Review Reports

Response to Reviewer 1 Comments

1. Summary

We sincerely thank the reviewer for their valuable time and constructive feedback on our manuscript. We greatly appreciate the insightful comments and suggestions, which have helped us to significantly improve the quality, clarity, and relevance of our work. In response, we have carefully revised the manuscript to address each point raised. The main updates include the expansion of the bio-inspired subsection (Section 3.7), the addition of a dedicated resilience section (Section 4), the correction of minor editorial issues, and the inclusion of new references to strengthen the analysis and discussion. We hope that the revised version meets the reviewer’s expectations and reflects the improvements suggested. Please find detailed responses below and the corresponding corrections highlighted in the re-submitted file.

2. Questions for General Evaluation

Reviewer’s Evaluation

Response and Revisions

Does the introduction provide sufficient background and include all relevant references?

Yes

Thank you.

Are all the cited references relevant to the research?

Can be improved

New references were added for better understanding.

Is the research design appropriate?

Yes

Thank you.

Are the methods adequately described?

Can be improved

new sections were added to complement the review, including a dedicated Resilience section (Section 4) and an extended Bio-Inspired Approaches subsection (Section 3.7).

Are the results clearly presented?

Can be improved

Improved analyses, were incorporated to provide a more comprehensive discussion on the role of resilience and bio-inspired algorithms in Energy Management Systems (EMS) for microgrid and multi-microgrid systems.

Are the conclusions supported by the results?

Can be improved

The discussion was extended and clarified to provide a more comprehensive and conclusive perspective on the role of resilience and bio-inspired algorithms in Energy Management Systems (EMS) for microgrid and multi-microgrid systems.

Are all figures and tables clear and well presented?

Can be improved

New and updated figures and tables were incorporated to provide better contextualization and highlight the central focus of the review

3. Point-by-point response to Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The paper aims to search the application of bio-inspired approaches in EMS of microgrid systems. The authors conclude that this review underscores the need for further investigation into bio-inspired strategies to diversify and improve EMS in microgrid systems. The paper contains useful information. The main remarks are:

Comments 1:

Although they search of relations and connections of the main approaches that are applied with bio-inspired strategies, the role of bio-inspired approaches in the text is not significant.

Response 1:

Thank you for the comment. The subsection titled Bio-Inspired (Section 3.7) was expanded, and a deeper analysis was conducted to examine the algorithms used and reported in the main references. Additionally, new references were included to strengthen the discussion and improve clarity.

Comments 2:

Since the title of the paper includes the terms “Bio-Inspired Approaches” and “Resilience” and they are not analyzed thoroughly in text (mainly the term resilience). Because the discussion on those two aspects is limited, this mismatch makes the originality/relevance of the paper less clear.

Response 2:

Thank you for the comment. As mentioned earlier, the Bio-Inspired subsection (Section 3.7) was expanded, and a new section titled Resilience (Section 4) was created to address the identified gaps and strengthen the overall analysis of the paper.

Comments 3:

The dominant references tables (that provide valuable information) in reach category, which are included in Section 3 contain a small number of bio-inspired approaches. Moreover, the term “resilience” is included in the title, but it is mentioned briefly in the text and the provided reference analysis. Finally, a definition of bio-inspired algorithms needs to be given either.

Response 3:

Thank you for the comment. The references summarized in the tables were obtained from a bibliometric analysis, which implies that the most frequently cited studies are those included and analyzed in the tables. To provide a more comprehensive discussion and better fulfill the main objective of the paper, the Resilience section and the Bio-Inspired subsection were both added and expanded.

Comments 4:

I am not sure that the title of the paper describes the core of authors’ work. This mainly concerns two terms in the title of the paper: bio-inspired approaches and resilience. As it is stated in Section 4: “No major documents or studies show bio-inspired methods being applied outside of optimization solution”. The dominant references tables (that provide valuable information) in reach category, which are included in Section 3 contain a small number of bio-inspired approaches. Moreover, the term “resilience” is included in the title, but it is mentioned briefly in the text and the provided reference analysis.

Response 4:

Thank you for the comment. One of the main purposes of this review was to highlight the low incidence of bio-inspired approaches in Energy Management Systems (EMS) for Multi-Microgrid (MMG) applications. This observation is reflected in the limited number of references reporting bio-inspired implementations. To clarify this point, the Bio-Inspired subsection (Section 3.7) explicitly discusses and emphasizes this finding.

Comments 5:

Line 217 and Fig. 5: “Six categories have been defined”. Fig. 5, as well as Section 3, contains seven categories.

Response 5:

Thank you for the comment. The error has been corrected. Six categories were identified through the bibliometric analysis, while a seventh category was later included in the review to illustrate its impact on EMS solutions and resilience improvements.

Response to Reviewer 2 Comments

1. Summary

We sincerely thank the reviewer for the careful reading of our manuscript and for the constructive comments and suggestions provided. We truly appreciate the time and effort dedicated to offering insightful feedback, which has been very helpful in improving the overall quality, clarity, and completeness of our paper. In response to these comments, we have carefully revised the manuscript to address each point raised.

The abstract and introduction were refined to provide a clearer motivation for including bio-inspired approaches, while new figures, explanations, and references were incorporated to strengthen the discussion on microgrid architecture, control frameworks, and resilience. Section 4 was added to expand the analysis on resilience in Multi-Microgrid Systems (MMGs), and the Bio-Inspired subsection (3.7) was extended with further explanation and supporting literature. In addition, several figures and tables were updated or clarified to better represent system interconnections, methodological scope, and technical relevance.

We believe these revisions substantially improve the manuscript and effectively address the reviewer’s valuable observations.

Please find detailed responses below and the corresponding corrections highlighted in the re-submitted file.

2. Questions for General Evaluation

Reviewer’s Evaluation

Response and Revisions

Does the introduction provide sufficient background and include all relevant references?

Can be improved

The introduction has been revised to provide a more comprehensive background on Energy Management Systems (EMS) in microgrid and multi-microgrid contexts. Additional references have been incorporated to strengthen the discussion on optimization, artificial intelligence, and bio-inspired approaches. Furthermore, the motivation for including bio-inspired methods as a core focus of the paper has been clarified, ensuring that the introduction establishes both the research context and the identified gaps more effectively.

Is the research design appropriate?

Yes

Thank you.

Are the methods adequately described?

Can be improved

The methodology has been reviewed and clarified to ensure a clearer understanding of the research process.

Are the results clearly presented?

Can be improved

Thank you for the observation. The content have been revised to improve their clarity and coherence throughout the manuscript.

Are the conclusions supported by the results?

Yes

Thank You

Are all figures and tables clear and well presented?

Can be improved

New and updated figures and tables were incorporated to provide better contextualization and highlight the central focus of the review

3. Point-by-point response to Comments and Suggestions for Authors

This paper conducts a comprehensive review on the energy management systems of the microgrids, mainly focused on the optimization approaches and artificial intelligence. The gap in the exploration of the bio-inspired strategies is noticed by the authors. Other than that, the integration of AI and optimization with other techniques like MAS and V2G are also increasing attention. In general, this paper is well written and provides in-depth analysis of the state of art researches. The following issues should be concerned.

Comments 1:

Firstly, the abstract section is not so concise enough. The authors stated twice the purpose of the paper, i.e., “this review delves into the state…”, “this paper aims to provide a comprehensive…”. Moreover, the authors should state the reason why the bio-inspired approaches are concerned in this paper..

Response 1:

Thanks for the comment. The second mention of the objective was adjusted for avoid misunderstanding. The reason why bio-inspired is included as main topic in the research is now mentioned in the abstract and explained in the introduction section.

Comments 2:

The framework presented in Figure 1 is not so comprehensive to reflect the general microgrid. More elements like the market operation, virtual power plant, control approaches, communications should be added to this figure.

Response 2:

Thank you to the reviewer for this valuable observation. The figures have been updated to include clearer elements and a more explicit representation of the interconnections among Distributed Energy Resources (DERs). The various interconnections, including communication lines, have been clarified and properly labeled. Additionally, the functions of the central controller have been better defined within the framework of hierarchical control. The figure is now supported by a more detailed explanation in the introduction, and Figure 2 has been revised to clearly distinguish between power lines and communication channels within a microgrid system.

Comments 3:

What is Eq. (1) meaning? It is not a formal equation.

Response 3:

Thank you for the comment. Equation (1) illustrates the general formulation commonly used across the repositories consulted. It has been revised to improve clarity and reduce potential misunderstanding. The equation is now integrated into the paragraph and accompanied by a more detailed explanation.

Comments 4:

The review on the microgrid resilience is not so comprehensive. More state of the art researches, including the robust control perspective should also be incorporated. Following recent researches are suggested.

Response 4:

Thanks for the comment. A new section was included (4) for better explanation of the resilience in MMG. Some new references were added for better understanding.

Comments 5:

In Figure 5, bio-inspired element is not a primary consideration. Again, why focusing on the bio-inspired aspects?

Response 5:

Thank you for pointing out the mismatch. The bio-inspired category did not emerge from the bibliometric analysis; rather, it was intentionally included by the authors to highlight the role and potential of these techniques. This inclusion has been clarified in the figure description to ensure proper contextualization within the analysis. Regarding the focus on bio-inspired methods, the introduction (Section 1) now explicitly explains the rationale for their consideration. In summary, bio-inspired techniques have been demonstrated as effective solutions to challenges in Energy Management Systems (EMS), contributing to improved resilience and reliability. Their limited application in EMS, as observed in the analyzed literature, was identified by the authors as an important research gap worth exploring further.

Comments 6:

Table 3 is not so clearly presented. General descriptions of the relevant literatures are presented. However, no emphasizes are presented; no clear conclusions are made based on the review.

Response 6:

Thank you for the comment. Indeed, the table did not provide sufficiently relevant information and has therefore been removed from the revised manuscript.

Comments 7:

Figure 7 is too general. For example, the AI techniques are the most typically utilized; the most relevant, specific and latest AI techniques with specific application scenarios should be presented.

Response 7:

Thank you for the comment. The figure was designed to provide a concise visual summary of the main results related to Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques, including their combinations, applications, and bio-inspired integrations. The information presented in the figure has been further detailed and discussed in the corresponding subsection, where specific applications, solutions, and combinations are explained in greater depth.

Comments 8:

What is figure 14 meaning? It is not so clearly presented.

Response 8:

Thank you for the comment. The figure illustrates an example of how an epidemiological-based Energy Management System (EMS) can respond to a loss of generation within the system, demonstrating the potential of bio-inspired algorithms to achieve resilience objectives. A more detailed description of the figure has been added to clarify its context and significance.

Response to Reviewer 3 Comments

1. Summary

We sincerely thank the reviewer for the time and effort dedicated to evaluating our manuscript and for providing constructive comments and valuable suggestions. We greatly appreciate the positive remarks regarding the structure and clarity of the paper, as well as the insightful recommendations that have helped us strengthen the quality and depth of the work.

In response to the reviewer’s comments, we have carefully revised the manuscript. The Materials and Methods section (Section 2) now more clearly explains the data analysis methodology and databases consulted. The subsection on Artificial Intelligence (AI) Techniques (Section 3.2) has been refined to emphasize the methods applied in microgrid energy management, and additional clarifications were added to Figure 14 to better describe the technical advantages of the illustrated approach.

We believe that these revisions address the reviewer’s concerns and contribute to improving the completeness and academic value of the manuscript.

Please find detailed responses below and the corresponding corrections highlighted in the re-submitted file.

2. Point-by-point response to Comments and Suggestions for Authors

This paper reviews the state of the art of EMS in microgrid systems, highlighting the  Bio-Inspired approaches for enhancing resilience and sustainability.The paper’s structure is clear. However, there are also some issues in the paper that require further improvement：

Comments 1:

The paper should highlight the innovation of data analysis methods and explain which databases were retrieved.

Response 1:

Thank you for the comment. The Materials and Methods section (Section 2) describes in detail the methodology used in the review. A systematic literature review was conducted using bibliometric tools and analytical methods to identify, categorize, and evaluate the most relevant studies in the field.

Comments 2:

What artificial intelligence methods have been applied to microgrid energy management? What are the future development trends?.

Response 2:

Thank you for the comment. The Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques applied are fully described in subsection 3.2. According to the bibliometric analysis, the most commonly used methods include Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), Reinforcement Learning (RL), Deep Learning (DL), and Machine Learning (ML). Their integration with optimization-based approaches is also noteworthy in the analyzed references. Future trends in AI techniques were not included, as they fall outside the primary objective of this review. However, from the perspective of resilience and reliability, several emerging challenges—such as scalability, flexibility, and computational efficiency—could be effectively addressed through novel AI-based methods.

Comments 3:

Figure 14 illustrates an example of how the proposed model operates,what are the technical advantages of this method?

Response 3:

Thank you for the comment. The figure illustrates an example of how an epidemiological-based Energy Management System (EMS) can respond to a loss of generation within the system, demonstrating the potential of bio-inspired algorithms to achieve resilience objectives. A more detailed description of the figure has been added to clarify its purpose and technical significance.