Cloud Computing for Energy Management

Dear Colleagues,

A smart grid is conceptualized as a combination of an electrical network and communication infrastructure. With the implementation of bidirectional communication and power flows, a smart grid is capable of delivering electricity more efficiently and reliably than the traditional power grid. A smart grid consists of a power network with ‘intelligent’ entities that can operate, communicate, and interact autonomously in order to efficiently deliver electricity to customers. Multiple devices are present in a smart grid environment, such as smart meters, substations, micro-grids, home appliances, sensor nodes, and communication network devices. Moreover, all these devices generate huge quantities of data.

Due to this heterogeneity and the need to handle such massive data efficiently and effectively, smart grids rely on the use of advanced technology for overcoming various technical challenges at different levels. In this respect, cloud computing is envisaged to play key roles in the design and deployment of future smart grids. Cloud computing is, nowadays, a mature technology, enabling reliable and on-demand access to different computing sources that can be quickly provisioned and released in a cost-effective way to service providers. Using cloud infrastructure, a customer can gain access to their applications anytime and from anywhere through a connected device to the network.

The objective of this Special Issue is to address how cloud computing can support cost-effective and reliable energy management in smart grid environments. This Special Issue solicits the submission of high-quality and unpublished papers that aim to solve open technical problems and challenges typical of smart grid environments, adopting the cloud computing paradigm as one of the main enabling technologies. Both theoretical and experimental studies for typical and innovative smart grid systems are encouraged. Furthermore, high-quality reviews and survey papers are also welcome.

Prof. Dr. Giuseppe Marco Tina 
Prof. Dr. Orazio Tomarchio
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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. Energies 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 2600 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.