Smart grid (SG), an evolving concept in the modern power infrastructure, enables the two-way flow of electricity and data between the peers within the electricity system networks (ESN) and its clusters. The self-healing capabilities of SG allow the peers to become active partakers in ESN. In general, the SG is intended to replace the fossil fuel-rich conventional grid with the distributed energy resources (DER) and pools numerous existing and emerging know-hows like information and digital communications technologies together to manage countless operations. With this, the SG will able to “detect, react, and pro-act” to changes in usage and address multiple issues, thereby ensuring timely grid operations. However, the “detect, react, and pro-act” features in DER-based SG can only be accomplished at the fullest level with the use of technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and the Blockchain (BC). The techniques associated with AI include fuzzy logic, knowledge-based systems, and neural networks. They have brought advances in controlling DER-based SG. The IoT and BC have also enabled various services like data sensing, data storage, secured, transparent, and traceable digital transactions among ESN peers and its clusters. These promising technologies have gone through fast technological evolution in the past decade, and their applications have increased rapidly in ESN. Hence, this study discusses the SG and applications of AI, IoT, and BC. First, a comprehensive survey of the DER, power electronics components and their control, electric vehicles (EVs) as load components, and communication and cybersecurity issues are carried out. Second, the role played by AI-based analytics, IoT components along with energy internet architecture, and the BC assistance in improving SG services are thoroughly discussed. This study revealed that AI, IoT, and BC provide automated services to peers by monitoring real-time information about the ESN, thereby enhancing reliability, availability, resilience, stability, security, and sustainability.

https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/21/5739/pdf

Distributed Energy Resources and the Application of AI, IoT, and Blockchain in Smart Grids

Policy options for enhancing economic profitability of residential solar photovoltaic with battery energy storage

Microgrids (MGs) have emerged as a viable solution for consumers consisting of Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) and local loads within a smaller zone that can operate either in an autonomous or grid tide mode. The DERs usually utilize Renewable Energy Resources (RERs), which have the advantages of meeting enhanced power demand, mitigating the pollutants of the environment, natural source of energy, needs minimal maintenance and cheap. Although MG integration provides several benefits, it faces many challenges and issues in its control and management, which can be effectively dealt with incorporating Energy Storage System (ESS) technologies into MGs. The addition of ESS to MGs has acquired increased attention as ESS can store energy during off-peak hours and deliver when required during peak hours. However, despite so many benefits, the ESS faces numerous issues in its integration, such as control, protection, state of charge (SoC), state of discharge (SoD), safety, life span, capacity, reliability and cost. So, to enhance the application of ESS in MG, the above issues need to be dealt with seriously. This research paper highlights the integration of ESS for MG application with a comprehensive review of issues, control methods, challenges, solutions, application, and overall management prospects. Further, the future trends and real time applications are also elucidated, which remarkably contributes to developing a cost effective and robust ESS architecture having a longer life span for renewable MGs application. Thus, an overview of this survey article's projected insights contributes to developing a techno-economic and effective integration of ESS with an extended life cycle for green MG employment. 

Review of energy storage system technologies integration to microgrid: Types, control strategies, issues, and future prospects

This paper describes a comprehensive review of microgrid control mechanism and impact assessment for hybrid grid. Building the model of sustained energy growth is one of the actions to achieve the Sustainable Development Objective (SDO) and change the global fossil fuel system. For co-operation in the development of one independent supplier of renewable energy, the microgrid is essential. Hybrid solar energy microgrid is also a solution for reducing fossil fuel consumption and providing an environmentally sustainable solution to rising rural electricity demand. The most common renewable energy options in the microgrid are solar photovoltaics, wind turbines and biomass. The environmentally sustainable and technologically innovative installation is convenient everywhere. Hybrid microgrid-based renewable energy, however, is confronted, given its intermittent and variable source efficiency, by challenges such as voltage instability, frequency instability, charge malfunction and power quality problems. The paper thus offers a critical overview of the micro grid growth, economic analysis and control strategy.

/pdf/a-comprehensive-review-of-microgrid-control-mechanism-and-39casfw6zs.pdf

A Comprehensive Review of Microgrid Control Mechanism and Impact Assessment for Hybrid Renewable Energy Integration

Energy storage systems (ESS) are becoming essential as a solution for troublesome industrial systems. This study focuses on the application of a type of ESS, a high-power technology known in the literature as supercapacitors or electric double layer capacitors (EDLC). This technology has had a huge impact during the last decade on research related to the electric traction drives, renewable sources and powergrids. Related to this aspect, this paper summarizes the most relevant scientific publications in the last five years that study the use of supercapacitor technology (SCs) in electric traction applications (drives for rail vehicles and drives for road vehicles), generation systems for renewable energy (wind, solar and wave energy), and connection systems to the electric grid (voltage and frequency regulation and microgrids). The technology based on EDLC and the practical aspects that must be taken into account in the op-eration of these systems in industrial applications are briefly described. For each of the aforementioned applications, it is described how the problems are solved by using the energy storage technology, drawing the solutions proposed by different authors. Special attention is paid to the control strategies when combining SCs with other technologies, such as batteries. As a summary, some conclusions are collected drawn from the publications analyzed, evaluating the aspects in which it is necessary to conduct further research in order to facilitate the integration of EDLC technology.

https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/11/3060/pdf

Present and Future of Supercapacitor Technology Applied to Powertrains, Renewable Generation and Grid Connection Applications

The ever increasing trend of renewable energy sources (RES) into the power system has increased the uncertainty in the operation and control of power system. The vulnerability of RES towards the unforeseeable variation of meteorological conditions demands additional resources to support. In such instance, energy storage systems (ESS) are inevitable as they are one among the various resources to support RES penetration. However, ESS has limited ability to fulfil all the requirements of a certain application. So, hybridization of multiple ESS to form a composite ESS is a potential solution. While integrating these different ESS, their power sharing control plays a crucial role to exploit the complementary characteristics of each other. Therefore, this article attempts to bring the numerous control strategies proposed in the literature at one place. Various control techniques implemented for HESS are critically reviewed and the notable observations are tabulated for better insights. Furthermore, the control techniques are classified into broad categories and they are briefly discussed with their limitations. From the carried-out analysis, the challenges faced towards the implementation of HESS for standalone and grid connected microgrid systems are presented. Finally, the future directions are laid out for the researchers to carry out the research and implementation of HESS technologies. Overall, this article would serve as a thorough guide on various control techniques implemented for HESS including their features, limitations and real-time applications.

/pdf/a-comprehensive-review-of-hybrid-energy-storage-systems-4xcrtr7oqo.pdf

A Comprehensive Review of Hybrid Energy Storage Systems: Converter Topologies, Control Strategies and Future Prospects

The need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions has catalysed the rapid growth of renewable energy worldwide. However, the intermittent nature of renewable energy requires the support of energy storage systems (ESS) to provide ancillary services and save excess energy for use at a later time. ESS policies have been proposed in some countries to support the renewable energy integration and grid stability. These policies are mostly concentrated around battery storage system, which is considered to be the fastest growing energy storage technology due to its efficiency, flexibility and rapidly decreasing cost. ESS policies are primarily found in regions with highly developed economies, that have advanced knowledge and expertise in the sector. This paper provides a comprehensive review of ESS policies worldwide, identifying the different goals, objectives and the expected outcomes. It discusses the benefits of having such policies, the impact they have and opportunities they have created in the energy sector. Some of the countries that have been identified to have mature ESS policies are United States of America, United Kingdom, Germany, South Korea, Japan, China and Australia. These countries have the most advanced storage technologies and are constantly undertaking research, development and demonstration (RD&D) projects sponsored by the industry and government. ESS policies mostly promote energy storage by providing incentives, soft loans, targets and a level playing field. Nevertheless, a relatively small number of countries around the world have implemented the ESS policies. It is hoped that other countries especially in the emerging economies will learn from their experiences and adopt the policies to assist local entities that want to drive change in their community.

Energy storage system policies: Way forward and opportunities for emerging economies

Amine functionalized mesocellular silica foam as highly efficient sorbents for CO2 capture

Development of MgSO4/mesoporous silica composites for thermochemical energy storage: the role of porous structure on water adsorption

Synthesis and characterization of three-dimensional interconnected large-pore mesoporous cellular lignin carbon materials and their potential for CO2 capture

Suleiman Bala Sani

Papers

A Comprehensive Review of Hybrid Energy Storage Systems: Converter Topologies, Control Strategies and Future Prospects

Energy storage system policies: Way forward and opportunities for emerging economies

Amine functionalized mesocellular silica foam as highly efficient sorbents for CO2 capture

Development of MgSO4/mesoporous silica composites for thermochemical energy storage: the role of porous structure on water adsorption

Synthesis and characterization of three-dimensional interconnected large-pore mesoporous cellular lignin carbon materials and their potential for CO2 capture