A Special Issue on Foundational Support Systems

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By Ahmed Abdalrahman Ahmed and Weihua Zhuang

With an increasing high demand for plug-in electrical vehicles (PEVs), their potential impacts on the power system need to be investigated, in order to develop a cost-effective PEV charging infrastructure and to ensure stability and efficiency of the smart grid. This article discusses system models for estimating the aggregate PEV charging demand over a geographical area and key system state characteristics that affect the spatial–temporal PEV charging demand distribution.

By Justin Case and Helmut Pregartner

Power transformers are essential for effective and reliable transmission and distribution of electricity. Serving as critical nodes, these pieces of equipment have been engineered over the past decades to withstand operational risks such as lightning strikes, severe weather events, seismic activity and network power fluctuations. However, despite their complexity, transformers are susceptible to malicious attacks, especially those carried out with high-powered rifles.

By Daniel Akinyele and Yoash Levron

The role of distributed energy resources (DERs) in realizing a smart electricity grid cannot be overemphasised. DERs, such as solar PV, wind, and biomass, are small-scale energy production units that can be operated in either a grid-integrated mode and/or a grid-independent (islanded) mode. These sources help to improve the electricity system efficiency and reliability by supporting peak power demands, and providing active generation and ancillary services, such as stabilizing the frequency and voltage profile.

By Jeffrey Katz

The total effort in some Advanced Distribution Management System (ADMS) projects has been more than an epsilon above the estimates. Twenty-twenty hindsight tends to point to data management, system integration, and configuration challenges, although the latter is usually traceable to aspects of data management. This article will look at some of the causes of speed bumps in these projects, in the hope that those who are preparing the next request for proposals will take some of these points in to consideration.


Past Issues

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IEEE Smart Grid Bulletin Editors

IEEE Smart Grid Bulletin Compendium

The IEEE Smart Grid Bulletin Compendium "Smart Grid: The Next Decade" is the first of its kind promotional compilation featuring 32 "best of the best" insightful articles from recent issues of the IEEE Smart Grid Bulletin and will be the go-to resource for industry professionals for years to come. Click here to read "Smart Grid: The Next Decade"