Distributed Energy Resources in Local Integrated Energy Systems: Optimal Operation and Planning

Distributed Energy Resources in Local Integrated Energy Systems: Optimal Operation and Planning reviews research and policy developments surrounding the optimal operation and planning of DER in the context of local integrated energy systems in the presence of multiple energy carriers, vectors and multi-objective requirements. This assessment is carried out by analyzing impacts and benefits at local levels, and in distribution networks and larger systems. These frameworks represent valid tools to provide support in the decision-making process for DER operation and planning. Uncertainties of RES generation and loads in optimal DER scheduling are addressed, along with energy trading and blockchain technologies.

Interactions among various energy carriers in local energy systems are investigated in scalable and flexible optimization models for adaptation to a number of real contexts thanks to the wide variety of generation, conversion and storage technologies considered, the exploitation of demand side flexibility, emerging technologies, and through the general mathematical formulations established.

• Integrates multi-energy DER, including electrical and thermal distributed generation, demand response, electric vehicles, storage and RES in the context of local integrated energy systems
• Fosters the integration of DER in the electricity markets through the concepts of DER aggregation
• Addresses the challenges of emerging paradigms as energy communities and energy blockchain applications in the current and future energy landscape
• Proposes operation optimization models and methods through multi-objective approaches for fostering short- and long-run sustainability of local energy systems
• Assesses and models the uncertainties of renewable resources and intermittent loads in the short-term decision-making process for smart decentralized energy systems

Dr. Eng. Giorgio Graditi - PhD in Electrical Engineering / Director, Department of Energy Technologies and Renewable Energy Resources of ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development), Rome, Italy
He received the doctoral degree and the Laurea degree (cum laude) in Electrical Engineering from the University of Palermo (Italy). Since July 2020, he is the Director of the Department of Energy Technologies and Renewable Sources of ENEA. Since 2000, he is a Researcher at ENEA. From 2011 to 2017, he was the head of the Photovoltaic Systems and Smart Grid Unit of ENEA, whereas from 2018 to 2019 he was the head of Solar Thermal and Smart Network Division of ENEA. From April 2019, he is the President of MEDENER, Mediterranean Association of National Agencies for Energy Management for energy efficiency and the development of renewable energy sources, and from May 2019 is the Coordinator of the Scientific Technical Committee of National Energy Technological Cluster under the Ministry of Education, University and Research. He is a member of IEA task 11 “PV Hybrid systems within mini-grids” and task 14 “High penetration of PV systems in electricity grids” and of Italian Electrotechnical Committee (CEI) CT 82 “Solar photovoltaic”, CT 316 “Connection to LV, MV and HV distribution networks” and CT 313 “Smart grids”.
In 2017, he received the Italian National Scientific Qualification as Full Professor in the sector of electrical energy engineering. He is operating as Italian member for Mission Innovation Challenge 1 “Smart Grids” and Challenge 2 “Off-grid access to electricity”, and he is a member of the H2020 National Steering Board for the "Safe, Clean and Efficient Energy" Cluster, and member of the working group of the thematic area "Industrial Energy” for the “Climate, Energy and Sustainable Mobility” area set up by the Italian Ministry of University and Research within the drafting of the national research plan 2020-2027. He is the vice-coordinator of the Joint Programme on Smart Grid (JP SG) within European Energy Research Alliance (EERA) and the responsible of many National and European (FP7, H2020) projects on the topics of RES, integrated energy networks and smart grid.
His main research interests are in: design, modelling and tools development for the control and management of Smart Grids and microgrids in the presence of DER; energy conversion components and systems design and characterization; performance analysis of integrated energy networks by multi-objective techniques; design, modelling, and analysis of multi-energy hubs; management and operation optimization of local and renewable energy communities; design, characterization and testing of concentrated solar power and photovoltaic components and plants; RES production and demand forecasting based on artificial intelligence techniques (machine learning).
He has supervised several MSc and PhD theses. He is also peer review, associated editor, member of editorial and advisory board of scientific journals, and chairman in international conference. He is also responsible of many R&D contract and agreement in the energy sector with international and national stakeholders. He is author of more than 250 scientific papers (with Scopus H-index 32) published in international journals and proceedings of international conference most of them awarded as highly-cited papers.

Dr. Eng. Marialaura Di Somma – PhD in Mechanical Systems Engineering / , Research Engineer of Department of Energy Technologies and Renewable Energy Resources, Smart Grids and Energy Networks Laboratory of ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development), Portici (Naples), Italy.
Marialaura Di Somma received the MSc Degree (cum laude) in Mechanical Engineering for Energy and Environment and the Ph. D degree in Mechanical Systems Engineering from the University of Naples Federico II (Italy), in 2012 and 2016, respectively. In 2014, she held a position as visiting research assistant at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering of the University of Connecticut (CT, USA). Since December 2014, she is Research Engineer of the Smart Grid and Energy Networks Laboratory | Energy Technologies and Renewable Sources Department of ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development). Her main research interests include: design and operation optimization of DER in the context of local energy systems through multi-objective approach, bidding strategies of DER aggregators for participation to the various market options, demand response, multi-carrier energy systems modeling and optimization, and power systems design and control.
Since 2016, she is representative of ENEA within the European Energy Research Alliance – Joint Programme on Smart Grids (EERA JP SG), whereas since 2017, she is member of Mission Innovation – Innovation Challenge 1 on Smart Grids.
She is scientific coordinator of a number of National and European projects on DER scheduling and control and smart grid topics, by also acting as Vice Project Coordinator and Work Package Leader. She is the Coordinator of the H2020 Project eNeuron on Local Energy Communities. In 2020, she has been awarded among the ten most talented under 40 researchers in Italy by Fortune magazine. She has supervised several MSc theses, and international fellowship programmes. She also acts as guest editor for special issues associated to international scientific journals, and she has been plenary speaker in several scientific conferences, chair in international conferences and member of scientific committees. She is author of many scientific papers published in international journals and proceedings of international conferences, most of them awarded as highly-cited papers.