Microgrids and local energy communities can have a tremendous impact on distribution system development, and may offer a number of important advantages for the end-users and for the utilities. Customers, producers and those who do both have the potential to reduce energy costs, improve service continuity and bidding system services and flexibility. Distribution system operators may reduce or
postpone investments, increase hosting capacity and improve quality of services. A proper regulatory framework has to be designed to allow them to bring these expected benefits to the various stakeholders, while maintaining an effective market operation, making sure there is no negative impact on the overall cost base and avoiding unfair cross-subsidisation.This is the reason why this CIRED workshop focuses on microgrids, i.e. electricity distribution systems containing loads and distributed energy resources (such as distributed generators, storage devices, or controllable loads), that can be operated in a controlled, coordinated way, whether they are:

• Isolated microgrids, which only function in an island mode,
• Embedded microgrids, which can be controlled either while connected to the main power network or while islanded,
• Local energy communities, which comprise consumers cooperating for the satisfaction of their energy needs using local production
  sources, and which are not designed to operate in an island mode.

The call for papers is now open and will close on 15 December 2017.

More information on CIRED, visit their general website.