The exponential growth in energy demand is a great strain on conventional power grids. An alternative i.e. “smart-grid” is envisioned to address these challenges. Smartness in grids implies the set of evolving technologies that are being deployed at different rates in a variety of settings depending on local conditions such as the technologies in use, regulatory and investment frameworks. The embedding of intelligence through computational resources and communication technologies can occur in larger grids that span over a country over long distances or in the smaller grids, which exist within a modern building. The topics investigated by the smart-grid research group @ CERT include efficient renewable energy integration to grids, next-generation of distribution systems with plug-and-play of local generations, hybrid AC/DC distribution system, cyber-physical systems design, green data centers, electric vehicles, smart buildings and home automation, building operating systems, wireless sensor-actuator networks, internet-of-things, big data analytics for grids, demand side management using electric springs, advanced metering infrastructure, power quality, predictive maintenance, integrated chemical and electrical system operation, along with test-bedding of the developed systems wherever viable.