Hierarchical, Decentralized, or Hybrid? A Systematic Review of Control Architectures for Distributed Energy Resources
Year: 2026
Type: review
Study design: Systematic Review
Abstract: This paper presents a structured review of the scholarship on control architectures for distributed energy resources, read through a socio-technical lens that treats engineering performance and social outcomes as a single, interdependent concern rather than as separate questions to be addressed in sequence. The review organizes a fragmented body of work that spans engineering, economics, development studies, and energy justice, and it draws these traditions together around a common question, namely how technical capability and social legitimacy jointly determine whether interventions endure in resource-dependent and underserved regions. Particular attention is given to control topology as an implicit governance model that must align with ownership and trust structures, which the review identifies as a recurring but inadequately measured determinant of outcomes. The contribution is conceptual and synthetic: this paper clarifies the state of knowledge, exposes the gap between the recognized importance of social factors and the field's limited progress in measuring them, and sets out a conceptual agenda for integrated evaluation oriented toward inclusive and economically sustainable energy transition
Authors: Marvin Komi Nenubari, Azeez Adamolekun
Institution: Near East University
Language: English
Subfield: Global and Planetary Change
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7202088320