The Institute for Automation of Complex Power Systems (ACS) is part of the E.ON Energy Research Center at RWTH Aachen University, Germany. Founded in 2008, the goal of ACS is to perform research at the interface of electrical power engineering and computer science, capturing the most recent advances in information and communications technology (ICT) to support the solution of the most advanced problems in the area of power grid dynamics and automation.

Thanks to a multidisciplinary team that works at the intersection of traditional power systems with advanced control and automation concepts and modern ICT solutions, the research at ACS combines, in a unique way, the following scientific areas:

• Joint analysis and design of power grid and communication infrastructure in future grids
• Modern control architectures and protection techniques
• Electrical distribution and usage in homes, neighborhoods, and urban energy systems
• Distributed measurements and monitoring
• Data-driven solutions for energy systems
• Future internet for energy systems
• Advanced computing for simulation applications
• Real-time simulation and Hardware-in-the-Loop testing
• System software and computer architectures for parallel co-simulation of power and communication systems

Further, ACS constantly develops and expands its in-house laboratory, an advanced testing facility with unique custom solutions for:

• Real-time simulation of power grids
• Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing
• Power hardware in the loop (PHIL) testing
• Mixed simulation of power, control, and communication