Cyber-physical microgrids: toward flexible energy districts

Flexibility can be defined as the power system's ability to respond to both expected and unexpected changes, either in demand or on the supply side. This concept contributes to improving the grid's stability allowing a higher penetration of renewable energy sources (RESs). A real-time flexibility utilization system can be viewed as a cyber-physical system where the communication component is cyber, whereas the control components have physical effects. In this chapter, we discuss security properties and challenges that must be considered in the flexibility utilization of energy districts.