About this Research Topic
The terms “Smart Energy” and “Smart Energy Systems” have been used to express a broader approach than the term “Smart Grid”. While Smart Grids focus primarily on the electricity sector, Smart Energy Systems take an integrated holistic focus on the inclusion of more sectors (electricity, heating, cooling, industry, buildings and transportation) and allows for the identification of more achievable and affordable solutions towards the transformation into renewable and sustainable energy solutions.
The rapid emergence of renewable energy resources, the development of new technologies (from energy generation, storage and use, to IoT-enabled flexibilities), advances in energy, flexibility and system services market design can be seen as difficult challenges for the future of energy. Moreover, the low programmability of both energy sources (e.g. solar, wind) and of users need (e.g. household and electric mobility) is introducing further complicated demands for the so-called “smart” grids.
Multi-Energy Systems and District-Energy Systems paradigms became more attractive to private and public institutions, since they appear as promising solutions to lower the costs and the environmental impact of the energy production, distribution, and use. The key element for their success is the integration of the energy networks (i.e. electricity, heating and cooling, gas) to take advantage of all available synergies and to increase the share of renewable energy sources.
Enhancements in energy generation, distribution, storage, and use can be optimally integrated and managed involving properly digital technologies to facilitate the shift to modern energy infrastructures that are secure, resilient, and reliable. However, the pace at which technologies are being adopted should be as fast as innovation is growing, and this involve both scientific and technical issues.
This Research Topic is intended to give an effective contribution to highlight all solutions, methodologies, approaches, tools finalized to the optimal design, management, control, diagnostics of Systems and Grids for conversion, distribution, storage and use of energy. The focus is extended also to thermal, electric and gas grids with the aim to make the most from their integration in terms of energy conversion, storage, flexibility, and resilience
This Research Topic aims at covering themes including, but not limited to:
• Modelling and simulation of Energy Systems and Grids (thermal, electric and others).
• Solutions and techniques for energy generation, conversion, distribution, storage, and use (e.g. renewable energy generation, power-to-gas conversion, storage systems, demand management, etc.).
• New energy carriers (CH4, H2, etc.) and related processes.
• Methods for the optimized design of architectures and sizing of Energy Systems and Grids towards “smart” energy solutions.
• Methods for the definition of innovative optimized strategies and algorithms for management, control and diagnostics of Energy Systems and Grids towards “smart” energy solutions.
• Application of IoT solutions and technologies to Energy Systems and Grids.
• Big data techniques -including Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence- for energy grid design, simulation, management, and diagnostics.
Keywords: Smart Energy, Smart Energy Systems, Multi Energy Systems, District Energy Systems
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.