Abstract
Microgrids (MGs) are the important entities of distribution systems and more distributed generations (DGs) need to be considered to achieve maximum benefits under the full potential of MGs. By considering the important role of power converters in MGs, problem formulation with model predictive control (MPC) of reconfigurable converter (VSC) is implemented for AC/DC microgrid. The uncertainties due to the loads and sources (RESs) are investigated. Active front end (AFE) rectifier regulates the DC voltage and power is controlled through direct power MPC (DPMPC) during grid connection. Model predictive voltage control (MPVC) regulates AC load voltage in islanded mode. Furthermore, the transition between grid-connected and standalone is thoroughly investigated. MATLAB/Simulink® software authenticates the model performance evaluation of the suggested scheme for different loads. The proposed scheme shows superior attributes with reduced THD.

Abstract
The voltage source converter (VSC) can be operated in bidirectional operational modes i.e. rectification and inversion, which signifies its reconfigurable characteristics. In inverter mode, it operates in both grid-tied and isolated operation modes. In this paper, a fractional-order sliding mode control (FOSMC) is proposed to drive the voltage source converter under reconfiguration. To realize the power system, in grid-tied mode the effect of voltage sag/swell at the point of common coupling (PCC), battery storage (BS) charging, and high voltage (HV) dc-link voltage are considered. Likewise, in isolated mode the voltage at the PCC, BS discharging, and HV dc-link voltage are considered as well. The Riemann-Liouville (RL) is used to design the proposed sliding surface and exponential reaching law is used to minimize the chattering phenomenon. The stability of the proposed controller is proved using the Lyapunov stability criteria. To validate the performance of the proposed strategy, the real-time simulation is accomplished by using the MATLAB/Simulink environment and results are compared with conventional proportional-integral (PI) control. The simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control in terms of robustness, fast-tracking, and rapid convergence as compared to PI control.

Abstract
The total losses volume represents a substantial amount of energy and, consequently, a large cost that is often included in the tariffs structure. Uneven connection of single-phase loads is a major cause for three-phase unbalance and a fundamental cause for active power losses, particularly in Low Voltage (LV) networks. This paper analyzes the impact of load unbalance on LV network losses. In the first phase, several load scenarios per phase are considered to characterize how losses depend on load unbalance. The second phase examines the data collected per phase on a set of real networks, aiming at illustrating real-world cases. The third phase analyzes the effect that public lighting and microgeneration may have in the load unbalance and on the subsequent energy losses. The results of this work clearly demonstrate that it is possible to reduce three-phase unbalance (and losses) through a judicious distribution of loads and microgeneration.

Abstract
Global climate change is currently a focus issue because of its impacts on the most diverse natural systems and, consequently, the development of humanity. The electricity sector is a major contributor to climate change because of its long-standing dependence on fossil fuels. However, the energy paradigm is changing, and renewable sources tend to play an increasingly important role in the energy mix in Portugal. Due to the strong relationship between renewable energies and climate-related natural resources, the climate change phenomenon could have considerable effects on the electricity sector. This paper analyzes the effects of climate change on the energy mix in Portugal in the medium / long term (up to 2050). The proposed methodology is based on the simulation of climate scenarios and projections of installed power by type and consumption. The combinations of these conditions are inputted to an energy accounting simulation tool, able to combine all information and provide a characterization of the system state for each case. The most favorable forecasted scenarios indicate that a fully renewable electricity system is achievable in the medium term, in line with the objectives of the European Union, as long as investments in renewable sources continue to be stimulated in the coming years.

Abstract
The building sector is responsible for a large share of Europe's energy consumption. Modelling buildings thermal behavior is a key factor for achieving the EU energy efficiency goals. Moreover, it can be used in load forecasting applications, for the prediction of buildings total energy consumption. The first phase of this work is the application of Artificial Immune Systems (AIS) for clustering buildings with similar physical characteristics and similar thermal efficiency. In the second phase, Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) are used to estimate the buildings heating and cooling loads. A final sensitivity test is performed to identify which building features have the most impact on the heating and cooling loads. The results obtained in the first phase revealed very distinct cluster prototypes, which demonstrates the AIS discriminating ability. The good estimation performance obtained in the second phase showed that this approach can be integrated in energy efficiency audits. Finally, the sensitivity analysis provided indications for actions (or legislation directives) in order to promote the design of more efficient buildings. © 2019 IEEE.

Abstract
This paper presents qualitative and quantitative analysis of the traveling waves induced by faults on direct current (DC) transmission lines of line-commutated converter high-voltage direct current (LCC HVDC) systems for detecting the wavefront arrival times using the boundary wavelet coefficients from real-time stationary wavelet transform (RT-SWT). The qualitative analysis takes into account the steady-state operation and the detection of the inception times of both first and second wavefronts at the converter stations. The behavior of the boundary wavelet coefficients in DC transmission lines is examined considering the effects of the main parameters that influence the detection of the traveling waves, such as mother wavelets, sampling frequency, DC transmission line terminations, electrical noises, as well as fault resistance and distance. An algorithm designed to run in real-time and able to minimize the factors that hamper the performance of traveling wave-based protection (TWP) methods is proposed to detect the first and second surge arrival times. Quantitative results are achieved based on the accuracy of one- and two-terminal fault location estimation methods, and indicate the proper operation of the presented algorithm.