Energy APC and Open Access: Elsevier Pricing, Institutional Deals, and Alternatives
Energy (Elsevier) charges ~$4,000-$4,500 for open access. Core Elsevier R&P journal, covered by most institutional deals. Comparison with Applied Energy.
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Quick answer: Energy charges roughly $4,000-$4,500 for open access. Subscription-track publishing is free. It's a core Elsevier journal, which means it's covered by most institutional Elsevier deals. For energy researchers at institutions with Elsevier agreements, the effective cost of OA publication is usually $0.
What Energy charges
Component | Details |
|---|---|
Gold OA APC | ~$4,000-$4,500 |
CC BY license | Higher end |
CC BY-NC-ND | Lower end |
Subscription-track | $0 |
Submission fee | $0 |
Energy is published by Elsevier as a hybrid journal and is one of the broadest energy research journals in the world. It publishes over 5,000 articles per year covering everything from solar cell physics to energy policy to combustion engineering.
Elsevier R&P coverage
Energy is a core Elsevier hybrid journal. This means it's included in Elsevier's standard Read & Publish agreements, unlike Cell Press or Lancet titles which are excluded.
If your institution has any Elsevier transformative agreement, Energy is almost certainly covered. The major agreements:
Region | Coverage |
|---|---|
UK (Jisc-Elsevier) | Full APC coverage |
Netherlands | Full coverage |
Germany | Varies by institution |
Sweden (Bibsam) | Full or partial |
University of California | Partial (UC covers $1,000 + 10% discount) |
Australia (CAUL) | Capped |
How Energy compares
Journal | APC (USD) | Model | IF (2024) | Publisher | R&P Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Energy | ~$4,000-$4,500 | Hybrid | ~9 | Elsevier | Yes (core) |
Applied Energy | ~$4,500-$5,000 | Hybrid | ~11 | Elsevier | Yes (core) |
Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews | ~$4,500-$5,000 | Hybrid | ~15 | Elsevier | Yes (core) |
~$4,000-$4,500 | Hybrid | ~7 | Elsevier | Yes (core) | |
Energy Conversion and Management | ~$4,000-$4,500 | Hybrid | ~10 | Elsevier | Yes (core) |
Joule | ~$5,500 | Hybrid | ~39 | Cell Press | No (excluded) |
Notice the pattern: all the mid-tier Elsevier energy journals are covered by R&P agreements. Joule (Cell Press) is the exception. If your work fits Joule, you'll need to check whether your institution has the rare Cell Press inclusion.
For most energy researchers publishing multiple papers per year, the entire Elsevier energy portfolio (Energy, Applied Energy, IJHE, ECM) is covered by a single institutional agreement. This makes Elsevier the most cost-effective publisher for high-volume energy research labs.
Waivers and discounts
Geographical pricing (GPOA): Elsevier's automatic pricing system reduces APCs for authors from lower-income countries.
Hardship waivers: Available through Elsevier Author Support. Approval is discretionary.
Institutional coverage is the primary discount. Given Elsevier's extensive R&P network, the most practical approach is checking your institutional agreement before exploring waivers.
Funder mandate compliance
Funder/Policy | Compliant? |
|---|---|
Plan S | Yes (CC BY gold OA) |
NIH | Yes (embargo deposit or gold OA) |
UKRI | Yes |
ERC/Horizon Europe | Yes |
NSF/DOE | Yes (embargo or gold OA) |
Hidden costs
- No page charges. APC covers everything.
- Tax may apply. EU VAT adds 15-25% in some jurisdictions.
- Transfer within Elsevier: If rejected from Applied Energy and transferred to Energy, the APC at Energy applies (similar pricing).
The practical decision
Energy is a straightforward, well-covered Elsevier journal. Most researchers at institutions with Elsevier deals can publish OA for free. Those without deals can publish via subscription for free.
The choice between Energy and Applied Energy usually comes down to selectivity preference and scope fit. Applied Energy is slightly more selective and higher-IF. Energy is broader and more accessible.
Make sure your energy research is well-characterized and your claims are supported by the data. Run a free readiness scan to verify your manuscript before submission.
Reference library
Use the core publishing datasets alongside this guide
This article answers one part of the publishing decision. The reference library covers the recurring questions that usually come next: how selective journals are, how long review takes, and what the submission requirements look like across journals.
Dataset / reference guide
Peer Review Timelines by Journal
Reference-grade journal timeline data that authors, labs, and writing centers can cite when discussing realistic review timing.
Dataset / benchmark
Biomedical Journal Acceptance Rates
A field-organized acceptance-rate guide that works as a neutral benchmark when authors are deciding how selective to target.
Reference table
Journal Submission Specs
A high-utility submission table covering word limits, figure caps, reference limits, and formatting expectations.
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