S3 Architectures, Control and Operation for Smart Grids, Microgrids and Distributed Resources

Symposium Co-Chairs

  • Hamed Mohsenian-Rad, University of California at Riverside, USA
  • George Karinotakis, Ecole de Mines, France
  • Antonello Monti, RWTH Aachen University, Germany
  • Flavio Cucchietti, Telecom Italia, Italy

Scope and Motivation

Building the future smart power grid requires developing new control and operation architectures, algorithms, and sensing, decision making, and actuating mechanisms. Microgrids and distributed resources are particularly considered as key building blocks for the future smart grid. The emerging concepts and functionalities in microgrids and distribution systems have introduced new challenges not only to the power system community but also the communications and networking research communities to develop new architectures, control mechanisms, and operation systems. Addressing these new challenges is the focus of this symposium. We invite researchers from Academia, Industry, and Government Agencies to identify and discuss technical challenges, exchange novel ideas, explore enabling technologies, and present recent research and demonstration results related to all networking, communications, control, and operation aspects in designing, implementing, and testing different architectures and functionalities in smart microgrids and distribution systems.

Topics of Particular Interest

The symposium aims to focus on theoretical, experimental and proof-of-concept results of research and innovation topics of interest that include, but are not limited to:

  • Microgrids and virtual power plants (VPPs):
- Modeling, simulation and configuration
- Data driven modeling of resources and estimation of potential
- Experiences of microgrids operating in grid-connected and islanded mode
- Mitigation of the variability of renewable supplies in the grid
- Provision of frequency regulation and ancillary services
  • Power electronics and devices for microgrids and distribution systems:
- Operation, control and protection systems
- Power electronic converters with special functionalities
- Active power filtering, load-sharing, islanding operation
- DC microgrid networks and DC distribution systems
  • Protection and faults in microgrids and distribution systems:
- Fault monitoring, location and isolation
- Predictive maintenance, adaptive communication-based protection 
- Microgrids during emergency, islanding, and black start
  • Control and management of microgrids and distribution systems:
- Supervision, management, security, and hierarchical control
- Communication-based resilient and robust control
- Power management strategies and the effect of business models
- Distributed control and/or decentralized decision making
- Transient and stability analysis of microgrid systems
  • Distributed generation, storage, and load resources in microgrids:
- Large scale integration in low-voltage grids
- Effects on the management of low-voltage networks
- Demand response in microgrids
- Forecasting demand and generation in the context of microgrids
- Integration of Microturbines, (small) wind turbines, photovoltaic, fuell cells, CCHP
- UPS systems and batteries: hydrogen and fuel cells, compressed air, flywheel

Technical Program Committee (TPC) Members

Hossein Akhavan-Hejazi, University of California at Riverside, USA
Mahnoosh Alizadeh, University of California at Davis, USA
Farrokh Aminifar, Sharif University of Technology, Iran
Mario Berges, Carnegie Mellon University, USA
Ana Busic, INRIA / ENS, France
Lijun Chen, University of Colorado at Boulder, USA
Mihai Ciobotaru, University of New South Wales, Australia
Ali Davoudi, University of Texas at Arlington, USA
Ehab El-Saadany, Waterloo University, Canada
Melike Erol-Kantarci, University of Ottawa, Canada
Bruno François, Ecole Centrale de Lille, France
Nikolaos Gatsis, University of Texas at San Antonio, USA
Dennice Gayme, Johns Hopkins University, USA
Herbert L. Ginn, University of South Carolina, USA
Cristoph Goebel, Technical University Munich, Germany
Nikos Hatziargyriou, Technical University of Greece, Greece
Miao He, Texas Tech University, USA
George Karagiannidis, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
Amin Khodaei, University of Denver, USA
Mohammad E. Khodayar, Southern Methodist University, USA
Oliver Kosut, Arizona State University, USA
Jang-Won Lee, Yonsei Unversity, South Korea
Hao Liang, University of Waterloo, Canada
André Madureira, INESC Porto, Portugal
Ali Mehrizi-Sani, Washington State University, USA
Jean-Christophe Passelergue, Alstom Grid, France
Eric Sortomme, Alstom Grid, USA
Chin-Woo Tan, Stanford University, USA
Joshua Taylor, University of Toronto, Canada
Paolo Tenti, University of Padova, Italy
Lieven Vandevelde, Ghent University, Belgium
Lei Wu, Clarkson University, USA
Yunjian Xu, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA
Hatem Zeineldin, Masdar Institute of Technology, United Arab Emirates
Baosen Zhang, Stanford University, USA
Yue Zhao, Stanford University, USA