Call For Papers

SESSION 5: Planning of Power Distribution Systems

Session 5 deals with short- and long-term development of high, medium and low voltage distribution networks, concerning the changing requirements for electricity distribution including, but not limited to, smart grids and active distribution networks, electrification and electromobility, energy storage, flexibility, distributed energy resources integration, present and future customer quality of supply requirements, and optimum asset utilisation techniques and strategies. Papers dealing with meeting the energy transition goals, rural electrification, data centre grid connection, and strategies to increase resiliency are also expected.

Consequently, particular attention is given to how these transformative elements drive the evolution of Distribution Network Development Plans (DNDPs) toward data-driven, risk-aware, and flexibility-integrated frameworks.

Demand and Generation Forecast

• Evolution of the demand (e.g., the electrification, electromobility and transport systems, hydrogen and green gas production, data centre, etc.)
• Methodologies for demand and generation forecast

Performance Requirements, Results, and Benchmarking

• Economical versus technical performance
• System reliability and degree of adequacy
• Performance assessment and benchmarking
• Evaluation of technical and non-technical losses
• Increasing resiliency against low probability high-risk extreme events
• Microgrids and local energy communities to provide security of supply

Network Schemes and Design Criteria

• Innovative solutions for enabling energy transition (e.g., RES integration, electric vehicles, DC distribution, flexibility procurement, etc.)
• Distributed energy resources management systems
• Active networks and smart grids
• Distribution systems for offshore wind farms
• Low-losses distribution systems
• Sector-coupling and distribution development
• Design criteria for increasing resiliency
• Distribution network schemes for developing countries
• Asset performance, probability of failure and remaining useful life models.

Network Planning

• Planning the distribution development with the AI
• Distribution planning and flexibility (forecast, uncertainties, market, standardisation, etc.)
• Integrated/coordinated transmission and distribution planning
• Sector-coupling for energy transition
• Improving efficiency in distribution networks
• Integration of distributed energy resources (distributed generation, storage, EV, etc.)
• Planning criteria for electrification in low-load-density areas
• Integration of EV bidirectional charging installations
• Microgrids and local energy communities in distribution planning
• The resilience of smart grid when deployed at scale and the impact on network planning standards (i.e., IT/telecoms requirements, common-mode failures)
• Distribution systems for data centre connections
• Flexibility as a solution to optimize grid investment

Investment Strategies

• Least cost investment plans
• Financial planning and cash flow for investment
• Network ageing
• Risk analysis and asset management implications
• Non-network solutions
• Obsolescence: shorter life-cycles due to automation and ICT technologies
• Trade off CapEx vs OpEx, Long Term vs Short Term, and Cost vs Performance.
• Resiliency enhancing investment strategies.

SESSION 6: Customers, Regulation, DSO Business & Risk Management

The DSO business environment has drastically changed over the course of the last years making prioritization and optimizations complex and challenging. Financing grids, affordability for the customer, increased resilience and implementing policies for the energy transition are but a few aspects to juggle for the DSO’s.

The DSO’s continue to be in the center and have critical roles for the success of a resilient and sustainable grid. We see solutions and implementation being done that show that the DSO’s are up to the task, see for example the area of flexibility that has developed significantly, but also that more action is needed.

Policy, Regulation, Integrated Energy Systems, Balancing Grid Costs with Affordability

• Regulation and market mechanism accelerating the energy transition and sustainability
• Regulation incentives for flexibility, lower loses and more efficient use of the grid
• Regulation and practices to measure and incentivize resilience
• Move from DNO to DSO
• DSO/TSO coordination, exchange and interoperability
• Financing grids (CAPEX/OPEX/TOTEX)
• Balancing grid costs and financing
• Fairness in energy – energy justice and energy poverty

Customer Interaction, Energy Sharing, Flexibility, Batteries and V(2/4)G

• Flexibility services on different system levels interoperability, including flexibility needs assessments
• Accelerated grid capacity and resilience with integrated flexibility
• Role of DSOs in relation to prosumers, energy communities, energy sharing, microgrids and storage
• Network development plans and capacity maps
• Resilience of society, island-mode and offgrid possibilities
• Bi-directional e-mobility (V2X) – business models and case studies

DSO Resilience, Business Risk Management and Roles

• Standardization including ISO55000
• Evolved DSO business processes
• Short- and long-term forecasting
• Risk and resilience management methods, processes & tools
• Securing assets for extreme events
• Case studies and cooperations for preparing and protecting grids
• Management of extreme weather events & environmental impacts
• Environmental analysis and reporting

Digitalization, AI, Business Processes, Standards and Cyber-Security

• Cyber-security best practices and case studies
• Resilience in data, IT systems and architecture
• Open data case studies
• Open source software development and implementation
• Digitalization of business processes
• Unlock the potential of (generative) AI
• Edge computing