Magda Foti

@uth.gr

University of Thessaly

Magda Foti


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https://researchid.co/mafoti
16

Scopus Publications

484

Scholar Citations

9

Scholar h-index

8

Scholar i10-index

Scopus Publications

  • Promoting Grid Flexibility Through Policy: Insights from EU Regulatory Frameworks
    Katerina Drivakou, Magda Foti, Panagiotis Triantis, Vasileios Theodorou
    Conference Proceedings 2025 IEEE International Conference on Environment and Electrical Engineering and 2025 IEEE Industrial and Commercial Power Systems Europe Eeeic I and Cps Europe 2025, 2025
    The energy transition driven by the decentralization and electrification of energy systems significantly impacts electricity distribution and transmission grids. This study, focusing on the distribution level, examines specific policy elements of the regulatory frameworks of five European countries that are crucial for promoting the use of flexibility by distribution system operators (DSOs), as well as solutions that are adopted by them for procuring flexibility. By combining insights from existing literature with interviews with European DSOs, we analyse these barriers and identify those requiring priority action. The paper provides policy guidance with practical recommendations to overcome these barriers, aiming to inform DSOs, policymakers, and field experts. The analysis focuses on the regulatory frameworks of five European countries-Bulgaria, Greece, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland-highlighting the importance of incorporating the value of flexibility in DSOs' revenue models and mapping solutions for flexibility procurement. The findings underscore the need for regulatory incentives to drive digitalization and ensure efficient grid management, ultimately contributing to the acceleration of the energy transition.
  • Facilitating AI and System Operator Synergy: Active Learning-Enhanced Digital Twin Architecture for Day-Ahead Load Forecasting
    Costas Mylonas, Titos Georgoulakis, Magda Foti
    2024 International Conference on Smart Energy Systems and Technologies Driving the Advances for Future Electrification Sest 2024 Proceedings, 2024
    In this paper, we introduce a synergistic approach between artificial intelligence and system operators through an innovative digital twin architecture, integrated with an active learning framework, to enhance short-term load forecasting. Central to this architecture is the incorporation of sophisticated data pipelines, facilitating the real-time ingestion, processing and analysis of grid-related data. Utilizing a recurrent neural network architecture, our model generates day-ahead load forecasts together with prediction confidence intervals, strengthening system operator trust in the model's predictive reliability and enhancing their ability to respond to evolving grid conditions effectively. The active learning framework iteratively refines the predictions by incorporating real-time feedback based on forecast uncertainty, utilizing newly available data to continuously enhance forecasting accuracy and confidence. This AI-assisted strategy is exemplified in a case study of the Greek transmission system. It demonstrates the potential to transform short-term load forecasting, thereby increasing the reliability and operational efficiency of modern power grids. This approach marks a significant step forward in the digitalization and intelligent management of power systems.
  • Empowering Aggregators with Practical Data-Driven Tools: Harnessing Aggregated and Disaggregated Flexibility for Demand Response
    Costas Mylonas, Donata Borić, Leila Luttenberger Marić, Alexandros Tsitsanis, Eleftheria Petrianou, Magda Foti
    Iet Conference Proceedings, 2024
    This study explores the interaction between aggregators and building occupants in activating flexibility through Demand Response (DR) programs, with a focus on reinforcing the resilience of the energy system considering the uncertainties presented by Renewable Energy Sources (RES). Firstly, it introduces a methodology of optimizing aggregated flexibility provision strategies in environments with limited data, utilizing Discrete Fourier Transformation (DFT) and clustering techniques to identify building occupants’ activity patterns. Secondly, the study assesses the disaggregated flexibility provision of Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems during DR events, employing machine learning and optimization techniques for precise, device-level analysis. The first approach offers a non-intrusive pathway for aggregators to provide flexibility services in environments of a single smart meter for the whole building’s consumption, while the second approach maximizes the amount of flexibility in the case of dedicated metering devices to the HVAC systems by carefully considering building occupants’ thermal comfort profiles. Through the application of data-driven techniques and encompassing case studies from both industrial and residential buildings, this paper not only unveils pivotal opportunities for aggregators in the balancing and emerging flexibility markets but also successfully develops and demonstrates end-to-end practical tools for aggregators.
  • The cost of privacy on blockchain: A study on sealed-bid auctions
    Menelaos Kokaras, Magda Foti
    Blockchain Research and Applications, 2023
    In order to preserve privacy in a blockchain ecosystem, the main objective is to keep a transaction's data private, such as the sender, the receiver, and the amount transferred. The current work studies the cryptographic tools commonly used to achieve this type of privacy, primarily focusing on the Ethereum blockchain. Such tools usually require many computational and storage resources, leading to additional fees. An anonymous auction protocol was developed as a case study to explore these costs, where hiding the identity and the amount of the bids utilizes a variety of cryptographic primitives. The proposed implementation was compared against three sealed-bid auction protocols, which utilize similar cryptographic tools for preserving privacy throughout the auction process. The results show that providing an additional level of anonymity, such as hiding someone's identity, can increase the gas cost significantly, up to 2.5 times, depending on the choice of the cryptographic tools, which determine the usage of the blockchain's storage and computational resources. By adjusting the level of decentralization on the application level by moving some operations off-chain and maintaining the role of the auctioneer, we show that we can maintain anonymity while reducing the gas cost by 40%.
  • Privacy-Preserving Market-Driven Transactive Energy System Using Homomorphic Encryption
    Magda Foti
    International Conference on the European Energy Market Eem, 2023
    Transactive energy paradigm targets creating a way for producers and consumers to match and balance energy supply and demand on a real time basis. An approach towards realizing this target is through price signals generated by energy market mechanisms. Pilot projects have confirmed that transactive control technology is effective in various ways, such as improving energy efficiency and reliability, reducing energy cost and encouraging integration of renewable energy sources. However, a main challenge towards the broad adoption of smart grid technologies, such as transactive energy, is the protection of the participants’ privacy. This paper presents the design and the implementation of a uniform price double auction mechanism which preserves the privacy of its participants leveraging homomorphic encryption. Market participants exchange encrypted information among them and the market entity. The auction clearing is jointly computed and the computations are performed on encrypted data. Large-scale experimentation, simulating the Olympic Peninsula pilot project, enable us to measure the effectiveness and scalability of the proposed distributed mechanism. The analysis of the results suggests that the proposed protocol provides an effective mechanism for the implementation of a privacy preserving real-time energy market.
  • What blockchain can do for power grids?
    Magda Foti, Manolis Vavalis
    Blockchain Research and Applications, 2021
    The aim of this work is to provide an up-to-date comprehensive review of the peer-reviewed articles, the research projects and the entrepreneurial efforts that consider the utilization of blockchain technology in the energy sector in general and the power grid in particular. Through our review study we systematically classify existing applications of blockchain technology in the energy sector according to their field of activity. The comprehensive and holistic picture provided aims to contribute to the body of knowledge of the applicability of blockchain technology within the energy sector and pave the way for further research in this field.
  • Auto-Tuned Weighted-Penalty Parameter ADMM for Distributed Optimal Power Flow
    Costas Mavromatis, Magda Foti, Manolis Vavalis
    IEEE Transactions on Power Systems, 2021
    The Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers (ADMM) is widely utilized to solve the distributed Optimal Power Flow (OPF) problem, providing convergence under certain assumptions. ADMM relies on a penalty parameter <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\\rho$</tex-math></inline-formula> to accelerate its convergence. The selection of appropriate values of <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\\rho$</tex-math></inline-formula> is crucial for the quality of the final solution and for the efficiency of the iterative process. In this paper, we propose a weighted-<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\\rho$</tex-math></inline-formula> ADMM, with its weights automatically determined by leveraging the nature of the optimal power flow problem. Specifically, the affinity matrix, a combination of the admittance matrix and Hessian matrix of the Lagrangian function of the associated OPF problem, is utilized to determine the penalty parameters. The convergence of the iterative scheme is analyzed and the effectiveness of the proposed methodology is validated through simulation experiments which show that the weighted-<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\\rho$</tex-math></inline-formula> ADMM overcomes the necessity for suitable initial parameter selection.
  • Decentralized blockchain-based consensus for Optimal Power Flow solutions
    Magda Foti, Costas Mavromatis, Manolis Vavalis
    Applied Energy, 2021
    We design, implement and analyze a decentralized consensus algorithm based on the blockchain technology for the solution of the Optimal Power Flow problem. The proposed algorithm enables independent power grid nodes, without prior trust on each other, to reach an agreement on the Optimal Power Flow solution. We decompose the Optimal Power Flow problem using a blockchain-based Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers and we comment on efficiency, trust, security and transparency issues. The successive iterants of the solution of the power flow problem are securely stored on the blockchain, removing the need for a central operating authority, while allowing network nodes to verify the validity and optimality of the solution. We illustrate the effectiveness of the consensus algorithm presented through simulation experiments on the 39-bus New England transmission system, and IEEE-57 and IEEE-118 benchmark systems. We systematically compare the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm with well established blockchain consensus algorithms. The results show that our method maintains the convergence characteristics of the Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers iterative scheme and enables independent network nodes to reach consensus.
  • Blockchain based uniform price double auctions for energy markets
    Magda Foti, Manolis Vavalis
    Applied Energy, 2019
    The energy sector is undergoing a massive transformation that greatly affects and is being affected by its market mechanisms. This paper presents the design, the prototype implementation and the analysis of a decentralized, real-time, uniform-price double auction energy market. The proposed market is a distributed and decentralized application and its rules may be specified through a smart contract. Market participants interact with the smart contract sending their asks and offers and the distributed application clears the market based on a uniform-price economic dispatch model. We propose and analyze three different implementation approaches on an Ethereum blockchain network. A model representing a physical demonstration project conducted in Seattle, USA, is utilized to simulate the power grid and to provide real-life scenarios for our analysis. We systematically evaluate our three implementation approaches and elucidate several blockchain issues regarding the decentralization of next-generation energy markets. In particular, we identify that certain computation modules may be installed on smart consuming devices in order to increase efficiency, security and decentralization and reduce the overall blockchain overhead cost. Furthermore, we show that in order to fulfill the market’s high demand for step timing, we ought to have the block generation time several magnitudes smaller compared to the auction period.
  • Viability analysis of a decentralized energy market based on blockchain
    Magda Foti, Dimitrios Greasidis, Manolis Vavalis
    International Conference on the European Energy Market Eem, 2018
    This paper considers the design, the development and the experimental evaluation, of a blockchain based smart contract specifying the operating rules of a real time, uniform-price double auction energy market. Producers and consumers interact with this contract sending their offers and bids accordingly and the contract clears the market based on a double auction model. We propose four different approaches for implementing, through the Ethereum platform, both the P2P network as well as the smart contract. We systematically compare the above approaches on the basis of their decentralization nature, operating costs, computational costs, effectiveness, security, privacy and beyond. This comparison is achieved through large scale, real time simulations based on the GridLAB-D platform.
  • Real time data analytics platform for power grid smart applications
    Nihla Akram, Sanjaya De Silva, Magda Foti, Malith Jayasinghe, Miyuru Dayarathna, Manolis Vavalis, Srinath Perera
    International Conference on the European Energy Market Eem, 2017
  • A learning approach for strategic consumers in smart electricity markets
    Magda Foti, Manolis Vavalis
    Iisa 2015 6th International Conference on Information Intelligence Systems and Applications, 2016
  • Intelligent Bidding in Smart Electricity Markets
    Magda Foti, Manolis Vavalis
    Renewable and Alternative Energy Concepts Methodologies Tools and Applications, 2016
  • An IoT based intelligent building management system for ambient assisted living
    Elias Z. Tragos, Magda Foti, Manolis Surligas, George Lambropoulos, Stelios Pournaras, Stefanos Papadakis, Vangelis Angelakis
    2015 IEEE International Conference on Communication Workshop Iccw 2015, 2015
  • Towards a remedial and rehabilitation e-tourism system
    Proceedings of the 14th International Conference Www Internet 2015, 2015
  • Novel building management system based on machine learning and a cloud-based SOA for Ambient Living
    Sofoklis Kyriazakos, George Labropoulos, Nikos Zonidis, Magda Foti
    2014 4th International Conference on Wireless Communications Vehicular Technology Information Theory and Aerospace and Electronic Systems Vitae 2014 Co Located with Global Wireless Summit, 2014

RECENT SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS

  • Empowering aggregators with practical data-driven tools: harnessing aggregated and disaggregated flexibility for demand response
    C Mylonas, D Borić, LL Marić, A Tsitsanis, E Petrianou, M Foti
    IET Conference Proceedings CP904 2024 (29), 199-204 , 2024
    2024
    Citations: 3
  • Facilitating AI and system operator synergy: Active learning-enhanced digital twin architecture for day-ahead load forecasting
    C Mylonas, T Georgoulakis, M Foti
    2024 International Conference on Smart Energy Systems and Technologies (SEST … , 2024
    2024
    Citations: 9
  • The cost of privacy on blockchain: A study on sealed-bid auctions
    M Kokaras, M Foti
    Blockchain: Research and Applications 4 (3), 100133 , 2023
    2023
    Citations: 11
  • Privacy-preserving market-driven transactive energy system using homomorphic encryption
    M Foti
    2023 19th International Conference on the European Energy Market (EEM), 1-8 , 2023
    2023
    Citations: 6
  • Blockchain: Research and applications
    M Foti, M Vavalis
    Mar , 2021
    2021
    Citations: 1
  • What blockchain can do for power grids?
    M Foti, M Vavalis
    Blockchain: Research and Applications 2 (1), 100008 , 2021
    2021
    Citations: 68
  • Decentralized blockchain-based consensus for optimal power flow solutions
    M Foti, C Mavromatis, M Vavalis
    Applied Energy 283, 116100 , 2021
    2021
    Citations: 75
  • Auto-tuned weighted-penalty parameter ADMM for distributed optimal power flow
    C Mavromatis, M Foti, M Vavalis
    IEEE Transactions on Power Systems 36 (2), 970-978 , 2020
    2020
    Citations: 35
  • Blockchain based uniform price double auctions for energy markets
    M Foti, M Vavalis
    Applied Energy 254, 113604 , 2019
    2019
    Citations: 166
  • Information models and systems for next generation energy markets
    M Foti
    Πανεπιστήμιο Θεσσαλίας. Σχολή Πολυτεχνική. Τμήμα Μηχανικών Ηλεκτρονικών … , 2019
    2019
  • Viability analysis of a decentralized energy market based on blockchain
    M Foti, D Greasidis, M Vavalis
    2018 15th International Conference on the European Energy Market (EEM), 1-5 , 2018
    2018
    Citations: 30
  • Blockchain Based Efforts for Power Grids: A Review
    M Foti, M Vavalis
    2018
    Citations: 2
  • Blockchain Design and Implementation for Decentralized Optimal Power Flow
    K Mavromatis, M Foti, M Vavalis
    PhD thesis, University of Thessaly, 2018.[Online]. Available: https://www. e … , 2018
    2018
    Citations: 2
  • Real time data analytics platform for power grid smart applications
    N Akram, S De Silva, M Foti, M Jayasinghe, M Dayarathna, M Vavalis, ...
    2017 14th International Conference on the European Energy Market (EEM), 1-6 , 2017
    2017
    Citations: 3
  • Monitoring an Institution’s Research Activities
    M Foti, E Papa, M Vavalis
    International Journal of Information and Education Technology 7 (5), 350 , 2017
    2017
    Citations: 2
  • Intelligent bidding in smart electricity markets
    M Foti, M Vavalis
    Renewable and Alternative Energy: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and … , 2017
    2017
    Citations: 12
  • On Visualizing Distribution Systems for Next Generation Power Distribution Grids
    M Foti, A Nasiakou, L Vasilaki, M Vavalis
    International Journal of Computational & Neural Engineering (IJCNE) 3 (1), 16-27 , 2016
    2016
    Citations: 6
  • A learning approach for strategic consumers in smart electricity markets
    M Foti, M Vavalis
    2015 6th International Conference on Information, Intelligence, Systems and … , 2015
    2015
    Citations: 4
  • An IoT based intelligent building management system for ambient assisted living
    EZ Tragos, M Foti, M Surligas, G Lambropoulos, S Pournaras, ...
    2015 IEEE international conference on communication workshop (ICCW), 246-252 , 2015
    2015
    Citations: 45
  • Towards a remedial and rehabilitation e-tourism system
    O Meikopoulos, M Vavalis, M Foti
    2015
    Citations: 1

MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS

  • Blockchain based uniform price double auctions for energy markets
    M Foti, M Vavalis
    Applied Energy 254, 113604 , 2019
    2019
    Citations: 166
  • Decentralized blockchain-based consensus for optimal power flow solutions
    M Foti, C Mavromatis, M Vavalis
    Applied Energy 283, 116100 , 2021
    2021
    Citations: 75
  • What blockchain can do for power grids?
    M Foti, M Vavalis
    Blockchain: Research and Applications 2 (1), 100008 , 2021
    2021
    Citations: 68
  • An IoT based intelligent building management system for ambient assisted living
    EZ Tragos, M Foti, M Surligas, G Lambropoulos, S Pournaras, ...
    2015 IEEE international conference on communication workshop (ICCW), 246-252 , 2015
    2015
    Citations: 45
  • Auto-tuned weighted-penalty parameter ADMM for distributed optimal power flow
    C Mavromatis, M Foti, M Vavalis
    IEEE Transactions on Power Systems 36 (2), 970-978 , 2020
    2020
    Citations: 35
  • Viability analysis of a decentralized energy market based on blockchain
    M Foti, D Greasidis, M Vavalis
    2018 15th International Conference on the European Energy Market (EEM), 1-5 , 2018
    2018
    Citations: 30
  • Intelligent bidding in smart electricity markets
    M Foti, M Vavalis
    Renewable and Alternative Energy: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and … , 2017
    2017
    Citations: 12
  • The cost of privacy on blockchain: A study on sealed-bid auctions
    M Kokaras, M Foti
    Blockchain: Research and Applications 4 (3), 100133 , 2023
    2023
    Citations: 11
  • Facilitating AI and system operator synergy: Active learning-enhanced digital twin architecture for day-ahead load forecasting
    C Mylonas, T Georgoulakis, M Foti
    2024 International Conference on Smart Energy Systems and Technologies (SEST … , 2024
    2024
    Citations: 9
  • Privacy-preserving market-driven transactive energy system using homomorphic encryption
    M Foti
    2023 19th International Conference on the European Energy Market (EEM), 1-8 , 2023
    2023
    Citations: 6
  • On Visualizing Distribution Systems for Next Generation Power Distribution Grids
    M Foti, A Nasiakou, L Vasilaki, M Vavalis
    International Journal of Computational & Neural Engineering (IJCNE) 3 (1), 16-27 , 2016
    2016
    Citations: 6
  • A learning approach for strategic consumers in smart electricity markets
    M Foti, M Vavalis
    2015 6th International Conference on Information, Intelligence, Systems and … , 2015
    2015
    Citations: 4
  • Empowering aggregators with practical data-driven tools: harnessing aggregated and disaggregated flexibility for demand response
    C Mylonas, D Borić, LL Marić, A Tsitsanis, E Petrianou, M Foti
    IET Conference Proceedings CP904 2024 (29), 199-204 , 2024
    2024
    Citations: 3
  • Real time data analytics platform for power grid smart applications
    N Akram, S De Silva, M Foti, M Jayasinghe, M Dayarathna, M Vavalis, ...
    2017 14th International Conference on the European Energy Market (EEM), 1-6 , 2017
    2017
    Citations: 3
  • Blockchain Based Efforts for Power Grids: A Review
    M Foti, M Vavalis
    2018
    Citations: 2
  • Blockchain Design and Implementation for Decentralized Optimal Power Flow
    K Mavromatis, M Foti, M Vavalis
    PhD thesis, University of Thessaly, 2018.[Online]. Available: https://www. e … , 2018
    2018
    Citations: 2
  • Monitoring an Institution’s Research Activities
    M Foti, E Papa, M Vavalis
    International Journal of Information and Education Technology 7 (5), 350 , 2017
    2017
    Citations: 2
  • Novel building management system based on machine learning and a cloud-based SOA for Ambient Living
    S Kyriazakos, G Labropoulos, N Zonidis, M Foti
    2014 4th International Conference on Wireless Communications, Vehicular … , 2014
    2014
    Citations: 2
  • Blockchain: Research and applications
    M Foti, M Vavalis
    Mar , 2021
    2021
    Citations: 1
  • Towards a remedial and rehabilitation e-tourism system
    O Meikopoulos, M Vavalis, M Foti
    2015
    Citations: 1