Abstract
Simulation is often used to forecast human populations. In this paper we use a novel approach by combining Micro-Macro (MicMac) models into an Agent-Based perspective to simulate and forecast the behavior of the Portuguese population. The models include migrations and three scenarios corresponding to three different expected economic growth rates. We conclude that the increase in the number of emigrants leads to a reduction of the Portuguese women that are in the fertile age. This justifies the decrease of births and therefore the general decrease of the total Portuguese Population.

Abstract
This paper proposes a two-phase approach for optimal short-term operational scheduling with intermittent renewable energy resources (RES) in an active distribution system. The first phase determines the amounts of purchased power from the market and the unit status of distributed generation (DG) and feeds the data into the second phase, a real-time scheduling coordination with hourly network reconfiguration. The two-phase proposed approach is applied to a case study of a sixteen-bus test system that uses synthetic data from renewable power generators and forecasts local user demands with a sampling time of five minutes.

Abstract
Smart grid can be expressed as a combination of power network substructures with an extensive telecommunication network which is able to provide a two-way communication and use of advanced sensors in order improve efficiency, system reliability, transport security, and power consumption. Loads in this network are divided into two groups, linear and non-linear. The majority of these loads on the network, such as rectifiers, electric vehicles are non-linear. The non-linear loads can cause odd harmonics in the network and can damage transformers. In this article, management and planning of hybrid vehicles for total harmonic index reduction and also annual cost reduction has been considered.

Abstract
Allocation of flexible AC transmission systems (FACTS) devices is a challenging power system problem. This paper proposes a new particle swarm optimisation (PSO) variant, called enhanced leader PSO (ELPSO), for solving this problem. This algorithm is capable of solving FACTS allocation problem in a way leading to lower amounts of power flow violations, voltage deviations and power losses with respect to other optimisation algorithms. Distributed thyristor controlled series compensators (D-TCSC's) are used. D-TCSC's are installed at all branches except those with regulating transformers. The reactances of D-TCSC's are found in optimisation process. ELPSO features a five-staged successive mutation strategy which mitigates premature convergence problem of conventional PSO. ELPSO and other optimisation algorithms are applied to IEEE 14 bus and 118 bus power systems for N-1 contingencies and also for simultaneous outage of four branches. The results show that it leads to lower amounts of power flow violations, voltage deviations and power losses with respect to conventional PSO (CPSO) and eight other optimisation algorithms including genetic algorithm (GA), gravitational search algorithm (GSA), galaxy based search algorithm (GBSA), invasive weed optimisation (IWO), asexual reproduction optimisation (ARO), threshold acceptance (TA), pattern search and nonlinear programming (NLP).

Abstract
The objective of the retailer in medium-term planning is managing the portfolio of contracts from different sources as well as determining the optimal selling price offered to its customers. When supplying the electricity sold to the costumers, two main challenges are faced by retailers. The first problem occurs during the electricity procurement procedure. In this stage, the retailer must deal with the uncertainty due to the pool price that propels the retailers to move towards agreeing to forward contracts signed at higher average prices. Besides, when the retailer decides on selling the electricity, another problem is to face the uncertainty caused by the demand while taking into consideration the possibility of reducing its clients in the case of high selling price. In this regard, this paper proposes a stochastic multi-objective framework for the retailer with profit maximization and risk minimization as two objective functions. The risk, due to the market price uncertainty, is modeled, employing the expected downside risk. The problem is formulated as mixed-integer programming while the stochastic optimization problem is characterized using the roulette wheel mechanism and lattice Monte Carlo simulation. Furthermore, lexicographic optimization and augmented epsilon-constraint method are used to solve the proposed multi-objective problem, and the best compromise solution is determined employing a fuzzy satisfying method. The presented model has been implemented using a realistic case study to verify the effectiveness of the method used in this paper. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Abstract
Fast charging is perceived by users as a preferred method for extending the average daily mobility of electric vehicles (EV). The rated power of fast chargers, their expected operation during peak hours, and clustering in designated stations, raise significant concerns. On one hand it raises concerns about standard requirements for power quality, especially harmonic distortion due to the use of power electronics connecting to high loads, typically ranging from 18 to 24 kW h. On the other hand, infrastructure dimensioning and design limitations for those investing in such facilities need to be considered. Four sets of measurements were performed during the complete charging cycle of an EV, and individual harmonic's amplitude and phase angles behaviour were analysed. In addition, the voltage and current total harmonic distortion (THD) and Total Demand Distortion (TDD) were calculated and the results compared with the IEEE519, IEC 61000/EN50160 standards. Additionally, two vehicles being fast charged while connected to the same feeder were simulated and an analysis was carried out on how the harmonic phase angles would relate. The study concluded that the use of TDD was a better indicator than THD, since the former uses the maximum current (IL) and the latter uses the fundamental current, sometimes misleading conclusions, hence it is suggested it should be included in IEC/EN standard updates. Voltage THD and TDD for the charger analysed, were within the standard's limits of 1.2% and 12% respectively, however individual harmonics (11th and 13th) failed to comply with the 5.5% limit in IEEE 519 (5% and 3% respectively in IEC61000). Phase angles tended to have preferential range differences from the fundamental wave. It was found that the average difference between the same harmonic order phase angles was lower than 90°, meaning that when more than one vehicle is connected to the same feeder the amplitudes will add. Since the limits are dependable on the upstream short circuit current (ISC), if the number of vehicles increases (i.e. IL), the standard limits will decrease and eventually be exceeded. The harmonic limitation is hence the primary binding condition, certainly before the power limitation. The initial limit to the number of chargers is not the power capacity of the upstream power circuit but the harmonic limits for electricity pollution.