Dear Colleagues,

Strategies and visions of energy transition focus on activating end users, meaning numerous flexible, distribution network level, devices will become active participants in power system operation. As the pillar document, “Clean Energy for all Europeans” emphasizes the role of end prosumers, their market participation and the value their flexibility to enable faster transition towards zero emission power system. At the moment, electricity end users behave passively. Even when they have micro generation units installed they chose to relay on incentive programs such as feed-in-tariffs. This results in (over)dimensioning of the network by the distribution system operator in order to be able to cope with extreme cases. Alongside renewable energy sources (RES), integration of other new technologies, such as electrifying heat and transport, creates additional challenges for distribution system operator (DSO) in terms of reliability and quality of power supply. Again, this particularly manifests during extreme events, when passive behavior of these devices can significantly impact technical constraints of the system. The DSO now faces challenges of not only increasing observability in previously passive low-voltage networks, but also in creating programs and services stimulating end-users to alter their behavior in order to assist maintaining technical constraints of the system. While having real-time available data from remotely readable smart devices on previously is the first step, development of advanced tools and models for analyzing and optimizing operational actions is the key in transforming the distribution networks into smart grids. Following on the above, the Special Issue of the Energies journal entitled "Innovative Solutions for Modern Distribution Networks" invites innovative and unpublished research and practical papers creating solutions and giving answers to key questions and in the following areas:

- microgrids within distribution networks: interaction of microgrids and the distribution networks, microgrid services to the distribution network (and impact on the distribution network while providing system/market services), new challenges in protection schemes (of both modern distribution networks and microgrid), islanding and islanding detection models and algorithms, microgrids as enhancers of resilience in modern distribution networks, planning of modern distribution networks as microgrids, microgrid laboratory setups and simulations, real-life microgrids and experiences/results.

- low-carbon technologies in modern low voltage distribution networks: models and methods for maximization of RES integration into LV distribution networks, tools and models for defining the value of LV distribution network digitalization and utilization of end-user data, models and methods for interaction of electricity distribution networks and other energy vectors (multi-energy distribution grids and microgrids), impact of local markets (peer-to-peer trading) on distribution network operation and planning, impact of LC technologies on distribution network power quality and new solutions for their mitigation.

- interaction of DSOs and new system/market entities: tools and models for interaction of DSOs and aggregators / energy communities /prosumers, new DSO models and tools for enabling of new sources of flexibility, the value of data science (including machine learning) in operation of modern DSOs.

- regulatory framework for modern distribution networks.

Prof. Dr. Tomislav Capuder
Guest Editor

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