Abstract
This chapter explores the potential of thermal energy storage (TES) systems towards the decarbonization of industry and energy networks, considering its coordinated management with electrochemical energy storage and renewable energy sources (RES). It covers various TES technologies, including sensible heat storage (SHS), latent heat storage (LHS), and thermochemical energy storage (TCS), each offering unique benefits and facing specific challenges. The integration of TES into industrial parks is highlighted, showing how these systems can optimize energy manage-ment and reduce reliance on external sources. A district heating use case also demonstrates the economic and environmental advantages of a multi-energy management strategy over single-energy approaches. Overall, TES technologies are presented as a promising pathway to greater energy effi-ciency and sustainability in industrial processes.

Abstract
Flexibility markets are emerging across Europe to improve the efficiency and reliability of distribution networks. This paper presents a methodology that integrates local flexibility markets into network maintenance scheduling, optimizing the process by contracting flexibility to avoid technical issues under the topology defined to operate the network during maintenance. A meta-heuristic approach, Evolutionary Particle Swarm Optimization (EPSO), is used to determine the optimal network topology.

Abstract
Building automation systems (BAS) have promising potential to support power and energy management applications, in addition to the current and conventional intention of use for improving comfort. Integration of BAS with smart meters to provide remote monitoring and control over user-friendly interfaces can foster consumer awareness, proactiveness towards more effective use of energy and it is one of the keystones of the future's smart cities. This paper proposes development and field implementation of a remote monitoring, control and data processing system for residential customers. The system is designed to comprise a widely used BAS protocol (KNX) and smart meters in the market, adding on a central database and a web application. The developed solution is implemented in 3 houses with real residents in Istanbul, Turkey. The study provides developments for hardware-software integration in building energy management and solutions for problems encountered during field implementation. Energy management potential of three houses from the field is also discussed.

Abstract
The ex-ante division of consumers into potential off-grid and grid-extension clusters represents a crucial input to electrification planning. This paper explores the application of image processing tools to distinguish grid-expansion from offgrid consumer clusters spatially, considering peak-load surfaces. Instead of point-based cluster analysis, the proposed model induces morphological pixel changes in the image through filtering and segmentation techniques. This way, load clusters can be isolated based on texture and coherence in an unprecedented way. Various single and sequential image processing techniques are compared, together with a rough grid expansion-ratio estimate for each case. Model outcomes are benchmarked against off-grid/on-grid clusters retrieved by using the Rural Electrification Model.

Abstract

Abstract
Prosumers represent an important building block under the paradigm of a decentralized energy landscape such as outlined in the EU Clean Energy Package. However, the synergetic use of distributed resources such as electric vehicles (EV) or residential roof-integrated photovoltaics (PV) on household or neighbourhood level requires their diffusion patterns being temporally and spatially synchronized. This paper is dedicated to the joint analysis of their adoption patterns, using spatial analysis interfaced with mutual information and criteria ranking analysis. Surprisingly, outcomes for Portugal suggest that residential photovoltaics and electric vehicles are adopted by different population layers, as their occurrence is linked to diverging sets of sociodemographic criteria. Furthermore, an analysis of these criteria sets shows that their internal composition (the driving factors behind EV and PV adoption) varies among regions which has important implications on electricity network planning.