© 2016 Portuguese Society of Materials (SPM). Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ctmat.2017.02.003 Ciência & Tecnologia dos Materiais 28 (2016) 124–129 ScienceDirect Available online at www.sciencedirect.com http://ees.elsevier.com/ctmat Special Issue on New Challenges in Energy Materials Research on materials and renewable energy Luís Gil Direção Geral de Energia e Geologia, Avenida 5 de Outubro 208, 1069-203 Lisboa, Portugal Abstract In this paper, an overview on the subject of materials and renewable energy, mainly from the research point of view, is carried out. Energy and materials are nowadays driving science and technology. There is a search for cleaner, cheaper and more efficient energy production, and this is obviously related to the development of new and innovative materials. As energy is a top European priority, materials research can enable Europe to meet its future energy and climate goals. The importance of raw materials for the energy sector and the future of advanced materials for low carbon energy are addressed. Materials-based solutions to the energy problem and guidance on research in this field are also the aim of this paper. © 2016 Portuguese Society of Materials (SPM). Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U.. All rights reserved. Keywords: Materials; energy research; energy technology; critical materials. 1. Introduction * Different environmental and supply concerns related to fossil fuels have driven scientists to explore new technological solutions, looking for alternative means for energy production and storage. New and innovative materials are at the core of the new findings in this field [1]. The time when only a few materials such as steel, copper and concrete were the main components for energy technologies are long gone [2]. Materials are fundamental to industrial, social and economic development, and can be the trigger for the development of many new products and technologies [3]. There is a need to improve physical and chemical properties of materials in order to lead to new and competitive energy production [1]. One way to measure the progress of mankind is to take a look at the evolution of man-made materials, their development and use over time, their variety, quality * Corresponding author. E-mail address: luis.gil@dgeg.pt (L. Gil) and performance [4]. Furthermore, without continuous innovation in advanced materials the performance improvement, cost reduction and extended life time of energy technologies would not be possible [2]. Solar modules, wind turbine blades, batteries and wave power components, amongst others, all rely upon advanced materials, e.g. the efficiency of solar modules needs to increase, the weight of turbine blades must be reduced, batteries need longer life cycles and, in general, corrosion resistance must be improved [2]. The European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET Plan) aims to transform the way energy is produced and the use of energy in the European Union (EU), with the goal of EU leadership and the development of technological solutions for forthcoming energy and climate targets [2]. This plan aims to accelerate the development and deployment of low carbon technologies. The integrated SET-Plan is part of a new European Energy Research & Innovation (R&I) approach designed to accelerate the transformation of the EU's energy system and to bring promising new zero-emissions energy technologies to market. The SET-Plan comprises the SET-Plan Steering Group, the