Synergic Integration of Electric Vehicles, Renewable Energy, and Storage Systems into Smart Grids

Dear Colleagues,

Energy systems are experiencing an evolution towards new planning and management paradigms, among which the integration of energy networks is poised to be a pivotal factor in securing a sustainable energy future and facilitating urban development. Within this framework, electric vehicles (EVs) play a significant role in promoting sustainable mobility. The transition from internal combustion engines to electric propulsion makes it possible for a significant portion of transportation energy, traditionally sourced from fossil fuels, to be generated from renewables such as solar and wind power. Furthermore, the energy for EV charging could also be generated at a local level through distributed power plants, such as photovoltaic systems, reducing the dependence on external sources and increasing the system’s self-consumption. However, replacing conventional vehicles with EVs would increase peak demand, forcing a relevant rethinking of the generation and distribution system. A similar concern is caused by the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources (RESs), whose power generation strongly depends on the availability of the primary source and cannot usually provide the control and regulation services that conventional sources can. Intermittent power injection together with localized EV charging peaks might even lead to the nonoptimal utilization of conventional plannable power sources for grid-supporting operation. Since conventional generation methods are fossil-fuel-reliant, this phenomenon contrasts with the green policy that characterizes RES and EV development. To address these challenges and avoid costly measures, a crucial imperative is the synergic integration of EVs, RESs, and storage systems for the evolution of future smart grids.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome and research areas may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Forecasting methods for EV charging demand and RES power generation;
• Sizing methods of PV + storage systems to support charging hub power demand;
• Energy management systems (EMSs) for efficient monitoring and control of power flows at EV charging hubs with photovoltaic sources and storage systems;
• Smart charging and vehicle-to-X (V2X) techniques for EV integration into smart grids;
• Tariff options and regulatory frameworks to foster demand-side management and self-dispatching operations;
• Provision of power network emergency services from microgrids, including intentional and dynamic islanding, black start, counterfeeding, and grid-forming capabilities.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Mattia Ricco
Dr. Francesco Lo Franco
Prof. Dr. Juan C. Vasquez
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• electric vehicles
• renewable sources
• energy management systems
• smart charging
• storage systems
• smart grid
• energy community