Sustainable, Resilient Evolving Microgrids

Dear Colleagues,

We are very pleased to introduce this Special Issue of the MDPI journal Sustainability on “Sustainable, Resilient Evolving Microgrids”.

Blackouts and critical peak prevention, deregulation, and distributed generation integration or the growing demand in rural areas’ electrification—different situations around the world, in the end, could rely on similar solutions. One of the key elements of the solutions proposed to face these various challenges is a microgrid.

Either providing first energy access, or energy autonomy when the main grid is too far away or too costly to connect to, microgrids still require dedicated developments to ensure sustainable and evolving solutions, if possible, auto-adaptive, as there are as many microgrids as situations.

From the point of view of energy systems, microgrids could help to redefine the concept of stability and resilience for the main grids by automatically proposing to disconnect and reconnect pre-defined areas for maintenance- or fault-related issues. From the point of view of isolated communities, the idea is to provide microgrids that could grow and transparently connect at one point in the future to form a larger grid. In this context, communication between energy communities (and possibly the transactions associated to energy exchanges) is also to be investigated in parallel with grid reinforcement and the provision of ancillary services.

From the point of view of devices, the resilience and stability of low-inertia microgrids under strong constraints of variable renewable energy integration (targeting contexts with 100% of renewable) will need to combine the development of innovative power electronics structures, as well as energy system control and regulation methods. In this context, hybrid AC/DC structures, yet to be implemented experimentally, with the help of developments on protections, present significant perspectives.

We are targeting researchers working on one or two of the following aspects of sustainable, resilient, and evolving microgrids. First, on long-term multi-criteria planning methods to ensure the sustainable development of (possibly multi-vector) energy systems wherever the growing demand is not met by enough power supply at the scale of an isolated energy community. The optimal design and control of the local sources to limit environmental impacts, as well as considering social criteria (under technical and economic constraints), is relevant. Second, on stability issues, to ensure the resilient operation of microgrid energy systems in case of a severe faulty event. The transition between a connected and islanded operation of part of a distribution grid as a microgrid falls in that category. It is also interesting to investigate advanced isolated microgrid controls, ensuring stable operation in harsh conditions. Coupling the timeframes in a prospective energy system assessment method is also relevant.

In such a scenario, resource modelling is a key issue—many equipment must be simulated, interacting with each other. Anyhow, model accuracy must be weighted with respect to the consequent computational effort. A proper model asks for a proper validation.

To summarize, this Special Issue is looking for contributions on the following topics: cutting-edge sizing and control algorithms for resilient multi-source microgrids, and sustainable multi-criteria long-term planning methods for evolving microgrids. An optimal hybridization of the methods and the topologies of the microgrids is of interest for this Special Issue.

Finally, regulatory framework is a cornerstone, no matter if the scenario is relevant to an industrial facility, a rural village, an island, or an urban area, energy authorities need to define an effective regulatory framework capable of driving proper energy provision—energy tariffs, power quality, reliability, adequacy, and sustainability are to be blended into the final result.

MDPI and the editors of Sustainability are delighted to have the privilege of publishing this Special Issue. We wish to thank all of the authors that will consider contributing to this Special Issue

Assoc. Prof. Vincent Debusschere
Assoc. Prof. Marco Merlo
Assoc. Prof. Stefano Mandelli
Guest Editors

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• sizing and control algorithm for multi-energy microgrids
• modelling and control
• scenario
• sustainable development
• resilient grids
• auto-adaptive structures
• regulatory framework