Smart grids, still being the future perspective of electric distribution grids, are also the real and actual implementation of the evolution of these grids. There are many factors that foster this realization and the enabling technologies play a fundamental role in this process. The fields in which these technologies can be applied are widespread and the ways in which they are deployed define the actual instance of the smart grid concept. The targeted objectives are directly related to the improvement of the energy usage (e.g., sustainability, efficiency, reliability, and quality of service) or to a smarter management of the grids by distribution system operators (e.g., maintenance, reconfiguration, and workforce management). Some of the examples of these technologies are the smart meters, energy storage devices, including electric vehicles, together with the algorithm used to manage them, the communication systems and their usage to control the players in the grids, IoT and artificial intelligence applications. In this context, regulatory and economic issues should be considered, and suitably addressed. Our aim is to bring together scientists and researchers to publish their experimental and advanced research results on the application on smart grid technologies.
Keywords: smart grid; IoT; artificial intelligence; energy storage; electric vehicles; optimal control; predictive control; predictive maintenance; optimal planning; smart meter.