Distributed Energy adheres to internationally recognized standards of publishing ethics. In accordance with the guidelines issued by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and tailored to the specific circumstances of this journal, a formal publishing ethics statement has been established. Editors, authors, and reviewers associated with this journal are expected to fulfill the following responsibilities and comply with all relevant regulations and requirements set forth by Distributed Energy.
I. Author Ethics
1. Authors bear full responsibility for the authenticity and integrity of their submitted work. They must cooperate with the editorial office by providing original figures, raw data, project task descriptions, and other supporting documentation upon request. Fabrication, falsification, and plagiarism of data are strictly prohibited. Specifically:
- Fabrication refers to the creation of data without any empirical basis.
- Falsification involves manipulating or misrepresenting research data or results.
- Plagiarism entails presenting another person's work or ideas as one’s own, either wholly or partially, without proper attribution.
2. Only individuals who have made substantial contributions to the research should be listed as authors. These contributions include:
- Substantial involvement in the conception or design of the study;
- Acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data;
- Drafting the manuscript or critically revising it for important intellectual content;
- Final approval of the version to be published;
- Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work, ensuring that questions related to accuracy or integrity are appropriately addressed.
Individuals who do not meet all four criteria—such as those offering technical support or financial assistance—should not be listed as authors but may be acknowledged in the acknowledgments section.
3. Authorship order should generally reflect the relative contribution of each author. This order must be mutually agreed upon by all co-authors prior to submission and cannot be altered once the manuscript is submitted.
4. Upon submission, authors must clearly state their names and affiliations. If the institution where the research was conducted differs from the author’s current affiliation, the former should be listed as the primary affiliation.
II. Editorial Ethics
1. Based on peer review comments and editorial board recommendations, editors have the authority to accept, reject, or request revisions to manuscripts. 

2. Editors must avoid conflicts of interest when making decisions regarding manuscripts.

3. Editors are responsible for conducting an initial assessment of manuscript originality using appropriate software tools. Following this check, manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review by qualified reviewers who provide detailed feedback on acceptance, rejection, or revision.

4. Editors must ensure that all accepted manuscripts undergo rigorous evaluation based solely on academic merit, irrespective of the author’s gender, race, religion, or nationality.
III. Reviewer Ethics
1. Reviewers must verify that all sources used in the manuscript have been properly cited. Any suspected cases of plagiarism or duplicate submissions should be promptly reported to the editor.

2. Reviews must be objective, evidence-based, and expressed in a constructive manner.

3. Reviewers must disclose any potential conflicts of interest related to the manuscript, its authors, or funding sources.

4. Reviewers should identify relevant literature that the authors have not cited.

5. If a reviewer is unable to complete the review within the designated timeframe, they must inform the editorial office immediately so that alternative arrangements can be made.
IV. Ethical Policies Related to Generative Artificial Intelligence Technology
Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) lacks the capacity for critical thinking and originality assessment, potentially leading to inaccurate, incomplete, or biased outcomes. As non-human entities, GenAI systems cannot assess conflicts of interest or sign copyright agreements. The journal’s policy on the use of GenAI during the submission and review process is as follows:
1. GenAI must not be used to write entire manuscripts or key sections such as methodology, results, or interpretation of findings. All content representing scientific contributions or intellectual labor must be authored by humans. GenAI tools or their outputs cannot be listed as authors or co-authors.
2. If GenAI tools are used in the preparation of the manuscript, their application must be explicitly disclosed in the Methods section. Authors remain fully responsible for all content generated using GenAI. Any ethical violations or legal infringements resulting from such use will be attributed to the authors.
3. The editorial team is strictly prohibited from using GenAI to assist in evaluating manuscripts or making publication decisions. Editorial staff must personally oversee the peer review process, decision-making, and communication with authors. To prevent risks of copyright infringement, privacy breaches, or data loss, reviewers and editors are forbidden from uploading manuscripts or supplementary materials to publicly accessible GenAI platforms during the review and editing process.