Introduction

Abstract

The motivation for and the goals of the development of a distribution system’s state estimation are presented. A short description of the evolution of power-distribution systems for unidirectional to bidirectional power flows, which are characterized by distributed energy resources and flexible loads, is presented. We reveal the major challenges that the grids of the future will be facing and count the number of potential applications that can be implemented in a closely monitored distribution grid. The chapter concludes with a short overview of all the sections.