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Recent Advancements in Renewable Energy and Electrical Power Engineering Technology
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Recent Advancements in Renewable Energy and Electrical Power Engineering Technology

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2023) | Viewed by 11828

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Andreas Theocharis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Engineering and Physics, Karlstad University, 651 88 Karlstad, Sweden
Interests: intelligent electrical power and renewable energy systems
Dr. Panos Kotsampopoulos

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 15780 Zografou, Greece
Interests: real-time simulation; control of distributed generation; microgrids; smart grids; power-system dynamics; education
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The integration of renewable energy resources in energy systems has become an apparent necessity for the minimization of environmental risks as well as for national development and security improvements. To this end, challenging tasks have appeared, ranging from fundamental research, such as improved solar cells technology, to novel energy systems design and operability advancements, such as systems optimization. In addition, energy markets’ implementation of new business models, social acceptance, cybersecurity and the formation of new legal frameworks are important for the future of the energy system.

The electrical energy sector has a critical role in sustainable energy systems, since it may offer several alternatives of energy conversion paths. Distributed energy resources, such as distributed generation from wind and solar systems, storage systems, electric vehicles (e.g., applying smart charging), demand response and combined heat/gas and power systems, comprise a lattice of promising alternatives for green energy utilization. In addition, the digitalization of systems for the application of intelligent forecasting and management based on artificial intelligence and big-data analytics open new horizons for the development of a smart and green energy future.

In this regard, the proposed Special Issue aims to collect articles that highlight the challenges, advancements and novel solutions in electrical power technology for sustainable renewable energy systems. Major topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Advancements in renewable energy and storage technologies such solar cells, wind turbines, batteries, hydrogen, heat pumps and others;
  • Advancements in power electronics for integrating distributed energy resources;
  • Control, operation, optimization and planning of renewable-energy-based electrical systems;
  • Artificial intelligence for large-scale integration of renewables in smart electricity grids;
  • Systems digitalization and data analytics in smart electricity grids;
  • Multicarrier energy systems (e.g. power, heat, gas) comprising renewable energy;
  • Economics and business models for sustainability and lifecycle assessment in renewable energy based build environment and systems.

Dr. Andreas Theocharis
Dr. Panos Kotsampopoulos
Guest Editors

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
  • electrical power systems
  • power electronics
  • distributed energy resources
  • optimization and control
  • operation and planning
  • artificial intelligence in smart grids
  • digitalization
  • data analytics
  • economics and business models

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 5369 KiB  
Article
Practice of a Load Shifting Algorithm for Enhancing Community-Scale RES Utilization
by Georgios T. Tzanes, Dimitrios P. Zafirakis and John K. Kaldellis
Sustainability 2024, 16(13), 5679; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16135679 - 3 Jul 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 944
Abstract
Amidst the recent energy crisis, the pivotal roles of resource efficiency and renewable energy sources (RES) for sustainable development have become apparent. The transition to sustainability involves decentralized energy solutions empowering local communities to generate, store, and utilize their energy, diminishing the reliance [...] Read more.
Amidst the recent energy crisis, the pivotal roles of resource efficiency and renewable energy sources (RES) for sustainable development have become apparent. The transition to sustainability involves decentralized energy solutions empowering local communities to generate, store, and utilize their energy, diminishing the reliance on centralized systems and potentially transforming them into resources for power flexibility. Addressing the above necessitates, amongst other elements, the adoption of advanced demand-side management (DSM) strategies. In response, we introduce a versatile algorithm investigating the impact of DSM on the community scale, designed to maximize the utilization of renewable energy produced from local installations. Integrated as an ancillary module in a research data management platform, the algorithm underwent testing using historical datasets collected from end-consumers and a small-scale RES installation. This study not only offers insights for energy stakeholders, but also establishes theoretical parameters that can inform subsequent decision-making processes in the field. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advancements in Renewable Energy and Electrical Power Engineering Technology)
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32 pages, 25907 KiB  
Article
Toward a Renewable and Sustainable Energy Pattern in Non-Interconnected Rural Monasteries: A Case Study for the Xenofontos Monastery, Mount Athos
by Dimitris Al. Katsaprakakis
Sustainability 2024, 16(5), 2111; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16052111 - 3 Mar 2024
Viewed by 1069
Abstract
The scope of this article is to study and propose optimized electricity production plants powered by renewable energy sources, in the frame of energy transition in non-interconnected, rural monasteries. Energy transition, namely, the transition from fossil fuels to renewables and rational use of [...] Read more.
The scope of this article is to study and propose optimized electricity production plants powered by renewable energy sources, in the frame of energy transition in non-interconnected, rural monasteries. Energy transition, namely, the transition from fossil fuels to renewables and rational use of energy, constitutes a major component of sustainability. In particular, monasteries constitute a special and unique category of rural communities, given their size and the scale of the electricity demand. As a case study, this work focuses on the Xenofontos Monastery, in Mount Athos. Mount Athos, practically a mountainous peninsula at the North Aegean Sea (central-south Macedonia, Greece), is an independent and self-governed community of 20 different monasteries, with no electrical interconnection between them. The electrification of these monasteries started in the 1980s, with the installation of autonomous small diesel generators. Since 2010, an attempt has been initiated to replace these generators with power production and storage technologies based on renewable energy sources, aiming to approach a more energy-independent and sustainable pattern in the peninsula. The article examines two alternative systems, with small wind turbines and photovoltaic panels as the power production units and small pumped hydro storage or electrochemical batteries as storage technologies. New operation algorithms were developed and the sizing of the systems was accomplished through the computational simulation of the examined plants’ annual operations, aiming at full coverage of the power demand. The article proves that 100% power demand coverage from hydro power plants is possible with the support of pumped storage, achieving a Levelized Cost Of Electricity in the range of 0.22 EUR/kWh. This feature can be reduced at 0.11 EUR/kWh with the support of lithium-ion batteries, yet with annual power demand coverage at 90%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advancements in Renewable Energy and Electrical Power Engineering Technology)
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19 pages, 2419 KiB  
Article
Combining Data-Driven and Model-Driven Approaches for Optimal Distributed Control of Standalone Microgrid
by Parvaiz Ahmad Ahangar, Shameem Ahmad Lone and Neeraj Gupta
Sustainability 2023, 15(16), 12286; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151612286 - 11 Aug 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1423
Abstract
This paper focuses on the comprehensive restoration of both voltage and frequency in a standalone microgrid (SAMG). In a SAMG, the power balance is achieved through traditional methods such as droop control for power sharing among distributed generators (DGs). However, when such microgrids [...] Read more.
This paper focuses on the comprehensive restoration of both voltage and frequency in a standalone microgrid (SAMG). In a SAMG, the power balance is achieved through traditional methods such as droop control for power sharing among distributed generators (DGs). However, when such microgrids (MGs) are subjected to perturbations coming from stochastic renewables, the frequency and voltage parameters deviate from their specified values. In this paper, a novel hybrid-type consensus-based distributed controller is proposed for voltage and frequency restoration. Data-based communication is ensured among the DGs for controlling voltage and frequency parameters. Different parameters such as voltage, frequency, and active and reactive power converge successfully to their nominal values using the proposed algorithms, thereby ensuring smooth operation of inverter-dominated DGs. Additionally, the machine-learning-based long short-term memory (LSTM) algorithm is implemented for renewable power forecasting using historical data from the proposed location for visualising the insolation profile. The effectiveness of our approach is demonstrated through a SAMG, which consists of four inverters, showing that the proposed approach can improve system stability, increase efficiency and reliability, and reduce costs compared to traditional methods. The complete study is performed in Python and MATLAB environments. Our results highlight the potential of data-driven approaches to revolutionise power system operation and control. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advancements in Renewable Energy and Electrical Power Engineering Technology)
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23 pages, 11524 KiB  
Article
A Single DC Source Five-Level Switched Capacitor Inverter for Grid-Integrated Solar Photovoltaic System: Modeling and Performance Investigation
by Md. Tariqul Islam, Md. Ahsanul Alam, Molla Shahadat Hossain Lipu, Kamrul Hasan, Sheikh Tanzim Meraj, Hasan Masrur and Md. Fayzur Rahman
Sustainability 2023, 15(10), 8405; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15108405 - 22 May 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2550
Abstract
Boost converters and multilevel inverters (MLI) are frequently included in low-voltage solar photovoltaic (PV) systems for grid integration. However, the use of an inductor-based boost converter makes the system bulky and increases control complexity. Therefore, the switched-capacitor-based MLI emerges as an efficient DC/AC [...] Read more.
Boost converters and multilevel inverters (MLI) are frequently included in low-voltage solar photovoltaic (PV) systems for grid integration. However, the use of an inductor-based boost converter makes the system bulky and increases control complexity. Therefore, the switched-capacitor-based MLI emerges as an efficient DC/AC voltage convertor with boosting capability. To make classical topologies more efficient and cost-effective for sustainable power generation, newer topologies and control techniques are continually evolving. This paper proposes a reduced-component-count five-level inverter design for generating stable AC voltages for sustainable grid-integrated solar photovoltaic applications. The proposed topology uses seven switching devices of lower total standing voltage (TSV), three diodes, and two DC-link capacitors to generate five-level outputs. By charging and discharging cycles, the DC capacitor voltages are automatically balanced. Thus, no additional sensors or control circuitry is required. It has inherent voltage-boosting capability without any input boost converter. A low-frequency-based half-height (HH) modulation technique is employed in the standalone system for better voltage quality. Extensive simulations are performed in a MATLAB/Simulink environment to estimate the performance of the proposed topology, and 17.58% THDs are obtained in the phase voltages. Using a small inductor in series or an inductive load, the current THD reduces to 8.23%. Better dynamic performance is also observed with different loading conditions. A miniature five-level single-phase laboratory prototype is developed to verify the accuracy of the simulation results and the viability of the proposed topology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advancements in Renewable Energy and Electrical Power Engineering Technology)
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18 pages, 8267 KiB  
Article
Design of an Optimal Adoptive Fault Ride through Scheme for Overcurrent Protection of Grid-Forming Inverter-Based Resources under Symmetrical Faults
by Saif Ul Islam and Soobae Kim
Sustainability 2023, 15(8), 6705; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15086705 - 15 Apr 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2136
Abstract
As the integration of inverter-based resources (IBRs) is rapidly increasing in regard to the existing power system, switching from grid-following (GFL) to grid-forming (GFM) inverter control is the solution to maintain grid resilience. However, additional overcurrent protection, especially during fault transition, is required [...] Read more.
As the integration of inverter-based resources (IBRs) is rapidly increasing in regard to the existing power system, switching from grid-following (GFL) to grid-forming (GFM) inverter control is the solution to maintain grid resilience. However, additional overcurrent protection, especially during fault transition, is required due to limited overcurrent capability and the high magnitude of spikes during fault recovery in IBRs, specifically in the GFM control mode. Furthermore, the power system stability should not be compromised by the employment of additional fault ride through (FRT) schemes. This article presents the design and implementation of an adoptive fault ride through (FRT) scheme for grid-forming inverters under symmetrical fault conditions. The proposed adoptive FRT scheme is comprised of two cascaded power electronic-based circuits, i.e., fault current ride through and a spikes reactor. This adoptive FRT scheme optimizes the fault variables during the fault time and suppresses the fault clearing spikes, without affecting system stability. A three-bus inverter-based grid-forming model is used in MATLAB/Simulink for the implementation of the proposed scheme. Further, a conventionally used FRT scheme, which includes fault current reactors, is simulated in the same test environment for justification of the proposed adoptive scheme. The adoptive FRT scheme is simulated for both time domain and frequency domain to analyze the response of harmonic distortion with the suppression of the fault current. Moreover, the proposed scheme is also simulated under the GFL mode of IBRs to justify the reliability of the scheme. The overall simulation results and performance evaluation indices authenticate the optimal, fault tolerant, harmonic, and spike-free behavior of the proposed scheme at both the AC and DC side of the grid-forming inverters. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advancements in Renewable Energy and Electrical Power Engineering Technology)
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33 pages, 3523 KiB  
Article
Achieving Sustainability and Cost-Effectiveness in Power Generation: Multi-Objective Dispatch of Solar, Wind, and Hydro Units
by Mohammad Lotfi Akbarabadi and Reza Sirjani
Sustainability 2023, 15(3), 2407; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15032407 - 29 Jan 2023
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2428
Abstract
In the power system, economic power dispatch is a popular and fundamental optimization problem. In its classical form, this problem only considers thermal generators and does not take into account network security constraints. However, other forms of the problem, such as economic emission [...] Read more.
In the power system, economic power dispatch is a popular and fundamental optimization problem. In its classical form, this problem only considers thermal generators and does not take into account network security constraints. However, other forms of the problem, such as economic emission dispatch (EED), are becoming increasingly important due to the emphasis on minimizing emissions for environmental purposes. The integration of renewable sources, such as solar, wind, and hydro units, is an important aspect of EED, but it can be challenging due to the stochastic nature of these sources. In this study, a multi-objective algorithm is developed to address the problem of economic emission power dispatch with the inclusion of these renewable sources. To account for the intermittent behavior of solar, wind, and hydro power, the algorithm uses Lognormal, Weibull, and Gumbel distributions, respectively. The algorithm also considers voltage limitations, transmission line capacities, prohibited areas of operation for thermal generator plants, and system restrictions. The multi-objective real coded non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II (R-NSGA-II) is applied to the problem and includes a procedure for handling system restrictions to meet system limitations. Results are extracted using fuzzy decision-making and are analyzed and discussed. The proposed method is compared to other newer techniques from another study to demonstrate its robustness. The results show that the proposed method despite being older is cost-significant while maintaining the same or lower emissions. These results were observed consistently and did not happen by chance, detailed explanation of why and how is discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advancements in Renewable Energy and Electrical Power Engineering Technology)
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