Europe is working towards the goal of having a “zero emissions” energy system. This requires a gradual energy transition, which is already in action and will be characterized by a continuous increase in the use of generation systems from renewable sources (RES) and by a massive increase in energy efficiency.

The increase in the use of non-programmable RES and the phase-out of part of the thermoelectric capacity (coal plants and obsolete and inefficient plants) will lead to a further deterioration of both the adequacy and safety conditions of the system. Energy storage systems (ESSs) can be used to create synergies with the local distributed RES. Like RES, ESSs are required to play two major roles: rapid power-intensive response during high PV generation, and energy-intensive response to feed local electrical loads even when there is no production from RES. However, these two roles are difficult to perform by one single storage device type. Hybrid ESSs (HESSs) can be a solution. The basic idea of a HESS is to combine the peculiarities of different energy storage technologies, such as battery, ultracapacitors, fuel cells, flow battery and so on, into a coherent system with a special control strategy, which can use the advantages of each energy technology to improve overall performance.

The objective of this Special Issue is to bring together state-of-the-art international research contributions that explore models, methods, approaches, and technological innovations of the use of distributed HESSs and key technologies enabling energy transition. We welcome original research and review articles.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Models and methods for the management and control of distributed energy storage systems
• Distributed generation and energy storage
• Key enabling smart technologies
• Operation and advanced control of distributed energy storage systems
• Grid-integration of renewables and HESSs
• Optimal sizing and operation of HESSs