Call For Papers
The call for abstracts is open until 1 December.
Implementing Successful Innovation in Distribution Networks
Introduction
In the ongoing energy transition, electricity is helping us reshape how we produce, distribute, and consume energy. Electric distribution networks are the backbone of a sustainable and resilient future. The distribution grid must continue to be reliable, adaptable, and economic.
To succeed with the transition, we must maximize the utilization of the existing grid infrastructure, in addition to expanding and evolving the distribution systems to meet the demands of tomorrow.
This calls for distribution system innovation in many aspects – from new regulatory frameworks, via groundbreaking planning methodologies, to innovative technical and operational solutions.
The 2026 CIRED Workshop in Brussels will focus on three themes relating to innovation in distribution systems – to meet the challenges ahead and lay the foundation for sustainable value creation.
Theme 1 – New Methods for Planning Reliable, Resilient and Sustainable Networks
Chair: Fabrizio Pilo (University of Cagliari, Italy)
Co-Chair: Riccardo Lama (CENELEC, Italy/Belgium)
As electricity demand rises, effective network planning is essential to boost hosting capacity. Integrating energy sectors—including power, heating, cooling, and transport—requires enhanced system resilience and efficiency. By coupling these sectors and optimising their interactions, networks can handle higher loads while maintaining reliability.
Key strategies include using local generation, enabling flexible consumption and production, and deploying storage technologies. These measures ease network peaks and can improve resource utilisation. Long-term forecasting and data-driven risk management can also help planners anticipate future needs and make informed investment decisions.
A holistic approach—combining sector integration, flexibility, local resources, and smart planning—is vital to meet the growing demands of an electrified society sustainably, efficiently and reliably.
Preferred topics for papers in Theme 1 are:
- Planning methodologies for an all-electric society
- Planning for increasing hosting capacity, also considering multi-energy systems
- Including local generation, load flexibility, and storage technologies in distribution planning
- Local energy communities as actors in planning for increasing hosting capacity
- Forecasting (short-term, long-term, geospatial)
- Artificial intelligence used in new planning methodologies
- Uncertainty and risk management
- DSO field trials of local flexibility for operational and development planning
Theme 2 – Lessons Learned from Implementing Innovations in Distribution Networks
Chair: Jan Desmet (UGent, Belgium)
Co-Chairs: Emmanuel de Jaeger (UCLouvain, Belgium) & David Hawkins (The IET, United Kingdom)
Electricity distribution networks need to be transformed through innovation. From smart grid technologies to advanced forecasting and flexible demand solutions, these lessons learned from implementation of innovative solutions – both successes and setbacks – highlight how forward-thinking approaches are delivering real-world impact.
Sharing solutions and experience is an enabler to implement innovative solutions concerning distribution network technologies and distribution system operation.
Preferred topics for papers in Theme 2 are:
- Distribution system supervision and control
- Technology innovations for increased grid utilisation and faster grid development
- Short term prediction of system load flow
- New solutions for energy sector coupling
- Protection under increased electrification
- Monitoring of power quality
- Dynamic hosting capacity solutions.
- Data management in distribution systems
Theme 3 – New Regulation and Practices to Spark Innovation and Minimize Business Risk
Chair: Ingrid Schürrer (Salzburg Netz GmbH, Austria)
Co-Chair: Peter Söderström (Vattenfall, Sweden)
Shaping the distribution grid of tomorrow requires an acceleration of innovation, interaction, and investments. To foster this, there is a need for re-thinking the regulatory frameworks in which the distribution companies operate, a need for new DSO business models – including ways to engage with consumers and prosumers, and a need for innovative market solutions promoting increased flexibility.
The DSO regulatory frameworks have to be revised and developed to facilitate new business models and short-, medium- and long-term market mechanisms in line with societal needs, also considering public approval.
The ongoing energy transition, underpinned by both European and national policy frameworks, has evolved significantly. While the preceding decade was primarily focussed on policy establishment and harmonization, the focus has transitioned to active implementation: this introduces new operational challenges and inherent risks.
Preferred topics for papers in Theme 3 are:
- Experiences of smart grid regulation, market designs, dynamic network tariffs, flexible connection agreements.
- Regulation encouraging flexibility and successful implementation of flexibility as an alternative or in addition to network reinforcements
- New business models and tariffs supporting demand side flexibility and sector coupling and incentivizing the efficient usage of the grids
- Citizens’ and public authorities’ awareness, participation (active or passive) and acceptance to meet the increasing electrification
- Grid codes and grid code compliance enabling new technologies and innovative operation approaches
- Interaction with customers and information exchange, local energy optimization, energy and demand sharing, energy communities, aggregators, etc
- Disruptive technologies and cross-industry applications, e.g., using artificial intelligence.