Facing planetary boundaries, we need a sustainable energy system providing its life support function for society in the long-term within environmental limits. Since science plays an important role in decision-making, this study examines the thematic landscape of research on sustainable energy, which may contribute to a sustainability transformation. Understanding the structure of the research field allows for critical reflections and the identification of blind spots for advancing this field. The study applies a text mining approach on 26533 Scopus-indexed abstracts published from 1990 to 2016 based on a latent Dirichlet allocation topic model. Models with up 1100 topics were created. Based on coherence scores and manual inspection, the model with 300 topics was selected. These statistical methods served for highlighting timely topic trends, differing thematic fields, and emerging communities in the topic network. The study critically reflects the quantitative results from a sustainability perspective. The study identifies a focus on establishing and optimizing the energy infrastructure towards 100% renewable energies through key modern technology areas: materials science, (biological) process engineering, and (digital) monitoring and control systems. Energy storage, photonic materials, nanomaterials, or biofuels belong to the topics with the strongest trends. The study identifies decreasing trends for general aspects regarding sustainable development and related economic, environmental, and political issues. The discourse is latently adopting a technology-oriented paradigm focusing on renewable energy generation and is moving away from the multi-faceted concept of sustainability. The field has the potential to contribute to climate change mitigation by optimizing renewable energy systems. However, given the complexity of these systems, horizontal integration of the various valuable vertical research strands is required. Furthermore, the holistic ecological perspective considering the global scale that has originally motivated research on sustainable energy might be re-strengthened, e.g., by an integrated energy and materials perspective. Beyond considering the physical dimensions of energy systems, existing links from the currently technology-oriented discourse to the social sciences might be strengthened. For establishing sustainable energy systems, future research will not only have to target the technical energy infrastructure but put a stronger focus on issues perceivable from a holistic second-order perspective.

中文翻译：

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使用概率主题模型反映可持续能源的学术格局中的趋势

面对行星的边界，我们需要一个可持续的能源系统，在环境范围内长期为其社会提供生命支持功能。由于科学在决策中起着重要作用，因此本研究考察了可持续能源研究的主题前景，这可能有助于实现可持续性转型。了解研究领域的结构可以进行批判性思考，并确定推动该领域发展的盲点。这项研究基于潜在的Dirichlet分配主题模型，对1990年至2016年出版的26533个Scopus索引摘要采用了文本挖掘方法。创建了具有1100个主题的模型。基于连贯性评分和人工检查，选择了包含300个主题的模型。这些统计方法有助于突出及时的主题趋势，不同的主题领域以及主题网络中的新兴社区。该研究从可持续性角度批判性地反映了定量结果。该研究确定了通过以下关键现代技术领域建立和优化能源基础设施，以实现100％可再生能源的重点：材料科学，（生物）过程工程以及（数字）监控系统。储能，光子材料，纳米材料或生物燃料属于趋势最强烈的主题。该研究确定了有关可持续发展以及相关的经济，环境和政治问题的一般方面的下降趋势。该论述潜在地采用了侧重于可再生能源发电的面向技术的范式，并且正在摆脱可持续性的多方面概念。该领域具有通过优化可再生能源系统为缓解气候变化做出贡献的潜力。但是，鉴于这些系统的复杂性，需要对各种有价值的垂直研究链进行水平整合。此外，考虑到全球规模的整体生态观点原本是对可持续能源进行研究的动力，例如，可以通过综合的能源和材料观点来加以加强。除了考虑能源系统的物理尺寸之外，从当前以技术为导向的论述到社会科学的现有联系可能会得到加强。为了建立可持续的能源系统，未来的研究不仅将针对技术能源基础设施，而且将重点放在从整体二阶角度看待的问题上。