Overview of research challenges towards Smart Grid quality by design

Power distribution systems worldwide are entering one of the biggest transformations since their inception. The Smart Grid has become a strategic term, which is associated with promising technology enhancement on one hand, but also high investment risks on the other hand. To maximize the former and minimize the latter, power distribution companies are searching for methods and tools to simulate and compare different Smart Grid design alternatives and deployment scenarios. In this paper, we draw upon our involvement in the modelling and simulation of the Smart Grid in the Czech Republic, and elaborate possible directions of Smart Grid modelling and analysis research to reach the “quality by design” before the actual Smart Grid realization. The discussion then details a specific design challenge together with its context within the design of the Czech Smart Grid.