PART I History, Evolution and Latest Development of Smart Grids -- PART II Technical Characteristics of Smart Grids -- PART III Stakeholders in Perspective: Interests, Power, and Conflict -- PART IV National Case studies -- PART V Conclusion.

‘Smart Grid Applications and Developments’ enriches understanding of today’s energy and climate challenges.  It demonstrates how solutions require not only technological advances, but also political sensitivity; well-informed policy analysis, an improved understanding of stakeholders’ perceptions, and innovative interdisciplinary collaboration. Providing a holistic and integrated understanding of technology-stakeholder-policy interactions in smart grid technologies, this book focusses on global and Pan-Asian perspectives while offering case studies that illustrate what we can learn from international experiences. The book is organised into five sections: Part 1 discusses the historical and conceptual aspects of smart grids. Part 2 introduces the technological aspects and showcases the current state of the art. Part 3 explores policy and governance dimensions through the conceptual lens of stakeholders’ perspectives. Part 4 presents a collection of international case studies. Showcasing state-of-the-art R&D developments and new policy experiences, this book contributes to a better understanding of the governmental, institutional and political challenges concerning smart grids and helps formulate policy recommendations for successful smart grid deployment.