As the global energy landscape undergoes a transformation towards greater reliance on renewable energy and energy storage solutions, the role of advanced control systems has never been more critical. The establishment of a Technical Committee (TC) on Control of Renewable Energy and Energy Storage Systems will provide a focused platform for advancing knowledge, promoting innovation, and contributing to the development of both technological solutions and technical standards in this vital sector.

1) Addressing the Growing Need for Advanced Control in Renewable Energy and Energy Storage Systems
The shift towards renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, and hydroelectric power is an essential part of efforts to combat climate change, reduce carbon emissions, and transition to sustainable energy systems. However, these energy sources are inherently intermittent and variable, which poses significant challenges for grid operators in maintaining system stability, reliability, and efficiency. Energy storage systems (ESS), including batteries, pumped hydro storage, and compressed air energy storage, are integral to addressing the intermittency of renewables by providing backup power, storing surplus energy, and balancing supply with demand. However, ESS requires advanced control techniques to optimize performance, manage power flow, and maintain grid stability. Advanced control strategies are essential for the integration of renewable energy and energy storage systems into existing grids, as they ensure that energy is generated, stored, and delivered in a way that maintains system stability, maximizes efficiency, and minimizes losses. This includes ensuring that power is injected into the grid at the correct voltage, frequency, and timing, while also ensuring energy storage systems are charged and discharged appropriately. By focusing on this field, the TC can play a vital role in addressing emerging technical challenges and fostering innovation in renewable energy and energy storage control technologies.

2) Fostering Collaboration, Knowledge Sharing, and Innovation
The TC will act as a centralized platform for researchers, engineers, and industry practitioners to collaborate on the latest developments in the control of renewable energy systems and energy storage systems. By facilitating the exchange of ideas and research, the TC can play a pivotal role in advancing control technologies that are tailored to the unique characteristics of renewable energy and ESSs. The TC will also encourage the publication of high-impact research papers, technical reports, and case studies, which will be disseminated globally through ACA-supported journals and conferences. This will ensure that new insights and innovations are shared with a broad community of experts and practitioners.

3) Encouraging Cross-Sector Collaboration
Given the interdisciplinary nature of renewable energy and energy storage systems, it is crucial to bring together experts from diverse fields, including control theory, electrical engineering, communication and computer science. The TC will foster collaboration not only among academics but also between industry players, government agencies, and regulatory bodies, creating a broader, more holistic approach to the challenges faced in this sector. Additionally, international collaboration through ACAsponsored events will enable the TC to harness a global perspective on these issues, ensuring that developments in control technologies are applicable across different regions and energy markets.

4) Aligning with ACA’s Goals and Promoting Technical Excellence
One of the primary goals of the TC will be to support ACA-sponsored conferences, such as the Asian Control Conference (ACC), and relevant symposia and workshops. These events provide a platform for presenting and discussing state-of-the-art control methodologies for renewable energy and energy storage systems. By organizing special sessions, workshops, and keynote lectures within these events, the TC can help ensure that renewable energy and storage topics remain a central focus of ACA’s activities. The TC will also promote the publication of high-quality research in the Asian Journal of Control (AJC), a respected platform for disseminating the latest control theory developments. By contributing to the journal, the TC can highlight important advancements in control technologies that impact renewable energy and ESS applications.

5) Supporting the Development of Global Standards
As renewable energy technologies and energy storage solutions become more widespread, there will be an increasing need for uniform standards that define how control systems should operate in these environments. The TC can play a leading role in the development of these standards, ensuring that control strategies for renewable energy and ESS are interoperable, efficient, and secure. These standards will help to standardize communication protocols, define performance metrics, and set safety guidelines for the integration of renewable energy and ESSs into grids, supporting the global deployment of these technologies. The TC will work closely with standardization bodies, regulatory agencies, and industry stakeholders to develop control standards that are universally applicable across different regions and energy markets. This will ensure that control systems can be adopted at scale, fostering global interoperability in energy systems and encouraging investment in renewable energy infrastructure worldwide. In summary, the establishment of the Technical Committee on Control of Renewable Energy and Energy Storage Systems represents a timely and essential step in addressing the technological challenges posed by the growing reliance on renewable energy and energy storage solutions. By fostering collaboration, supporting research and innovation, contributing to the development of global standards, and aligning with ACA’s strategic goals, the TC will play a pivotal role in the continued advancement of control systems that enable a sustainable and resilient energy future. Through its efforts, the TC will help drive the global transition towards clean, efficient, and reliable energy systems. The scope of this TC will focus on, but not limited to, the following topics:

• Renewable energy integration and management
• Energy storage systems and modeling
• Power electronics and control in energy systems
• Distributed energy resources and microgrids
• Energy storage control and optimization
• Electric vehicle charging infrastructure
• Cybersecurity for power and energy systems
• Artificial intelligence and machine learning applications in energy
• Grid resilience and reliability
• Energy internet architecture and system integration
• Multi-energy systems coupling and optimization
• Energy management in internet-of-things (IoT) enabled networks
• Demand response and load management

2.1 Past Activities

As a leading expert in the field of renewable energy and energy storage systems, Prof. Cheng-Hui Zhang has been playing important roles in serving the community, taking leadership as Organizing Chair, Honorary Chair, National Steering Committee Member or Tutorials Co-Chair in many international conferences. Particularly, as Chair of the Organizing Committee, Prof. Zhang organized the 2017 Chinese Automation Congress (CAC). It completely outweighed the 2016 CAC, increasing the number of paper submissions from around 700 to over 2200, the on-site participants from below 1000 to over 3000. This conference also attracted over 200 distinguished professors (including 13 Academicians and 29 IEEE/IFAC Fellows) to give keynote speeches and

created the first Education Forum of Automation, significantly increasing CAC’s reputation and influence. It is from then that CAC becomes one of China’s most-recognized conferences. Besides, Prof. Zhang is also very active in expanding the influence of the power community. In particular, he actively promoted the foundation of the IEEE Shandong Chapter in 2009. Based on this chapter, he chaired a number of influential conferences promoting cutting-edge technologies in the field of renewable energy and energy storage systems.