Message from the Guest Editor-in-Chief

The developments of renewable energy generation technologies, efficient energy storage devices and advanced information technologies contribute to the upgrade of the conventional distribution network to a modern distribution network, and to the reduction of carbon emissions and hence the mitigation of global warming.Accordingly, some important problems and even challenges emerge and have to be addressed concerning the planning, operation and management of modern distribution networks and microgrids.

Given the above-stated background, this special issue aims to provide a platform for timely publishing high-quality papers so as to share new theoretical findings, technological advances, case studies and practical applications in modern distribution networks and microgrids.It is intended for a broad audience interested in gaining comprehensive understanding of technical, economic and management issues in this important research field.

Since the call-for-papers for this special issue was issued, we have received positive responses with 19 submissions from Estonia, India, Iran, Hong Kong (China), China, USA.Through strict review, 10 papers are accepted for publication in this special issue.Some submissions are still under review and will be scheduled for publication in a future issue of this journal if accepted.

The accepted 10 papers are divided into three categories: 1) Control of active distribution network; 2) Optimization technologies of integrated energy; 3) Models and methods of smart grid.In the first category, three papers are included, which respectively address “State coordinated voltage control in active distribution network with OLTC and PV System”, “DG-based distribution system service restoration strategy and model-free control methods”, and “Multi-objective optimization for voltage control and frequency control of smart grids based on controllable loads”.In the second category, three papers are included, which respectively address “State of charge and health estimation of batteries for electric vehicles applications: key issues and challenges”, “Hybrid compensation method for traction power quality compensators in electrified railway power supply system”, and “Energy hub-based optimal configuration planning for integrated energy system considering part-load characteristics of energy devices”.In the third category, four papers are included, which respectively address “Dynamic load altering attack detection based on adaptive fading Kalman filter in power systems”, “Big-M based MILP method for SCUC considering allowable wind power output interval and its adjustable conservativeness”, “Analysis of cascading failures of power cyber-physical systems considering false data injection attacks”, and “Real-time hardware-controllers-in-the-loop co-simulation testbed for cooperative control strategy in cyberphysical power system”.

We hope that the papers included in this special issue could help readers understand, to some extent, current concerns in different countries regarding “Operation control technologies of active distribution and integrated energy system”, and provide incentives for international research collaborations so as to address challenging issues in modern distribution systems and microgrids.

Fushuan Wen

Fushuan Wen has been a full professor in Zhejiang University, China since 1997, and a professor in Universiti Teknologi Brunei from 2014 to 2017, and an Otto Monsted Foundation Guest Professor in Technical University of Denmark in 2015.He has also been undertaking various teaching, research and visiting appointments in National University of Singapore, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, University of Hong Kong, University of New South Wales, Queensland University of Technology, Nanyang Technological University, Murdoch University, Tallinn University of Technology.He is listed in “Most Cited Chinese Researchers” in five consecutive years from 2015 to 2019 by Elsevier.He serves as the editor-in-chief of Energy Conversion and Economics (IET, Wiley).He was elected to IEEE Fellow for contributions to fault diagnosis in power grids in November, 2020.

Donglian Qi

Donglian Qi has been a full professor in Zhejiang University, China since 2004.She is currently a deputy dean of College of Electrical Engineering at Zhejiang University.Prof.QI is mainly engaged in the basic theory and applications of cyber physical power systems (CPPS), digital image processing, artificial intelligence, and control theory of electric operation and maintenance robots.She is a member of the expert committee of the “Key Renewable Energy Projects” group in the Ministry of Science and Technology of China, a deputy director of Electrical Engineering Teaching Committee of Electric Power Education Association, an editorial board member of Clean Energy, and serves as a deputy director of Academic Committee of Key Laboratory of High-power Supply Reliability Distribution Technology Enterprises in Fujian Province.