart packaging with embedded sensors monitors product condition during transit, enabling dynamic adjustments to transportation modes and inventory management for perishable goods. Smart warehouses employ energy management systems that dynamically optimize lighting, HVAC systems, and material handling energy costs based on real-time operating conditions. Across nodes, blockchain and distributed ledgers offer supply chain-wide transparency to verify collective energy savings in near real-time. Advanced machine learning algorithms extract previously hidden insights from vast streams of multimodal IoT data for system-wide efficiency gains.

This Research Topic provides a critical forum for leading research at the nexus of IoT technologies, energy systems, and supply chain management. The introductory article will provide background on the massive yet hidden energy intensity of traditional supply chains. It will examine the environmental pressures on industries to dramatically reduce their carbon footprint across transportation, warehousing, manufacturing, inventory management, and last-mile distribution – nodes contributing to the lion’s share of global energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Technical, economic, and policy analyses will explore the challenges and opportunities of transitioning to smarter, greener supply chains powered by the IoT revolution. Manuscript submissions are encouraged from a broad range of related topics, which may include but are not limited to the following activities:

• Frameworks for implementing IoT solutions for energy efficiency in supply chains
• Intelligent manufacturing powered by Industrial IoT
• Supply chain optimization aimed at minimize energy waste
• Fleet telematics, asset tracking, and optimized routing for reducing fuel consumption
• Smart warehouses management
• Blockchain for trusted energy optimization across supply chains
• Predictive maintenance and asset management for maximizing energy efficiency
• Renewable energy integration and optimization in manufacturing and warehousing facilities
• Case studies and pilot projects demonstrating the benefits of IoT for energy efficiency in supply chains

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Frontiers in Energy Research

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