Smart Sensor Networks for Smart Grids

Dear Colleagues,

Today most of the traditional energy systems are centralized with a large number of customers located within a wide area. Energy is supplied by large power plants that operate according to a centralized coordination mechanism while the integration of distributed renewable energy sources is becoming challenging.

Cyber-physical systems like smart grids are becoming increasingly difficult to be monitored and managed with legacy centralized architectures. The emerging smart grid is implementing a new concept of transmission network which can efficiently route the energy produced from either central and distributed plants to the final user with high security and quality of supply standards. The “internet of energy” concept is defined as a network infrastructure based on standard and interoperable communication transceivers, gateways, and protocols that will allow a real-time balance between the local and the global generation and storage capability with the energy demand. The internet of energy (IoE) concept is based on decentralized energy systems (traditional or renewable) that will be implemented in the opposite way, resembling the evolution of communication networks through the internet. Small-scale energy generators will exist in close proximity to energy consumers (residential or industrial. The introduction of distributed energy sources (DES) and renewable energy sources (RES) has changed the electric grid very rapidly due to the distributed and intermitted nature that characterizes them and the need for a different distribution, transmission, and business model that must be applied in the design of the new smart grid. Although not all the DES and RES are controllable, they can all be enhanced through ICT technology to manage their exhibited duality as cyber-physical system (CPS) nodes. Considered components include the distribution grid infrastructure, switches (manual, autonomous, coordinated), dynamic demand/response scenarios, smart sensors, and actuators, as well as multiple communication technologies (LPWAN, power line, 5G). As a result, efficient and effective power management, better reliability, reduced production costs, and more environmentally friendly energy generation are accomplished.

A key concept in the design of the smart grid of tomorrow is the introduction of smart sensors everywhere, from energy generation to the energy consumption utilizing contemporary IoT communication technologies to provide the sensor data securely and in real-time. The deployment of such a sensor network will be the enablement for the transformation of the smart grid and the traditional electric grids to the energy of internet. This transition will be similar to the evolution of the internet achieving the integration of distributed renewable energy sources, the support of the massive deployment of the vehicle to grid (V2G) energy storage infrastructure and optimum utilization of the existing centralized electricity grids resulting in a decarbonized and sustainable energy supply future.

The IoE is based on standard and interoperable communication transceivers, gateways, and protocols that will allow a real-time balance between the local and the global generation and storage capability with the energy demand. It provides an innovative concept for power distribution, energy storage, grid monitoring, and communication. This will also allow a high level of consumer awareness and involvement. As critical infrastructures, smart grids elevate the importance and the criticality of the involved IoT network, emphasizing privacy and ethics as well, in addition to performance and security.

This Special Issue will bring together the contributions from researchers of various scientific areas aiming to define the importance of smart sensors in smart grids for the integration of distributed energy generation sources and storage systems through a decentralized measurement network based on contemporary cyber-physical systems communication and security technologies towards the transition to the energy of internet era. Original research papers, reviews, successful cases studies, and applications, as well as opinion papers with high-quality and novelty concerning “Smart Sensor Networks for Smart Grids” are more than welcome.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Smart grids and smart sensors
• Distributed ledger technologies and energy trading
• Smart sensors and smart meters
• Energy trading and the energy internet
• Home energy management system and smart sensors
• Smart grid and cyber-physical systems
• AMI
• Smart grids and IoT technologies
• Smart grids and distributed renewable energy sources
• Vehicle to grid energy storage and smart sensors
• Wireless sensor networks in smart grids
• Smart sub-metering

Prof. Dr. Panagiotis Papageorgas
Prof. Dr. Georgios Vokas
Prof. Dr. Constantinos S. Psomopoulos
Prof. Dr. Radu A. Munteanu
Dr. Kyriakos Agavanakis
Guest Editors

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