AIMS AND SCOPE
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The traditional electrical grid is currently undergoing a range of modernization efforts and becoming a smarter grid. In the traditional electrical grid, energy is distributed from the generation plants to the consumers via large nationwide transmission and distribution networks. Information monitoring and management in these traditional electrical networks is typically limited to the distribution networks that distribute electrical power within a city to the individual consumers. Due to rising demands, aging infrastructure, reliability concerns, and the emergence of renewable energy sources, the smart grid (SG) concept is being introduced. The smart grid will be equipped with state-of-the-art information and communication technologies (ICT) and smart devices, such as smart meters, load balancing through real time demand side management, pervasive computing, sensing devices, broadband communication, and intelligent management techniques. These information and communication technologies have the potential to significantly improve the efficiency, effectiveness, reliability, sustainability, and stability of the electrical grid.



The smart grid will be adopting several communication technologies to fulfill the wide range of functionalities expected from the modern electricity grid. The complex communication needs of the smart grid call for innovative approaches to communicate various data over a range of environments, spanning from individual homes and neighborhoods to wide area networks covering electrical interconnections. In this context, cognitive radio (CR) based smart grid systems emerge as a promising candidate. Inclusion of cognitive radio based communications in the smart grid may help in overcoming radio spectrum shortages by flexibly using licensed and unlicensed frequency spectrum bands for future smart grid applications. Cognitive radio based smart grid systems may also reduce the power consumption and increase the interoperability among heterogeneous communication networks.



In this special issue, we are seeking new and unpublished work in the domain of Cognitive Radio based Smart Grid systems. More specifically, this special issue will focus on recent developments in Cognitive Radio based communication techniques with applications to the Smart Grid.



The list of topics includes, but is not limited to:



- CR for Smart Grid applications

- Spectrum regulation and standardization for CR based SG

- Demand-side management through CR

- Spectrum sensing techniques for CR based SG

- MAC protocols for CR based SG

- Innovative and cross-layer middleware solutions for CR based SG

- Delay-sensitive and multimedia communication in CR for the SG

- Simulation models for CR based SG

- Energy efficiency in CR based SG

- Cross layer optimization in CR based SG

- Energy harvesting for CR in the SG

- CR based SG architecture: specific features and evolution

- Deployment strategies of CR based SG

- Layers in CR based SG (physical, datalink, network, transport, application)

- Green power grids

- Integration of information and communication technologies (ICT) into smart grids

- Integration of Smart Grid into Smart City using CR

- Developments, issues, and open areas

- Coverage and Connectivity of CR based SG

- Resource Management in CR based SG

- CR based SG integration with traditional networking solutions and standards

- Future perspective for CR based SG

- Security and privacy issues for CR based SG





IMPORTANT DATES
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Manuscript Due: April 2015

Acceptance notification: Sep 2015

Revised paper due: Oct 2015

Final manuscript due: Jan 2016

Expected Publication of the Special Issue: 2016





SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
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All submissions have to be prepared according to the Guide for Authors as published in the Journal website at http://www.journals.elsevier.com/ad-hoc-networks/. Authors should select “SI: CRSG”, from the “Choose Article Type” pull-down menu during the submission process. All contributions must not have been previously published or be under consideration for publication elsewhere. A submission based on one or more papers that appeared elsewhere has to comprise major value-added extensions over what appeared previously (at least 30% new material). Authors are requested to attach to the submitted paper their relevant, previously published articles and a summary document explaining the enhancements made in the journal version.





GUEST EDITORS OF THE SPECIAL ISSUE
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* Mubashir Husain Rehmani, Lead Guest Editor
COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Pakistan
Email: mshrehmani@gmail.com


* Martin Reisslein
Arizona State University, Tempe, USA
Email: reisslein@asu.edu


* Abderrezak Rachedi
University Paris Est, France
Email: rachedi@univ-mlv.fr


* Melike Erol Kantarci
Clarkson University, New York, USA
Email: merolkan@clarkson.edu


* Milena Radenkovic
University of Nottingham, UK
Email: milena.radenkovic@nottingham.ac.uk