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Renewable Energy, Smart Grid Technologies and Sustainable Energy Management: Challenges and Opportunities

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 September 2024 | Viewed by 2821

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Ehsan Naderi

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Guest Editor

Department of Electrical Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR 72401, USA
Interests: modern power systems; smart microgrids; optimization; machine learning; cybersecurity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As a step toward sustainable and carbon-free energy industry, traditional power systems need to be replaced with hybrid renewable-based energy networks integrated with effective energy storage systems that are able to operate in two modalities: in a grid-connected manner and in a standalone manner. A hybrid power grid mitigates energy losses and emissions, reducing adverse effects on climate change in addition to reducing the energy cost for end users and relieving peak load stress for generation sectors. Smart grids have recently been introduced as new platforms that integrate (a) flexible energy production mechanisms by means of virtual power plants and (b) flexible energy consumption mechanisms by encouraging end users to consume electricity when it is cheapest. Nevertheless, there is a range of technical/operational issues one is likely to encounter when dealing with clean electric energy systems, such as the non-dispatchable nature of renewable energy resources (e.g., wind power and photovoltaic (PV) power), the lack of feasible and large-scale energy storage systems, the lack of proper decentralized decision makers throughout the network, and noticeable attack surfaces in the cyber layer of cyber–physical power systems (CPPSs) through the IEC 61850 standard. Among the examples above, cybersecurity-related challenges dominate since attackers can take advantage of a plethora of IoT-based devices, which are utilized in modern power systems for monitoring/controlling purposes, to simply penetrate into the cyber layer of CPPSs and compromise the recorded information, causing operational issues including but not limited to voltage violation, power shortages, cascading failures, and, in extreme cases, blackouts. Within this context, I am looking for solutions that will lead to efficient, reliable, and secure energy management techniques to harness renewable energy and fill the aforementioned research gaps. Moreover, in this Special Issue, specific attention will be paid to the lithium-based battery energy storage systems (BESSs) as a practical solution to store solar- and wind-generated electricity in order to improve the world’s energy storage capabilities and promote sustainable development. As Brian Umberson mentioned in his article entitled “Lithium Boom Headed Our Way”, published on September 15, 2023, “ExxonMobil thinks Arkansas contains 4 million tons of lithium that could create batteries for 50 million electric vehicles (EVs). Let that sink in.” Hence, new energy storage materials (i.e., lithium) can be considered as a step toward sustainability in the state of Arkansas, the nation, and even the world.

For this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include but are not limited to the following:

Artificial intelligence, machine learning, and optimization;
Cybersecurity;
Electric transportation systems;
Energy management systems for EVs and renewable-based microgrids;
Environmentally friendly processes to extract lithium;
Green technologies;
Internet of things (IoT) and the energy industry;
The opportunities and challenges associated with high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission systems supporting renewable energy integration;
Lithium-ion battery energy storage solutions for grid-scale projects;
Power systems (and their operation, planning, control, optimization, and security);
Power electronics applications in renewable energy systems;
Renewable energy and smart grid technologies;
The role of renewable energy technologies in environmental protection;
Virtual power plants for a more resilient and sustainable grid.

I look forward to receiving your valuable contributions.

Dr. Ehsan Naderi
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

renewable energy resources
energy storage systems
cyber–physical energy systems
smart grid
microgrid
cyberattacks

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 6758 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fault Detection and Diagnosis of a Photovoltaic System Based on Deep Learning Using the Combination of a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and Bidirectional Gated Recurrent Unit (Bi-GRU)

by Ahmed Faris Amiri, Sofiane Kichou, Houcine Oudira, Aissa Chouder and Santiago Silvestre

Sustainability 2024, 16(3), 1012; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16031012 - 24 Jan 2024

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1242

Abstract

The meticulous monitoring and diagnosis of faults in photovoltaic (PV) systems enhances their reliability and facilitates a smooth transition to sustainable energy. This paper introduces a novel application of deep learning for fault detection and diagnosis in PV systems, employing a three-step approach. Firstly, a robust PV model is developed and fine-tuned using a heuristic optimization approach. Secondly, a comprehensive database is constructed, incorporating PV model data alongside monitored module temperature and solar irradiance for both healthy and faulty operation conditions. Lastly, fault classification utilizes features extracted from a combination consisting of a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and Bidirectional Gated Recurrent Unit (Bi-GRU). The amalgamation of parallel and sequential processing enables the neural network to leverage the strengths of both convolutional and recurrent layers concurrently, facilitating effective fault detection and diagnosis. The results affirm the proposed technique’s efficacy in detecting and classifying various PV fault types, such as open circuits, short circuits, and partial shading. Furthermore, this work underscores the significance of dividing fault detection and diagnosis into two distinct steps rather than employing deep learning neural networks to determine fault types directly. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Energy, Smart Grid Technologies and Sustainable Energy Management: Challenges and Opportunities)

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15 pages, 1169 KiB

Open AccessOpinion

Navigating the Path of Least Resistance to Sustainable, Widespread Adoption of Nuclear Power

by Alistair F. Holdsworth and Edmund Ireland

Sustainability 2024, 16(5), 2141; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16052141 - 5 Mar 2024

Viewed by 1251

Abstract

With climate change rapidly accelerating, we must seriously reconsider our inconsistent and, at times, disjointed approach to energy grid decarbonisation by applying extant low-carbon technologies rapidly and at scale rather than continuing to rely on fossil fuel generation. In contrast to more transient renewables such as wind and solar energy, nuclear power is capable of reliably generating large quantities of baseload low-carbon energy. Despite this advantage, however, deployment has stagnated due to a combination of high costs, safety concerns, and an unwillingness of political authorities to commit to a large-scale, publicly funded program. The focus on private sector leadership in R&D has resulted in a smorgasbord of under-developed and conceptual reactor and fuel cycle technologies, many of which are a decade or more from commercial viability. Meanwhile, the aforementioned political issues have prevented the necessary long-term funding, incentivisation, or provision of the necessary market structures for the significant construction of actual generating plants. With this in mind, we present a potential path to a long-term sustainable approach to the nuclear fuel cycle, highlighting key reactor and fuel cycle technologies and providing an overview of how these should be implemented. Additionally, we discuss the industrial, political, and societal changes needed to achieve this through the comprehensive management of both waste and resources. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Energy, Smart Grid Technologies and Sustainable Energy Management: Challenges and Opportunities)

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