## 2 Methodology for Systematic Literature Review
### Synthesis Phase  
The synthesis phase included 66 studies that met the eligibility threshold, offering focused insights on energy storage integration, control strategies, and optimization in smart microgrid environments. Figure 4 summarizes their distribution by source and year. Most works (53) were published in peer-reviewed journals, led by IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid (10) and Applied Energy (8), followed by journals like Energies, Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments, and others with two or three entries each. The remaining 13 studies were published in conference proceedings, including ICEMS 2022, ECCE 2024, ISGT-Europe 2019, and AUPEC 2021. Chronologically, the number of relevant publications increased after 2016, peaking in 2018 and remaining consistently high through 2024. The year 2025, though ongoing, already contributes three studies. This set of works represents a balance between consolidated academic contributions and emerging lines of inquiry.  
In addition to source distribution, Figure 4 includes a word cloud derived from the keywords of the selected studies, showing the dominant concepts across the reviewed literature. Terms such as energy management, microgrid control, renewable integration, energy storage, and optimization appear most frequently, reflecting the main technical concerns in this field. Based on this distribution, six thematic areas were defined to cluster the selected studies, enabling a structured synthesis and facilitating the discussion of research findings. Each thematic cluster contributes to addressing one or more of the research questions introduced in the study:  
Figure 3: Verification matrix applied during the eligibility and inclusion phase, illustrating the scoring distribution across the five evaluation criteria for the analyzed studies.  
Figure 4: Bibliometric profile of the selected studies, including distribution by source type and publication year, and a word cloud highlighting the most frequently used keywords in the reviewed literature.  
Advanced Energy Management Systems and Control Architectures: This cluster directly addresses RQ2 by analyzing centralized and distributed control approaches, hierarchical frameworks, and the use of real-time management platforms such as SCADA and AMI.
* 2. Integration of Renewable Energy Sources and Hybrid Microgrid Configurations: Focused on the technical complexity of integrating diverse generation sources, this area supports RQ4 by discussing architectural and operational strategies for managing system uncertainty and improving resilience.
* 3. Deployment and Optimization of Advanced Energy Storage Systems: This cluster responds to RQ1 by reviewing various energy storage technologies and optimization strategies for improving energy balancing and operational flexibility in microgrids.
* 4. Application of Artificial Intelligence, Predictive Analytics, and Digital Twins: This section contributes to RQ3, examining how predictive tools and AI-based models are used for forecasting, control optimization, and real-time simulation through digital twins.
* 5. Cybersecurity and Privacy in Energy Management Systems: Aligned with RQ4, this theme explores methods to ensure secure communication, protect user data, and embed cybersecurity within the architecture of smart microgrids.
* 6. Economic and Resilience Analysis of Microgrid Systems: This area also contributes to RQ4 by addressing trade-offs between cost and reliability, the design of resilient infrastructure, and investment strategies under operational uncertainty.  
These clusters guide the discussion in the next sections, helping to organize the literature thematically and to illustrate how the selected studies contribute to answering the proposed research questions while identifying remaining gaps for future work.