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La gestione intelligente dell'abitare nelle città e delle tradizionali funzioni urbane riassume il modello smart city. Attraverso un approccio integrato generato dall'uso dell'ICT e del web, che assume il ruolo di tecnologia abilitante per il cambiamento, le città contemporanee stanno prepotentemente cambiando. L'età digitale crea infatti le condizioni per l'emergere di nuovi strumenti e nuovi servizi per i cittadini, basati sulla comunicazione e sulla condivisione e le pratiche di partecipazione. Il capitolo contestualizza questi cambiamenti focalizzando su alcuni esempi su cosa può essere definito come servizi dematerializzati delle città contemporanee, visti come nuovi servizi urbani e nuove pratiche dell'abitare delle comunità nelle città intelligenti. The “intelligent management” of living in cities and of the traditional urban functions, summarizes the model of smart city. Through new integrated approaches generated from the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and of the web, which take the role of enabling technology for change, contemporary cities are strongly changing. The digital age creates, in fact, the conditions for the emergence of new tools and new services for citizens, based on communication and on sharing and participation practices. The chapter contextu- alizes these changes by focusing on some examples of what can be defined as “dematerialized services” of contemporary cities, seen as new urban services and new practices of community’s living in smart cities.

In this chapter, we try to connect the urban design features with energy consumption and consequent pollution parameters. After a review of a selected set of approaches to Urban Energy Systems study with a special focus on electrical power systems, urban energy systems are proposed as networks of multi-source hybrid energy hubs, where different energy flows are collected at the same bus and can be stored, delivered or transformed as needed. Resources at the hub and infrastructures interact with each other; therefore, both definition and boundaries of such energy systems at urban level are difficult to be clearly outlined. Similarly, the possibility to generate new operational models based on existing critical urban infrastructures is also challenging. This contribution proposes a preliminary study of urban energy hubs. Operations of thermal, electrical and mobility infrastructures are considered as qualifying features of the hub, but still the interconnected operation is not taken into account. The application part shows, indeed, the analysis and optimized design of the energy system serving two different urban districts. The related optimized parametric design of power generation infrastructures is considered as a function of urban features. The results about emissions and costs provide some interesting conclusions about the linkage between energy planning and urban features at district level, thus allowing, as possible application of this work, an energy-based territorial planning for urban contexts.

Il capitolo mostra alcuni esempi di smart cities. Nel capitolo i casi di studio sono divisi in aree geografiche, che a livello macroscopico si riferiscono a diversi tipi di città e comunità in relazione a diversi livelli di innovazione tecnologica e tipo di capitale umano, che sono fattori chiave per raggiungere uno sviluppo smart. Le città di nuova costruzione sono città appartenenti all'area asiatica pianificate da zero per limitare emissioni nocive ed alzare la qualità della vita dei cittadini. Nel paragrafo sulle città del Nord Europa e quelle del Mediterraneo sono descritte città che possiedono alte caratteristiche storiche. Talvolta queste hanno poche possibilità - per le loro caratteristiche specifiche - di avere applicate elevate misure di innovazione tecnologica, però possiedono un alto livello di sviluppo per capire e implementare i driver ICT riferiti al Concept smart city. L'ultimo paragrafo mostra alcuni esempi di città in via di sviluppo - le developing cities - che spesso sono città con un bassa preparazione ai temi inerenti la sostenibilità però con una grandissima crescita economica e sociale. This chapter shows some examples of smart cities. In the chapter, case studies have been divided into geographical categories (Middle East cities; North-European cities; Mediterranean cities and the Asian ones) which, macro- scopically, refer to three different types of city and communities especially in relation to different levels of technological innovation and type of human capital, which are key factors in the achievement of a smart development. The chapter is divided into four main paragraphs. The newly built cities, in the Middle East paragraph, are cities where everything has been planned from scratch on white paper to limit emissions and increase the quality of life of citizens. In the paragraphs about the North-European cities and the Mediterranean cities, the cities with strong historic value are described. In this section, many European cities, which have specific features like limited possibility to apply technology, but still an adequate level of development to understand and correctly implement the ICT driven choices are described with reference to the smart city concept. The last paragraph shows some example of “developing city” that often are cities with low awareness about sustainable settlement issues, but with a great economic and social growth.

The existing policy for greenhouse gas (GHG) abatement aims at decarbonisation of the power sector. The interrelations between the power sector and other economic sectors raise a question of whether the GHG emission reduction policy in the power sector is as effective as it is claimed. Consequential life cycle assessment (CLCA) has been developed to assess the environmental impacts of any industrial/productive sector in relation with changes in the policy and its indirect impacts on other economic sectors. This review is conducted on CLCA studies in the power sector in terms of system boundaries expansion and socio-economic interactions and the ability to quantify indirect environmental impacts. It is indicated that CLCA expanded the system boundaries by applying mutatis mutandis assumption to include several affected products with various scales of change. Economic modelling tools are frequently applied to make assumptions on the extent of change. The applications of these tools also help to identify the environmental profile of product systems and the socio-economic changes such as economic growth and consumer behaviours. Thanks for the expansion of system boundaries and inclusion of socio-economic interactions, the total environmental impacts of power sector are comprehensively quantified. The variations of the total environmental impacts, with different magnitude of change, were observed in several reviewed case studies. In term of GHG emissions, some products become cleaner, for example battery; however, in most of the cases, the power system in general becomes more polluted when indirect impacts on other economic sectors are included.

The paper analyses the dramatic effects of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Italian power system, considering the impacts on load and generation, market issues and ancillary services provision. During the period between March and May 2020, the Italian scenario was considered as exemplary due to the large reduction of loads and thermal generation caused by the hard lockdown across the Country. Italy has experienced the most severe effects of pandemic in terms of increase of death rates and of pressure on the health system as well as severity of the countermeasures. As a domino effect, the total lockdown of one of the most industrialized countries in the world has created an emergency situation that has put a big stress on the power system, reducing the possibility for the system to recover under contingencies. The weakness of the system in such an extreme situation is analyzed in depth using open data, while some countermeasures for providing resilience to the power systems in such cases are analyzed in simulation. Two technologies are here considered as exemplary countermeasures for providing resilience to the Italian power system: Fast Frequency Response by Photovoltaic and Wind plants with rated power above 10 MVA and the massive implementation of Demand Response programs through Energy communities and aggregation using Blockchain technology. The simulations show, on one hand, that the frequency recovery under contingency seems compromised in the current situation and that the support from such innovative technologies can provide a significant relief bringing the operational features close to those before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The new European Directive RED-II on the promotion of the use of renewable energy sources has introduced the concept of the Renewable Energy Community. This new entity has the potential to change the relations among end-users and the latter and the other actors of the energy sector. In particular, the electrical sector appears the most influenced by the implementation of this paradigm. Indeed, the need for self-consumption and for exploiting the full potential of renewable energy in a Renewable Energy Community influences how the end-users exchange energy with the power grid, the rules for their connection to the grid, the implementation of Demand Response and other energy management programs. For this reason, after a review of the existing legal framework, this paper investigates various aspects concerning the interaction of Renewable Energy Communities with the power system, highlighting what issues must still be addressed for a complete implementation of Renewable Energy Communities and their integration in the power system, with a focus on the Italian context.

Energy Communities (EC) are a promising solution to reduce both the carbon footprint and the impact of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) on the distribution grid. Based on a simple energy sharing principle, EC can be decisive in the next future energy transition of some problematic territories, like small islands not supplied by the main power grid. By integrating Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), it is possible to improve the EC performance. However, due to the still high BESSs unit prices, the goal of this work is to find the optimal size of BESSs, under various conditions, which combines the need to maximize shared energy and the possible revenue of EC actors. To set this multi-objective problem, in this paper is presented a procedural algorithm, numerically implemented in MS Excel environment and optimized through GRG nonlinear algorithm of MS Excel Solver. The algorithm is applied to the case study of Pantelleria island.

Energy production from distributed renewable power plants underwent a takeoff in last years as never before. Nevertheless, the installation of technologies based on variable energy resources and their connection on transmission power lines might cause congestions due to the transmission capacity limits. This paper describes the modelization of a HV transmission line with local renewable production and its optimal management through an Energy Hub model. Aim of the study is to identify the optimal size of the power storage, based on an electoryzer, a hydrogen storage and a fuel cell, in order to minimize the congestion risks and to maximize the exploitation of renewable energy production.

The energy transition and climate neutrality are a short time scenario as climate concerns are rising fast. Small islands are natural microgrids in which the energy transition is subjected to economic and regulatory constraints and highly challenged by technical issues. As a first step, the Mediterranean island of Favignana has been considered in this study, to assess how electric mobility could impact the power system. According to the plans from the local decision makers, the island is moving towards a full public electric mobility in the near term, also due to the participation in the BloRin project. For this reason, a feasibility study about the technical and environmental impact of electric mobility is highly needed. What appears is that the network is ready for such a transition even if carried out in massive terms, while the current electric mix makes the shift to electric mobility more polluting. Therefore, the assessment of the environmental impact, quantified comparing the emissions of the current scenario with those of a future condition with a 20% penetration of EVs on the island, highlights the need of a simultaneous shift to zero emission power production. The simulations are carried out using the NEPLAN software and considering various operating scenarios. In most cases, the substations are charged two times the current power flows, but never going beyond the rated capacity.

In this paper, a new low-cost device is proposed for fault location in power distribution system. The device is part of a system that should include several units installed in couples at the two ends of medium voltage (MV) cable lines. Their low cost justifies a widespread installation of these devices, moreover other functionalities could be considered so as to enrich the potential of the system for MV cables monitoring and asset management. The system exploits a two-end traveling wave technique, low complexity, and low-cost solutions both for the analog front end as well as for the communication infrastructure. A LoRa network is indeed considered as wireless modulation technique perfectly suited when communication links with three characteristics are needed: low power, low bit rate, and long range. This paper shows the device that has been set up in Prysmian Electronics with some experimental phases showing the effectiveness of the proposed solution and the further developments expected.

Demand side aggregation represents an important opportunity for ancillary services provision due to the potential that the coordinated management of distributed resources has on affecting power systems' operation. In this framework, the Aggregator has a main role and takes on different relationships with the other actors of the power system, usually becoming a mediator between the prosumers and the distribution system operator. The DEMAND project introduces a new point of view in demand side aggregation by proposing a new framework where the Aggregator is no more needed and prosumers can share and combine their flexibility in a new aggregation platform called Virtual Aggregation Environment (VAE). In this paper, an algorithm for the day- ahead estimation of each prosumer's flexibility is presented. The algorithm evaluates various couples of power variation and desired remuneration to send to the VAE for further elaborations. A case study shows how the algorithm works.

Vietnam energy demand is currently growing at a very high annual rate, with the government being very interested in investments in renewable energies. Since the region with the highest solar and wind potential is far away from the big load centers, an investigation of offshore energy resources is here proposed. In this study, a review of previous energy potential assessments is provided. Moreover, the minimum feed-in-tariff to make the investments profitable is evaluated, showing that the current tariff for offshore wind plants is largely unattractive.

Today, the blockchain is synonymous of technological innovation, being recognized among the 10 top strategy technologies in 2018 by the consulting company Gartner, it is more and more adopted in different sectors. However, the initial enthusiasm around this technology is going beyond the peak of inflated expectations, towards more stable applications in money transactions, cryptocurrencies and Digital Commodity Exchanges. Essentially, misguided efforts, the overuse of blockchain, and the Bitcoin's price drop have been the main reasons for this decay in expectations. Nevertheless, the exploitation of the blockchain technology in the power systems area appears largely underexplored, furthermore, the relation to the physical asset makes the blockchain application more complex but also more reliable and related to measurable benefits. The most common applications in the power systems area relate to the energy market. When the blockchain technology is indeed applied to the energy field, the term energy blockchain is used. This article aims to propose a wide perspective about the application of the blockchain technology in the power systems area, clarifying some technical aspects concerning this promising technology, the features and applications developed so far, while focusing on the future of innovative applications in the electrical energy sector.

With the average solar radiation reaching up to 5 kWh/m2, Vietnam is considered as a country showing an excellent potential for solar power production. Since the year 2000, there have been a lot of studies about the potential of this source in Vietnam. So far, many applications of solar power have been implemented on small, medium, and large scales. In fact, the total capacity of current grid-connected solar power plants has exceeded the planned capacity by 2020 nearly 6 times. However, the studies of solar potential in Vietnam are still incomplete. The policies and mechanisms for developing solar power projects have received attention from the authorities but have not been really satisfactory. The infrastructure is still poor and the power system does not keep up with the development of modern grids. This paper reviewed the potential and actual implementation stage of photovoltaic projects in Vietnam. Moreover, the barriers and challenges of institution, technique, economy, and finance have been considered explicitly for the future development of solar energy in Vietnam.

In last years, the energy efficiency in non-interconnected islands became an important topic, since the electricity production is often based on diesel generators, thus contributing to the global warming. Italian government recently emitted two decrees to promote the introduction of renewable energy technologies in 21 non-interconnected islands, both for electrical and thermal uses. In this paper, the economic and environmental feasibility of the introduction of renewable energies in the island of Pantelleria was assessed adopting an optimization approach. Furthermore, the flexibility provided from the local desalination plant and the domestic water heaters was evaluated. The final demands for electricity, air conditioning, domestic hot water and freshwater were analyzed, and the island was schematized as a multi-carrier energy hub and optimized through a mixed integer linear programming algorithm. Results prove that the renewable energies may provide a strong reduction of operating costs and greenhouse emissions of diesel generators in non-interconnected islands, although the optimal configurations differ according to the objective function of the optimization.

The paper proposes a methodology to assess the potential impact of salinity gradient power technology in urban contexts. The idea to employ such energy source in urban contexts derives from the observation that, among the energy districts outputs, low-salinity treated wastewater can be used to produce electricity if a suitable source of high salinity feed (seawater of a salt-works) is also available. The methodology uses the HOMER software for assessing the district’s electric energy production, consumption and exchange with the main grid. Then, starting from the total gross surface and the number of inhabitants of the district, some possible realistic scenarios characterized by different wastewater flow rate are defined. Finally, for each scenario the size and the yearly energy production of the salinity gradient power system are calculated thanks to a simulator carried out by the same authors. An application example, considering three different scenarios, shows that urban density plays a crucial role in the process and that the most promising realistic scenarios are those including treated wastewater and brine and unlimited seawater and brine. The economic feasibility of the salinity gradient power technology is evaluated by a comparison with classical renewable technologies such as photovoltaic and wind systems.

In this work, the minimum losses optimal power dispatch problem for islanded microgrids with distributed energy resources (DER) is solved by means of a distributed heuristic approach. Optimal power management is performed almost in real time, with a predefined schedule, i.e. every 5 min, and the solution is applied to generators when the current operating solution violates voltage or current constraints or when the current configuration produces too large power losses. The operating point of both inverter-interfaced generation units as well as rotating production systems can be modified simply using local information. The latter are voltage measurements and power injections or loads data of local and nearby nodes, therefore information processed at each bus derive from communications between adjacent nodes. The distributed algorithm is iterative but also fast and easy to understand, since it is based on the use of power flow equations. It can be employed for small and medium size networks showing tens of nodes and test results prove that convergence happens in few iterations.

Blockchain technology has found several innovative applications in the electricity industry. However, its potential has still to be discovered. This is partly due to the role that regulation plays in electricity markets. To be introduced, experimented with, and eventually adopted on a commercial scale, blockchain-supported innovations need to fit the existing regulatory framework or the rules to be reshaped or updated. We focus on energy regulators' possible responses to the blockchain-enhanced market operations (both from the incumbents and potential newcomers), suggesting a monitoring mechanism that can support innovation.

The paper presents a study, conceived within the GEYSER FP7 co-funded European research project, on the ancillary services that Green Data Centres (GDCs) can provide, focusing, in particular, on spinning reserve. More in detail, the main contribution of the paper is to show how GDCs can be involved in the secondary frequency regulation process of a smart distribution grid, for contrasting the disturbing effects of unexpected variation of the energy production. With this aim, a real data centre, owned by Engineering S.p.A., is simulated as connected to the Medium Voltage IEEE 14-bus test grid where some RES-based generators are supposed to exist. Simulations are carried out in order to evaluate the impact of power management actions to be executed by the data centre during under-frequency transients, due to an event of renewable energy facilities power production decrease. During this event, the effects of the spinning reserve provided by the data centre are deeply analysed.

In the last decade, remarkable developments have concerned the methods of space charge measurement in the field of insulation systems diagnostic. In particular, methods based on acoustic and thermal phenomena have been largely used. The present review provides a broad overview on the different techniques used describing, for each of them, the working principle, the main features and the most relevant applications. Further details are provided for the Pulsed Electro-Acoustic (PEA) method, as it seems to be the most used. This article provides more details on its historical evolution, showing evidence for its technological limits and taking into consideration the advantages and drawn from the different configurations of the measuring cell. A similar approach has been used for the group of thermal methods, whereas for the optical methods only the basic working principle and latest applications are reported.

The paper presents the study of the 500-kV Vietnamese power system. The oscillatory response of the system is analyzed both with a modal analysis and a time domain analysis. The 500-kV system of Vietnam is modeled in details, including all the power plants with the corresponding regulators. The model is developed in collaboration with the Institute of Energy Science IES-VAST of Vietnam and it is validated with the data provided by the National Load Dispatch Centre (NLDC) of Vietnam. The simulation results reveal a clear identification of potential inter-area oscillations between North and South of the Country. A worsening of the observed phenomenon should be considered as possible, especially in the perspective of the new installation of a significant amount of power from renewable sources into the Vietnamese system.

The reduction of the inertial response of the generation system has been one of the main obstacles to the penetration of high sharing of renewable energy sources in islanded systems. This issue can be solved thanks to innovative control that makes wind turbines able to provide the so-named synthetic inertia. The paper investigates some scenarios with different levels of wind power penetration in a small island whose grid is not supplied by the main grid, by the use of the software NEPLAN 360, simulating the wind power plants accordingly to the standard IEC 61400-27. The aim of the paper is to assess the maximum level of penetration in the island of wind generation, with traditional control systems, that does not threaten the stability of the system.

Renewable Energy Sources are posing critical issues related to the mining of power systems stability, essentially due to a decrement of the inertial response during system's contingencies. As a consequence, to preserve the security and the reliability of the system, it is necessary to adopt new frequency adjustments mechanisms. This issue becomes particularly critical in isolated power systems, like those of small islands not supplied by the main grid, in the case of high shares of production from unpredictable renewabies such as photovoitaic and wind sources. In this framework, the present work deals with the analysis of the variation of the inertia time constant of a small island in various scenarios characterized by a different share of renewable energy. The study represents the first step of a more extended feasibility study for the conversion of a traditional power system based on fossil fuel towards a renewable energy-based power system.

The paper presents the analysis of some potentially suitable actions for reducing the energy losses of an islanded Medium Voltage distribution network, with the aim of improving electricity distribution efficiency. For this purpose, four actions are considered: 1) increasing the network's rated voltage; 2) reactive power compensation through static capacitor banks; 3) reactive power compensation through switchable capacitor banks; 4) installation of distributed photovoltaic (PV) generation. The first two measures are typically taken into account by the distribution system operators and can be examined by means of classical design methods, whereas the latter two more innovative actions are tested here using specialized software based on the NSGA-II multi-objective optimization algorithm. The fourth action, expanding distributed PV generation, can be motivated through public or private incentives. It is investigated here using an innovative approach to the optimization problem formulation considering the perspectives of both the utility and the consumer. A case study on a small Mediterranean island real existing network is also presented.

The “Smart Cities & Communities Initiative” of the Strategic Energy Technology Plan is the strategic European response to lead cities and regions to a carbon free future. In this contest energy efficiency in buildings has a crucial role and must be considered in a holistic approach to the urban planning. In order to implement the minimum requirements stated by the European Directive about the Energy Performance of Buildings, and in order to consider different planning layers with the view to a smart city planning, local regulations are a key factor aiming at sustainable territorial planning. This paper investigates the possibility to draft a basic structure of Municipal Building Regulations in order to guide local administrators and technicians and to limit discretionary power of bureaucracy. The paper is organized as follows. First, a review of the most common practices for building regulations in Europe is proposed, then the basic structure of a municipal building regulation for the city of Palermo (Southern Italy) accounting for sustainability is discussed.

The paper presents a method for the study of large interconnected earthing systems in High Voltage networks. The mathematical model proposed for calculating the distribution of the Single-line-to-Earth fault current is useful for a methodical and accurate analysis of complex systems having meshed configuration and more sources, and has practical application for the Transmission System Operator. Two case studies are provided. The first one considers a fault occurring inside and outside a station in a real 220 kV transmission network. In the second example, the proposed methodology is compared with the classical “Double-sided elimination” method.

Growing home comfort is causing increasing energy consumption in residential buildings and a consequent stress in urban medium and low voltage distribution networks. Therefore, distribution system operators are obliged to manage problems related to the reliability of the electricity system and, above all, they must consider investments for enhancing the electrical infrastructure. The purpose of this paper is to assess how the reduction of building electricity consumption and the modification of the building load profile, due to load automation, combined with suitable load control programs, can improve network reliability and distribution efficiency. This paper proposes an extensive study on this issue, considering various operating scenarios with four load control programs with different purposes, the presence/absence of local generation connected to the buildings and different external thermal conditions. The study also highlights how different climatic conditions can influence the effects of the load control logics.

With the increase of load demand and distributed photovoltaic (PV) systems on the electric grid, maintaining the required voltage tolerance at the point delivery (customer homes/businesses) is becoming more challenging for electric power utilities. In a residential neighborhood, the peak load typically occurs in the early evening hours while maximum PV generation occurs during mid day. As a result, the lowest voltage operating points occur in the evening hours; whereas the highest voltage operating point occur during the day, when the PV systems are injecting more power than what is locally consumed. Static VAR Compensators (SVCs) can be used to mitigate voltage violations and smooth out the overall profile of a distribution feeder by managing the voltage at the secondary side of distribution service transformers. In this paper, a new method to optimize the placement of SVC devices in a residential neighborhood on the island of Maui, Hawaii, USA with highly distributed PV penetration is presented as a case study using real data to show the efficiency of the proposed optimal placement methodology.

This paper aims to perform the minimization of the yearly energy supply cost from the main electricity and natural gas grids related to an energy district, considering the installation of different equipments. The case study refers to energy consumption of a medium density urban district and involves the exploitation of different energy sources and devices (photovoltaic systems, electrical energy storage, heat pumps and cogenerators). The analysis of the district energy supply is accomplished through an energy hub model. After a cost analysis related to the considered energy systems, a MILP algorithm was used for the optimization of a cost function and the simulation of various scenarios. Moreover, a study about CO 2 emissions is reported. The same study is then repeated considering the Vietnamese economic and environmental context, keeping constant the energy losses and performance of the equipment, in order to compare these countries and provide useful conclusions about the improvement of energy supply systems in developed and developing countries.

In this paper, an optimal power dispatch problem on a 24-h basis for distribution systems with distributed energy resources (DER) also including directly controlled shiftable loads is presented. In the literature, the optimal energy management problems in smart grids (SGs) where such types of loads exist are formulated using integer or mixed integer variables. In this paper, a new formulation of shiftable loads is employed. Such formulation allows reduction in the number of optimization variables and the adoption of real valued optimization methods such as the one proposed in this paper. The method applied is a novel nature-inspired multiobjective optimization algorithm based on an original extension of a glowworm swarm particles optimization algorithm, with algorithmic enhancements to treat multiple objective formulations. The performance of the algorithm is compared to the NSGA-II on the considered power systems application. © 2005-2012 IEEE.

This paper shows how minimum cost energy management can be carried out for islanded micro-grids considering an expanded state that also includes the system's frequency. Each of the configurations outputted by the energy management system at each hour are indeed technically sound and coherent from the point of view of generation-consumption balancing by exploiting a frequency dependent load flow algorithm. A Glow-worm Swarm Optimization (GSO) algorithm carried out in a 24 hour time frame provides optimized results. A test has been carried out for a residential PV-Storage-Microturbine islanded micro-grid to show the feasibility as well as the efficiency of the proposed approach and results are compared to an existing solution method recently proposed by the authors.

Recently, DC power distribution is gaining more and more importance over its AC counterpart achieving increased efficiency, greater flexibility, reduced volumes and capital cost. In this paper, a 24-120-325V two-level DC distribution system for home appliances, each including three parallel DC-DC converters, is modeled. An active load sharing technique is proposed for the on-line optimization of the global efficiency of the DC distribution network. The algorithm aims at the instantaneous efficiency optimization of the whole DC network, based on the on-line load current sampling. A Look Up Table, is created to store the real efficiencies of the converters taking into account components tolerances. A MATLAB/Simulink model of the DC distribution network has been set up and a Genetic Algorithm has been employed for the global efficiency optimization. Simulation results are shown to validate the proposed solution.

In this paper, an on-line management system for the optimal efficiency operation of a multi-bus DC home distribution system is proposed. The operation of the system is discussed with reference to a distribution system with two conversion stages and three voltage levels. In each of the conversion stages, three paralleled DC/DC converters are implemented. A Genetic Algorithm performs the on-line optimization of the DC network’s global efficiency, generating the optimal current sharing ratios of the concurrent power converters. The overall DC/DC conversion system including the optimization section is modelled using MATLAB/Simulink. Thanks to the implemented online algorithm, considering the system modelling as dynamic master/slave configuration, reliability, robustness and flexibility of the whole conversion system is enhanced. Since an online algorithm is implemented, several variables are accounted for, such as: components loss parameters, components ageing, load currents, switching frequency and input voltage. Simulation results considering several case studies are presented and the benefits brought by the optimization algorithm in terms of power saving are widely discussed for each case study. &nbsp

Thanks to the diffusion of information and communication technologies, and despite the huge margins of improvement of the operating conditions of the Web, sharing an idea can be today the starting point for the birth of either a start-up or a community of interests, able to achieve a variety of goals without the intervention of any public institution. In relation to such a ferment of successful micro-level initiatives, Territorial Living Labs are here interpreted as place-based ecosystems of co-creation of goods, services as well as new organizational and social models of smart urban life. From this interpretation, the necessity strongly emerges of a coherent and viable reference framework for a Living Lab approach to the Smart City in the field of spatial planning research. Such a framework is characterized by the recognition of a common (not unique) mode of cognition and communication of both environmental and socio-technical spheres, and by the consequent abandonment of the claim of transcendent control of traditional planning, in favour of an action immanent to a kind of pluralistic as well as inclusive contexts - that we can define frameworks in turn - of innovative self-adaptation between Man and its environment.

Both EN 50522 and IEEE Std. 81 propose the Fall of Potential Method (FPM) to carry out the measurement of the resistance to earth of an Earthing System (ES). However, in urban areas, the recommended distances between the ES and auxiliary electrodes are not easy to respect, due to the presence of buildings and tarmac. Moreover, unknown buried metallic parts, as well as the interconnection among the ESs made by the Distributor System Operator, could modify the earth potential profile of the area, affecting the measurement results. In this paper, the issues that could affect the measurement result if FPM is used in an urban context are presented. A parametric analysis, carried out with Comsol Multiphysics, quantifies the errors due to wrong positioning of the auxiliary electrodes with reference to the ES under test. In addition, a field measurement is described, emphasizing the main aspects that could compromise the results. Finally, practical suggestions to reduce errors are provided.

The paper focuses on the hazardous situations that can rise in urban areas in case of earth fault inside a High Voltage/Medium Voltage station. IEEE and IEC/EN Standards and technical documents are examined and discussed, in order to propose some practical guidelines for a safe integration of such installations in contexts characterized by the presence of low voltage systems and not trained persons.

International Standards define a Global Earthing System as an earthing net created interconnecting local Earthing Systems (generally through the shield of MV cables and/or bare buried conductors). In Italy, the regulatory authority for electricity and gas requires distributors to guarantee the electrical continuity of LV neutral conductor. This requirement has led to the standard practice of realizing “reinforcement groundings” along the LV neutral conductor path and at users’ delivery cabinet. Moreover, in urban high-load scenarios (prime candidates to be part of a Global Earthing System), it is common that LV distribution scheme creates, through neutral conductors, an effective connection between grounding systems of MV/LV substations, modifying Global Earthing System consistency. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the effect, in terms of electrical safety, of the aforementioned LV neutral distribution scheme when an MV-side fault to ground occurs. For this purpose, simulations are carried out on a realistic urban test case and suitable evaluation indexes are proposed.

In this paper, a generalized double-shell framework for the optimal design of systems managed optimally according to different criteria is developed. Optimal design is traditionally carried out by means of minimum capital and management cost formulations and does not typically consider optimized operation. In this paper, the optimized multiobjective management is explicitly considered into the design formulation. The quality of each design solution is indeed defined by the evaluation of operational costs and capital costs. Besides, the assessment of the operational costs term is deduced by means of the solution of a multiobjective optimization problem. Each design solution is evaluated using the outcomes of a multiobjective optimization run: a Pareto hyper-surface in the n-dimensional space of the operational objectives. In the literature, commonly the evaluation of each design solution is carried out based on an approximate evaluation of the operational costs, not considering the real multiobjective optimized management. In this paper, such assessment is carried out using a suitable convergence indicator typically used for multiobjective optimization algorithms. The application is devoted to the problem of optimal sizing of distributed energy resources in medium voltage or low voltage microgrids. For this problem, the identification of the multiple operational impacts comes along with the solution of the optimal unit commitment of distributed generators. After the introductory section, the problem formulation is presented and an interesting application of the considered approach to the design of distributed energy sources in a microgrid is shown. © 2005-2012 IEEE.

The paper focuses on the evaluation of the impact on residential buildings of building automation control (BAC) and technical building management (TBM) systems. This work shows how the control, monitoring and automation functions considered by the European Standard EN 15232 can considerably influence the energy performance of a single-family test house and, consequently, its energy performance class. The study puts into evidence that the benefit that can be drawn from the installation of BAC and TBM systems depends on the type of technical appliances in the household and on the starting energy performance class. Finally, the economic impact due to the introduction of BACS or TBM function is evaluated for different starting energy classes of the household under consideration.

In this paper, a new and efficient model for variables representation, named F-coding, in optimal power dispatch problems for smart electrical distribution grids is proposed. In particular, an application devoted to optimal energy dispatch of Distributed Energy Resources including ideal storage devices is here considered. Electrical energy storage systems, such as any other component that must meet an integral capacity constraint in optimal dispatch problems, have to show the same energy level at the beginning and at the end of the considered timeframe for operation. The use of zero-integral functions, such as sinusoidal functions, for the synthesis of the charge and discharge course of batteries is thus consequential. The issue is common to many other engineering problems, such as any dispatch problem where resources must be allocated within a given amount in a considered timeframe. Many authors have proposed different methods to deal with such integral constraints in the literature on smart grids management, but all of them do not seem very efficient. The paper is organized as follows. First, the state of the art on the optimal management problem is outlined with special attention to treatment of integral constraints, then the proposed new model for variables representation is described. Finally, the multiobjective optimization method and its application to the optimal dispatch problem considering different variables representations are considered.

Our cities are really rich of building ensembles now deserted which were, in the recent past, sources of job and productivity for the community. They are generally inside the urban fabric or in the suburbs and they are often not particularly taken into consideration because they haven’t architectonic characteristics which could justify a restoration. Due to their big extension, the planning approach turns to be diffucult. Besides, these areas, if adequately restored, could become an important economic and cultural resource and a possibility of experimentation of new sustainable technologies. All this heritage requires a planning approach based on conservation and valorization of all the cultural, historical, technological and environmental aspects.

This chapter outlines the concept of intelligent and multi-service infrastructures, addressing the interesting aspects of multi operability, potential of cogeneration and multi-carrier energy hubs, whose basic concepts were only recently described in [1]. The infrastructures that serve a community, such as energy distribution, water and waste piping, mobility and ICT networks are, in fact, the most important means for efficient operation of cities. The chapter, after outlining the contents of the document ISO TR 37150: 2014 concerning the Smart Community Infrastructures, highlights the different approaches needed to implement them within existing cities and newly built cities. At the end, the chapter presents the concept of Energy Hub and some cases study of urban districts (existing district and new built district) modelled as Energy Hubs.

This paper presents the performance comparison of PV windows with the purpose of tracing the behavior of next-generation systems, which could favor architectonical integration. More in detail, a dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC) and blue and grey thin film silicon panels have been analyzed. The systems can be placed behind a window or behind a wall of glass blocks. The three generation systems are then compared in terms of both efficiency and Fill Factor.

This work presents a preliminary study on the implementation of a new system for power output maximization of photovoltaic generators under non-homogeneous conditions. The study evaluates the performance of an efficient switching matrix and the relevant automatic reconfiguration control algorithms. The switching matrix is installed between the PV generator and the inverter, allowing a large number of possible module configurations. PV generator, switching matrix and the intelligent controller have been simulated in Simulink. The proposed reconfiguration system improved the energy extracted by the PV generator under non-uniform solar irradiation conditions. Short calculation times of the proposed control algorithms allow its use in real time applications even where a higher number of PV modules is required.

This paper presents a combined optimal energy and power flow management for islanded microgrids. The highest control level in this case will provide a feasible and optimized operating point around the economic optimum. In order to account for both unbalanced and balanced loads, the optimal power flow is carried out using a Glow-worm Swarm Optimizer. The control level is organized into two different sub-levels, the highest of which accounts for minimum cost operation and the lowest one solving the optimal power flow and devising the set points of inverter interfaced generation units and rotating machines with a minimum power loss. A test has been carried out for 6 bus islanded microgrids to show the efficiency and feasibility of the proposed technique.

In the paper an optimal management procedure for a system composed of a renewable energy source, storage batteries and a load, permanently connected to a distribution network, is presented. The issue follows two objectives: a) maximum economic benefit for the system, and b) minimum energy exchange with the network. The operation cost of storage facilities, as well as the technical and economic constraints on power exchanges between the system and the network and the technical constraints about charging and discharging cycles of the batteries are considered. The effectiveness of the management procedure is numerically tested and the results are presented.

The main objective of this paper is the assessment of the exact phase angle displacement of each Partial Discharge, PD, pulse with respect to the voltage reference waveform. Such problem also referred to as ‘synchronization’ is relevant when the cable is not accessible and the PD measure is carried out in wireless mode. It is well known, that the angle phase shift, due to the propagation phenomenon on the transmission line, can be calculated knowing the line type and length and typical operating conditions of the transmission line. The setup comprises a customized electronic device, the “Phase check”, a server to collect remote measurements and a Look up table to provide corrections to the measured phase shift values. To evaluate the voltage phase shift introduced by a transmission line, different simulations have been carried out in PSCAD. Then, to prove the correctness of simulated results and verify the “Phase check” precision, experimental measurements have been carries out on three transmission lines in Sicily, Italy. The experimental measurements prove that the proposed setup is effective and quite useful to provide precise assessment of voltage phase shift for PD wireless diagnosis.

In this paper, a distributed intelligence algorithm is used to manage the optimal power flow problem in islanded microgrids. The methodology provides a suboptimal solution although the error is limited to a few percent as compared to a centralized approach. The solution algorithm is multi-agent based. According to the method, couples of agents communicate with each other only if the buses where they are located are electrically connected. The overall prizing system required for learning uses a feedback from an approximated model of the network. Based on the latter, a distributed reiforcement learning algorithm is implemented to minimize the joule losses while meeting operational constraints. Simulation studies with a small microgrids show that the method is computationally efficient and capable of providing sub-optimal solutions. Due to the limited computational complexity, the proposed method has great potential for online implementation.

In this paper, a modeling approach of a three phase power inverter based on an electrostatic synchronous machine is presented. By the proposed approach, any inverter-based distributed generator in a microgrid can be replaced by an equivalent electrostatic machine. This paper aims to promote the use of the proposed modeling approach in the analysis of microgrid stability. Thanks to the proposed modeling approach, transient performances of on-grid operation of converter-based distributed generators could be easily analyzed by multi-machine models. Parameters of the equivalent synchronous electrostatic machine model are derived to achieve equivalence with the inverter model. Small signal models in the d-q synchronous reference frame of both the inverter and the machine are compared. An integrated simulation setup including the electrical power inverter with a sinusoidal Pulse Width Modulation scheme and the small signal models of both the inverter and the electrostatic machine is implemented. Simulation results are shown to validate the modeling approach.

Town Administrations are increasingly facing the challenge to identify smart planning actions to reduce the cities' energy demand by improving the efficiency of the urban energy systems. Buildings play an important role in this regarding both the demand and supply energy. In this scenario, the neighborhood or district scale seems to be the most appropriate to implement a multi-disciplinary approach on which smart planning relies. This paper shows the application, to a district of the city of Palermo (Sicily, Italy), of a methodology for architectural-energy classification of existing buildings. Such methodology provides, regarding the building sector, an easy tool that can support smart planning at district scale using data available to the municipalities. The work also shows a first experimental approach for the neighborhoods' characterization. The basic idea guiding this work is to identify possible features and subsequent intervention actions for energy refurbishment in neighborhoods clusters.