Message from the Guest Editor-in-Chief

The Paris Agreement signed by nearly 200 countries in 2015 provides an institutional framework for global cooperation in tackling climate change after 2020.In order to achieve the goal of temperature rise control,the low-carbon process of the global energy system needs to be accelerated.As a firm supporter of the agreement,China has launched a number of National Key R&D Programs related to low-carbon energy system,such as “Smart Grid Technology and Equipment” and “Clean and Efficient Utilization of Coal and New Energy-saving Technology”.At the same time,China further announced at the 75th UN General Assembly that it would achieve the peak of carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and go carbon neutral by 2060,which demonstrated its determination to deal with the challenge of climate change.Since then,Sweden has announced that it will go carbon neutral by 2045,while Japan,South Korea,the European Union,Canada,the United States and other countries and regions have successively announced that they will go carbon neutral by 2050.Therefore,in response to the Paris Agreement,a magnificent wave of green and low-carbon transformation of global energy system is forming and developing.

Against this background,the penetration rate of renewable energy power generation such as wind power and photovoltaic power generations in the energy system is increasing to expand the low carbon effect of the energy system.However,the intermittence,uncertainty and volatility of renewable energy give greater challenges for planning and operation,energy balance,safety and reliability of power system.At the same time,the rapid development of multienergy flow conversion technology and the wide application of related equipment also make the impact of the above characteristics spread to natural gas,thermal and other systems.It has a profound impact on the clean and low-carbon transformation process of the overall energy system.

Considering the above trends,Global Energy Interconnection has organized a special issue titled “Key Technologies of Energy and Power System Smart Improvement for Low Carbon Transition”.This special issue provides a timely and comprehensive review of recent progresses,applications,and challenges related to research of energy system smart improvement under the goal of going carbon neutral.It contains 10 articles from power grid companies,well-known research institutions and universities,including State Grid Corporation of China,China Electric Power Research Institute,Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization,North China Electric Power University,Tianjin University,Tsinghua University,Tohoku Gakuin University,Stevenson Institute of Technology,Pennsylvania State University,Cardiff University,University of Connecticut,etc.The above articles covers various diverse and relevant topics such as energy system planning and flexible scheduling with high renewable energy penetration,energy system engineering application and low carbon transformation for promoting renewable energy consumption,energy system configuration considering flexible allocation of demand side resources,renewable energy equipment power generation and reliable utilization technology,optimal dispatch with hybrid time-scale of energy system considering load forecasting error,etc.

We believe this special issue along with the presented papers will help to promote the global science and engineering community’s exploration and understanding of the key technologies of energy system smart improvement under the background of low-carbon transformation.It will also support the clean and lowcarbon transformation of the global energy system by providing references in theory,method,mechanism and policy.

Prof.Hongjie Jia

Hongjie Jia is currently the professor and doctoral supervisor of School of Electrical and Information Engineering,Tianjin University,and vice president of Graduate School of Tianjin University.Prof Jia is the distinguished professor of Program for Changjiang Scholars of Ministry of Education of China,supported by The National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars,and the expert with Special government allowances of the State Council.He has long been engaged in research in the fields of integrated energy system,power system security and stability and so on.He was the member of 11th All-China Youth Federation.He is the author of more than 400 papers,including more than 100 SCI papers.

Prof.Guohong Wu

Guohong Wu is a tenured professor and director of the Advance Power Engineering Lab.and Renewable Energy and Hybrid Mirogrid Lab.at Dept.of Electrical & Electronic Engineering,Tohoku Gakuin University,Japan.He received his joint-supervised Ph.D degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Tokyo,Japan and Tianjin University,China in 1998.From 2001 to 2005,he was a vice supervisor of Advanced Power Engineering Lab (Chair endowed by Tohoku Electric Power Co.) in Tohoku University,Japan.Since 2005 to present,he has been working with the Tohoku Gakuin University.He was a visiting researcher at UCLA,USA during April 2014 to March 2015.Professor Wu’s research interests include renewable power generations,microgrid,FACTS devices,HVDC system,power system stability analysis and superconductivity application to power systems,etc.

Prof.Dan Wang

Dan Wang is currently the associate professor and doctoral supervisor of School of Electrical and Information Engineering,Tianjin University,and deputy director of International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Distributed Energy and Microgrid,Ministry of Science and Technology.Prof Wang has long been engaged in research in the fields of integrated energy system,intelligent power distribution system,distributed energy and microgrid.He is the deputy secretary-general of Integrated Energy System Operation and Planning Subcommittee,IEEE PES Power System Operation Planning & Economics Statellite Committee (China).