LENA at the ISGT Europe 2025 in Malta
The IEEE PES Innovative Smart Grid Technologies (ISGT) Europe 2025, organized by the IEEE Power & Energy Society (PES) and The Foundation for Innovation and Research – Malta (FiR.mt), together with the IEEE Section Malta, took place from October 20th to 23rd at The Grand Hotel Excelsior, Valletta. The theme for this year’s conference was “Harnessing Innovation: Powering a Sustainable and Resilient Future”, and featured a record-breaking 866 participants.
In its traditional format, the program included tutorials, keynote speeches, plenary sessions, technical paper and poster presentations, special sessions, and industry exhibits, along with a job fair that offered numerous opportunities for professional networking and recruitment. Participants also enjoyed social events, including a Welcome Reception with a traditional Maltese festa and a Gala Dinner featuring fine cuisine, networking, and an Open Mic Night for attendee performances. Additionally, participants took part in technical visits to key Maltese power-system installations, including control rooms and distribution infrastructure, where they observed real-world grid operations and ongoing modernization efforts. These site visits highlighted Malta’s unique role as an island-grid testbed for smart-energy solutions.
The LENA chair was represented by research associates and Ph.D. students Gabriel Cocco and Natalia Bastos de Sousa.
Mr. Gabriel Cocco co-authored and presented the paper “Evaluation Guidelines for Grid Impedance of Fast Charging Stations Connected in Medium Voltage,” primarily authored by LENA chair colleague Mr. Gabriel Antonio Salvatti, in the Distribution Networks & Voltage Control session. The paper addresses the charging infrastructure needed for the growing adoption of electric vehicles and contributes to the proper deployment of Fast Charging Stations by providing an evaluation guideline for the impedance connection of an EV parking lot. The study emphasizes the importance of accurately assessing this impedance to enable more reliable analyses and offers a method that allows controller designers to evaluate control strategies and understand their behavior within the system.
G. Maier Cocco during his presentation.
Ms. Natalia Bastos presented her paper “The Costs of TSOs Energy Losses in Germany - An Overview” in the Day-Ahead Electricity Markets & Storage session. The paper addresses the regulatory landscape implemented in Germany regarding energy losses, presents data made available by the transparency law, and discusses approaches that could optimize the costs of these losses.
N. Bastos de Sousa during her presentation.
The ISGT Europe 2025 conference offered access to international research presentations on topics in modern energy systems, as well as insights from leading global projects. The event provided an excellent opportunity to exchange ideas, reconnect with colleagues, and build new networks of contacts. Our sincere thanks go to the University of Malta and the local organizers who, together with IEEE PES, ensured outstanding organization and made ISGT Europe Malta a truly valuable experience.