Introduction*

AbstractIn the last 20 years, many papers and books developed to investigate and design Smart Grids have been written. Smart Grid concepts are introduced, and various models are developed that lead to highly ramified and complex schemas. Different studies have focused on specific parts of power systems regardless of Smart Grids ’ integrity, leaving all efforts at the level of prototypes or isolated model regions. Results diverge instead of converging towards a complete Smart Grid solution. In this chapter, the scope of smart grids is specified, followed by an analysis of the state of the art of the most popular smart grid concepts such as Virtual Power Plants, Microgrids, etc. A descriptive presentation of power systems and the philosophical principles underlying the book is also given.