Abstract
Hybrid micro-grid systems (HMGS) are gaining increasing attention worldwide. The balance between electricity load and generation based on fluctuating renewable energy sources is a main challenge in the operation and design of HMGS. Battery energy storage systems are considered essential components for integrating high shares of renewable energy into a HMGS. Currently, there are very few studies in the field of mathematical optimisation and multi-criteria decision analysis that focus on the evaluation of different battery technologies and their impact on the HMGS design. The model proposed in this paper aims at optimising three different criteria: minimising electricity costs, reducing the loss of load probability, and maximising the use of locally available renewable energy. The model is applied in a case study in southern Germany. The optimisation is carried out using the C-DEEPSO algorithm. Its results are used as input for an AHP-TOPSIS model to identify the most suitable alternative out of five different battery technologies using expert weights. Lithium batteries are considered the best solution with regard to the given group preferences and the optimisation results.

Abstract
The increasing integration of Distributed Energy Resources (DER) in electricity networks has required an improvement in the network management procedures. While the operation paradigm is evolving and adapting to the new network features, the planning approach is rather inefficient as network assets are usually oversized to meet the worst-case scenario. In this regard, this paper presents an innovative methodology that integrates the potential flexibility of DER into the planning process, in an attempt to bridge the gap between current network operation approaches and the planning methods. It includes an analysis of future scenarios, providing different reinforcement plans considering the realistic network operation for those scenarios. The proposed optimal design of the reinforcement plans has two complementary processes: First to optimize flexible resources in their owner's perspective and second to reschedule the flexible resources' operation when the DSO needs to solve technical problems. The model has been tested in a typical Portuguese medium voltage network using future scenarios of DER integration from ENTSO-E. The results conclude that the proposed methodology leads to cost-effective solutions, which provide a better use of flexible resources, deferring high capital investments in network reinforcement.

Abstract
Office buildings consume a significant amount of energy that can be reduced through behavioral change. Gamification offers the means to influence the energy consumption related to the activities of the office users. This paper presents a new mobile gamification platform to foster the adoption of energy efficient behaviors in office buildings. The gamification platform is a mobile application with multiple types of dashboards, such as (1) an information dashboard to increase the awareness of the users about their energy consumption and footprint, (2) a gaming dashboard to engage users in real-time energy efficiency competitions, (3) a leaderboard to promote peer competition and comparison, and (4) a message dashboard to send tailor-made messages about energy efficiency opportunities. The engagement and gamification strategies embedded in these dashboards exploit economic, environmental, and social motivations to stimulate office users to adopt energy efficient behaviors without compromising their comfort and autonomy levels. The gamification platform was demonstrated in an office building environment. The results suggest electricity savings of 20%. © 2020 Elsevier B.V.

Abstract
The smart home will bring many challenges. One of the challenges is how to design a smart home that satisfies the needs of the residents in a cost-effective way. This paper addresses this challenge by proposing an optimization model to define the optimal portfolio of smart home technologies and electricity tariffs that minimize the overall investment and operation costs of the house owner. The smart home technologies include electric vehicle charging stations, battery energy storage systems, home energy management systems, and photovoltaic systems. A case study of a real house in Portugal was used to evaluate the performance of the planning optimization model. The numerical results show that the optimization model selects the combination of smart home technologies and electricity tariffs that best meets the needs of the household owner in a cost-effective way.

Abstract
This paper proposes a near to real-time local market to provide reactive power to the transmission system operator (TSO), using the resources connected to a distribution grid managed by a distribution system operator (DSO). The TSO publishes a requested reactive power profile at the TSO-DSO interface for each time-interval of the next delivery period, so that market agents (managing resources of the distribution grid) can prepare and send their bids accordingly. DSO resources are the first to be mobilized, and the remaining residual reactive power is supplied by the reactive power flexibility offered in the local reactive market. Complex bids (with non-curtailability conditions) are supported to provide flexible ways of bidding fewer flexible assets (such as capacitor banks). An alternating current (AC) optimal power flow (OPF) is used to clear the bids by maximizing the social welfare to supply the TSO required reactive power profile, subject to the DSO grid constraints. A rolling window mechanism allows a continuous dispatching of reactive power, and the possibility of adapting assigned schedules to real time constraints. A simplified TSO-DSO cost assignment of the flexible reactive power used is proposed to share for settlement purposes.

Abstract
This study offers an overview of the H2020 InterConnect project, which targets the relation between smart homes and distribution grids. The project vision is to produce a digital marketplace, using an interoperable marketplace toolbox and Smart appliances REference Ontology (SAREF) compliant Internet of Things (IoT) reference architecture as the main backbone, through which all SAREF-ized services, compliant devices, platform enablers and applications can be downloaded onto IoT and smart grid digital platforms. Energy users in buildings, either residential or non-residential, manufacturers, distribution grid operators and the energy retailers will work together towards the demonstration of the smart energy management solutions in seven connected large-scale test-sites in Portugal, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Greece and France. This study depicts how InterConnect project will enhance the relation and the interconnectivity between smart buildings and grids safeguarding the definition of the role of each stakeholder in energy and non-energy services. © 2020 Institution of Engineering and Technology. All rights reserved.