A significant body of research has emerged for adapting diverse intelligent distributed energy resources to provide primary frequency reserves (PFR). However, such works are usually vague about the technical specifications for PFR. Industrial practitioners designing systems for PFR markets must pre-qualify their PFR resources against the specifications of the market operator, which is usually a transmission system operator (TSO) or independent system operator (ISO). TSO and ISO requirements for PFR have been underspecified with respect to real-time performance, but as fossil-fuel based PFR is being replaced by various distributed energy resources, these requirements are being tightened. The TSOs of Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden have recently released a joint pilot phase specification with novel requirements on the dynamic performance of PFR resources. This paper presents an automated procedure for performing the pre-qualification procedure against this specification. The procedu... [more]

In this work, a smart solar still prototype for water desalination is designed. It consists of a basic solar still, a solar preheater and a remote monitoring system based on the Internet of Things (IoT) technique. The monitoring system is developed and integrated into the hybrid solar still in order to control its evolution online, as well the quality of the freshwater provided by checking measured parameters such as pH. Thanks to the IoT technique, parameters collected by the monitoring system (e.g., air temperatures, relative humidity, etc.) are uploaded to the cloud for online remote monitoring. The users are notified by an SMS about the status of the system (e.g., water level in the basin, water in the tank, etc.), using an GSM module. The whole system, including the preheater, water pump, valve, sensors and an electronic board, is powered by a photovoltaic module of 75 Wp. The results showed that by adding a solar preheater system, the evaporation process is accelerated and, conse... [more]

Belt conveyors are commonly used for the transportation of bulk materials. The most characteristic design feature is the fact that thousands of idlers are supporting the moving belt. One of the critical elements of the idler is the rolling element bearing, which requires monitoring and diagnostics to prevent potential failure. Due to the number of idlers to be monitored, the size of the conveyor, and the risk of accident when dealing with rotating elements and moving belts, monitoring of all idlers (i.e., using vibration sensors) is impractical regarding scale and connectivity. Hence, an inspection robot is proposed to capture acoustic signals instead of vibrations commonly used in condition monitoring. Then, signal processing techniques are used for signal pre-processing and analysis to check the condition of the idler. It has been found that even if the damage signature is identifiable in the captured signal, it is hard to automatically detect the fault in some cases due to sound dis... [more]

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a shift towards a digitally enriched environment that connects smart objects and users, aiming to provide merchants with innovative ways to communicate with customers. Therefore, the aim of this research was to identify the Romanian consumer′s openness to technological autonomy and the degree of acceptance of IoT services and technologies to address the green deal principle of low energy consumption. This article investigated the factors that influence the decision to buy smart IoT devices and customers′ perception regarding the security of the data generated in this process. Based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), this research proposed an alternative model consisting of 18 items measured on a Likert scale in order to identify the factors that contribute to the perceived value of the consumer and the behavioral precursors impacting the decision to purchase IoT products. More and more products have built-in sensors and through the Internet connec... [more]

To further implement decentralized renewable energy resources, blockchain based peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading is gaining attention and its architecture has been proposed with virtual demonstrations. In this paper, to further socially implement this concept, a blockchain based peer to peer energy trading system which could coordinate with energy control hardware was constructed, and a demonstration experiment was conducted. Previous work focused on virtually matching energy supply and demand via blockchain P2P energy markets, and our work pushes this forward by demonstrating the possibility of actual energy flow control. In this demonstration, Plug-in Hybrid Electrical Vehicles(PHEVs) and Home Energy Management Systems(HEMS) actually used in daily life were controlled in coordination with the blockchain system. In construction, the need of a multi-tagged continuous market was found and proposed. In the demonstration experiment, the proposed blockchain market and hardware control int... [more]

The Internet of things (IoT) enables a diverse set of applications such as distribution automation, smart cities, wireless sensor networks, and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI). In smart grids (SGs), quality of service (QoS) and AMI traffic management need to be considered in the design of efficient AMI architectures. In this article, we propose a QoS-aware machine-learning-based framework for AMI applications in smart grids. Our proposed framework comprises a three-tier hierarchical architecture for AMI applications, a machine-learning-based hierarchical clustering approach, and a priority-based scheduling technique to ensure QoS in AMI applications in smart grids. We introduce a three-tier hierarchical architecture for AMI applications in smart grids to take advantage of IoT communication technologies and the cloud infrastructure. In this architecture, smart meters are deployed over a georeferenced area where the control center has remote access over the Internet to these netwo... [more]

The decentralization in the electrical power grids has gained increasing importance, especially in the last two decades, since transmission system operators (TSO), distribution system operators (DSO) and consumers are more aware of energy efficiency and energy sustainability issues. Therefore, globally, due to the introduction of energy production technologies near the consumers, in residential and industrial sectors, new scenarios of distributed energy resources (DER) are emerging. In order to guarantee an adequate power management in the electrical power grids, incorporating producers, consumers and producers-consumers (prosumers) together, it is important to adopt intelligent systems and platforms that allow the provision of information on energy consumption and production in real time, as well as for obtaining a fair price for the sale and purchase of energy. In this paper, we analyze the literature to identify the appropriate solutions to implement a decentralized electrical power... [more]

In this paper the idea of functioning of Building Management Systems and Object Management Systems in intelligent buildings is presented. New functionalities of intelligent buildings resulting from the introduction of microgeneration are described. Low-Power Wide-Area Networks (LPWAN) are characterized and compared. The selected Long-Range (LoRaWAN) technology is tested for its use for communication with energy meters and monitoring the power supply network in intelligent buildings. In the paper a new system for reading and monitoring the network is proposed, consisting of hardware, communication, and application layers. A key element of the system is a specially developed converter, which has been designed and tested in a real urban environment. Using our solution in practice could allow to change the architecture of a measurement data acquisition system to much more flexible and efficient.

This paper focuses on the consumer preferences for the so-called “smart homes” (also known as “smart houses”) which represent a novel addition and a product of the on-going digitalization and the deployment of the Internet of Things (IoT). The major scientific contribution of our study is the empirical model build on the data from the online questionnaire conducted with randomly selected respondents (N = 523) from four European Union (EU) countries and Russia. Even though our results are subject to limitations (no Southern of Northern European countries are included in the scope of this research, which might have yielded different results due to the differences in wealth of citizens and climate in comparison to the Central and Eastern European countries or Germany), they demonstrate that the users included in our sample generally feel inclined to the smart homes technologies and perceive them as a plausible means for improving the safety and security of their lives. On the other hand,... [more]

This paper presents an open architecture for a sensor platform for the processing, collection, and image reconstruction from measurement data. This paper focuses on ultrasound tomography in block-wise-transform-reduction image reconstruction. The advantage of the presented solution, which is part of the project “Next-generation industrial tomography platform for process diagnostics and control”, is the ability to analyze spatial data and process it quickly. The developed solution includes industrial tomography, big data, smart sensors, computational intelligence algorithms, and cloud computing. Along with the measurement platform, we validate the methods that incorporate image compression into the reconstruction process, speeding up computation and simplifying the regularisation of solving the inverse tomography problem. The algorithm is based on discrete transformation. This method uses compression on each block of the image separately. According to the experiments, this solution is m... [more]

Heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) units account for a significant consumption share in buildings, namely office buildings. Therefore, this paper addresses the possibility of having an intelligent and more cost-effective solution for the management of HVAC units in office buildings. The method applied in this paper divides the addressed problem into three steps: (i) the continuous acquisition of data provided by an open-source building energy management systems, (ii) the proposed learning and predictive model able to predict if users will be working in a given location, and (iii) the proposed decision model to manage the HVAC units according to the prediction of users, current environmental context, and current energy prices. The results show that the proposed predictive model was able to achieve a 93.8% accuracy and that the proposed decision tree enabled the maintenance of users’ comfort. The results demonstrate that the proposed solution is able to run in real-time in... [more]

Power generation, distribution, transmission, and consumption face ongoing challenges such as smart grid management, control, and operation, resulting from high energy demand, the diversity of energy sources, and environmental or regulatory issues. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of blockchain-based solutions for smart grid management, control, and operations. We systematically summarize existing work on the use and implementation of blockchain technology in various smart grid domains. The paper compares related reviews and highlights the challenges in the management, control, and operation for a blockchain-based smart grid as well as future research directions in the five categories: collaboration among stakeholders; data analysis and data management; control of grid imbalances; decentralization of grid management and operations; and security and privacy. All these aspects have not been covered in previous reviews.

Datahubs step forth as convenient test beds for innovative solutions to create value from the energy data. There are numerous pilots and early trials for establishing energy Datahubs, especially in northern Europe. These are all centralised models, and the centralisation of data control and value creation can be regarded as contradictory to the decentralisation trend in the energy sector. This paper attempts to design the first decentralised energy Datahub ecosystem’s business ecosystem, with the name DenHub, using Blockchain technology. This model enables easy access to transparent and flexible energy data and new business models that will emerge upon its use. All data produced, distributed, used, and curated will help researchers and entrepreneurs study this field and propose new business models to make the energy ecosystem more efficient, clean, and inclusive. The paper also presents the differences between centralised and decentralised methods by underlining the advantages and disa... [more]

The paper’s main objective is to demonstrate the trading and flexibility of services amongst TSOs, DSOs, and Prosumers in a transparent, secure, and cost-effective manner using Blockchain-based TSO-DSO flexibility marketplace (EFLEX). The aim is to look for ways to help DSOs/TSOs be more flexible and more directly engaged in managing energy flows on the network. EFLEX will streamline the needs of both TSO and DSO on the same platform. Based on the paper’s proposed services, the pilot service demonstration will be carried out in Bulgaria and Romania, and the main focus will be on congestion management, TSO-DSO Coordination, and Marketplace. The proposed objective is achieved by using Blockchain-based smart contracts and distributed ledger technology.

Edge computing is a distributed computing paradigm such that client data are processed at the periphery of the network, as close as possible to the originating source. Since the 21st century has come to be known as the century of data due to the rapid increase in the quantity of exchanged data worldwide (especially in smart city applications such as autonomous vehicles), collecting and processing such data from sensors and Internet of Things devices operating in real time from remote locations and inhospitable operating environments almost anywhere in the world is a relevant emerging need. Indeed, edge computing is reshaping information technology and business computing. In this respect, the paper is aimed at providing a comprehensive overview of what edge computing is as well as the most relevant edge use cases, tradeoffs, and implementation considerations. In particular, this review article is focused on highlighting (i) the most recent trends relative to edge computing emerging in t... [more]

Internet of Things (IoT) provides large-scale solutions for efficient resource monitoring and management. As such, the technology has been heavily integrated into domains such as manufacturing, healthcare, agriculture, and utilities, which led to the emergence of sustainable smart cities. The success of smart cities depends on the availability of data, as well as the quality of the data management infrastructure. IoT introduced numerous new software, hardware, and networking technologies designed for efficient and low-cost data transport, storage, and processing. However, proper selection and integration of the correct technologies is crucial to ensuring a positive return on investment for such systems. This paper presents a novel end-to-end infrastructure for solar energy analysis and prediction via edge-based analytics.

The current energy prices do not include the environmental, social, and economic short and long-term external effects. There is a gap in the literature on the decision-making model for the energy transition. True Cost Accounting (TCA) is an accounting management model supporting the decision-making process. This study investigates the challenges and explores how big data, AI, or blockchain could ease the TCA calculation and indirectly contribute to the transition towards more sustainable energy production. The research question addressed is: How can IT help TCA applications in the energy sector in Europe? The study uses qualitative interpretive methodology and is performed in the Netherlands, Germany, and Poland. The findings indicate the technical feasibilities of a big data infrastructure to cope with TCA challenges. The study contributes to the literature by identifying the challenges in TCA application for energy production, showing the readiness potential for big data, AI, and blo... [more]

Smart buildings provide opportunities for technological transformations in building environments to improve resource management, comfort, and efficiency of the systems present in these facilities. For this, Internet of Things (IoT) solutions contribute, with monitoring and remote control features, to automate these environments. However, these solutions can promote the disposal or replacement of outdated but still-needed legacy systems. Thus, a reference model that uses retrofit techniques to update pre-existing systems would be an alternative to enable smart building convergence. The lack of models that advocate this type of strategy provides an opportunity for the emergence of methods capable of filling this gap. Thus, this work presents a strategy for implementing monitoring, control, and communication resources to achieve smart building convergence in legacy building systems. This strategy consists of the use of retrofit techniques based on the adaptation of the SmartLVGrid metamod... [more]

Throughout time, European policies on climate and energy change have generated several transformations in the building sector. In this endeavour, digital technologies have played an essential role in energy efficiency through process optimisation. However, data integration and exchange between different solutions is still challenging to achieve. With the advancement of Internet of Things (IoT) based solutions, one of the latest innovations, new opportunities are envisioned. IoT solutions have been implemented in smart grids, intelligent buildings, smart cities, and other sectors in recent years. Following the guidelines of ISA/ANSI 95-Enterprise-Control System Integration, the edge computing apps and cloud platform are needed to solve data bottlenecks, data ingestion, data integration aspects, bringing at the same time new knowledge related to user comfort, energy management and accessibility. This research focuses on a case study that shows how the thermal comfort of a building can be... [more]

Quantum computing is a game-changing technology that affects modern cryptography and security systems including distributed energy resources (DERs) systems. Since the new quantum era is coming soon in 5−10 years, it is crucial to prepare and develop quantum-safe DER systems. This paper provides a comprehensive review of vulnerabilities caused by quantum computing attacks, potential defense strategies, and remaining challenges for DER networks. First, new security vulnerabilities and attack models of the cyber-physical DER systems caused by quantum computing attacks are explored. Moreover, this paper introduces potential quantum attack defense strategies including Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) and Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC), which can be applied to DER networks and evaluates defense strategies. Finally, remaining research opportunities and challenges for next-generation quantum-safe DER are discussed.

This paper demonstrates the effectiveness of using anomaly detection in cyclic communication as a method aimed at protecting industrial installations from steganographic communication and a wide range of cyberattacks. The analysis was performed for a method based on deterministic finite automaton and the authors’ method using cycles. In this paper, we discuss the cycle detection algorithm and graph construction as well as demonstrate an anomaly detection method for cyberattack detection that utilizes stochastic elements, such as time-to-response and time-between-messages. We present a novel algorithm that combines finite automaton determinism modeling consecutive admissible messages with a time-domain model allowing for random deviations of regularity. The study was conducted for several test scenarios, including C&C steganographic channels generated using the Modbus TCP/IP protocol. Experimental results demonstrating the effectiveness of the algorithms are presented for both methods.... [more]

The Internet of Vehicles (IoV), where people, fleets of electric vehicles (EVs), utility, power grids, distributed renewable energy, and communications and computing infrastructures are connected, has emerged as the next big leap in smart grids and city sectors for a sustainable society. Meanwhile, decentralized and complex grid edge faces many challenges for planning, operation, and management of power systems. Therefore, providing a reliable communications infrastructure is vital. The fourth industrial revolution, that is, a cyber-physical system in conjunction with the Internet of Things (IoT) and coexistence of edge (fog) and cloud computing brings new ways of dealing with such challenges and helps maximize the benefits of power grids. From this perspective, as a use case of IoV, we present a cloud-based EV charging framework to tackle issues of high demand in charging stations during peak hours. A price incentive scheme and another scheme, electricity supply expansion, are present... [more]

The fourth industrial revolution taking place in the industrial sector is related to the increasing digitization and linkage of goods, products, value chains and business models. Industry 4.0 is based on the global connection of people, things and machines. By connecting devices and sensors to the internet, we are entering a new era of data analysis, connectivity and automation. This gives great opportunities for innovation and progress, previously unattainable in such a dimension. The term Internet of Things (IoT) has spread along with the vision of a world instrumented with intelligent inputs and outputs able to communicate with each other through internet data and technologies. IoT is being implemented in various areas of the modern economy, for example, healthcare, quality control, logistics, energy, agriculture and production. The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) blazes the trail to a better understanding of the manufacturing process, thus enabling efficient and sustainable pr... [more]

It is essential for the electricity sector to analyze and determine the distribution capacity throughput and apply new methods aimed at increasing the capacity of the transmission system. Consequently, the transition to modern electricity networks is two-sided, i.e., involving technological and social modifications. The demand response (DR) redistributes consumption away from peak times when grid load and costs are the highest. It incentivizes customers to use electricity when supply is high and inexpensive due to various market mechanisms. The present DR policy proposals stress the importance of fostering behavioral change through competitive pricing and customer participation in reducing carbon emissions and implementing smart energy solutions (including monitoring tools, such as smart meters and applications). The internet of things (IoT) has been applied to ensure adaptive monitoring of energy consumption and cost-effective and adequate demand-side management (DSM). The article is... [more]

Microgrids should be continuously monitored in order to maintain suitable voltages over time. Microgrids are mainly monitored remotely, and their measurement data transmitted through lossy communication networks are vulnerable to cyberattacks and packet loss. The current study leverages the idea of data fusion to address this problem. Hence, this paper investigates the effects of estimation fusion using various machine-learning (ML) regression methods as data fusion methods by aggregating the distributed Kalman filter (KF)-based state estimates of a linear smart microgrid in order to achieve more accurate and reliable state estimates. This unreliability in measurements is because they are received through a lossy communication network that incorporates packet loss and cyberattacks. In addition to ML regression methods, multi-layer perceptron (MLP) and dependent ordered weighted averaging (DOWA) operators are also employed for further comparisons. The results of simulation on the IEEE 4... [more]