SmartGrids: Motivation, Stakes and Perspectives

Power systems, after several decades of slow development, are experiencing tremendous changes due several factors such as the need for large scale integration of renewable energies, aging assets, energy efficiency needs and increasing concerns of system vulnerability in the context of multiplication of actors in a liberalized energy markets. The complexity of operation is increasing which ultimately will require the introduction of more intelligence into the grid for the sake of security, economy and efficiency thus allowing the emergence of the 'SmartGrids' concept.