Artificial Intelligence for Microgrids
A microgrid is defined as a cluster of distributed energy resources and loads that has a clear electrical boundary, acts as a single controllable entity, and can operate in either grid-connected or islanded/isolated modes. Microgrids are considered a critical link in smart grids evolution toward decentralization, decarbonization, and digitalization. These systems are typically renewable-penetrated, with most of the resources being electronically-interfaced. In addition, microgrids exhibit novel types of control and stability issues due to their unique characteristics such as small size, low-impedance feeders, low system inertia, etc. In view of these characteristics, control and optimization techniques developed for conventional grids have shown to be inadequate for microgrids stability, reliability, and optimality.
This session discusses data-driven techniques, in particular artificial intelligence (AI), in control and optimization of microgrids. The session presents state-of-the-art research and implementation projects in United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia. An interactive discussion between the panelists and the audience will explore the uses of data to drive microgrid transformation.
Key Content Focus Areas:
- What are microgrid control and optimization issues?
- How data-driven techniques can help?
- What is state-of-the-art?
- What is the path forward?
Dr. Mostafa Farrokhabadi
Director, Grid Analytics & Technology
BluWave~ai
Mostafa Farrokhabadi is the technology leader at BluWave-ai. He has more than 7 years of experience in designing mission critical grid solutions for industry and academia, including smart grids and microgrids projects at Hatch and Canadian Solar. He has authored several articles in high-impact journals, conference proceedings, and magazines, and has filed multiple patent applications. He has also led the IEEE Power and Energy Society Task Force on Microgrid Stability Definitions, Analysis, and Modeling. Mostafa obtained his PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Waterloo, and has also studied and performed research in Sweden at KTH and Germany at KIT. During the course of his industrial and academic career, he has received multiple business, research, and teaching awards, including the prestigious Ottawa's Forty Under 40.
Cameron Sutherland
Technical Director
Green Cat Renewables Ltd, UK
Cameron is responsible for Green Cat's wind, solar and hydro Due Diligence work for a variety of funders and investors, and he provides technical oversight across the company's Environmental Assessment areas and Asset Management function. Cameron has an MSc in Renewable Energy Systems Technology and 14 years of experience in the renewables industry mainly with onshore wind and solar projects of various scales across the UK and, more recently, Canada. His primary technical specialisms are in Resource Analysis and Noise Assessment, having produced more than 40 bankable wind assessments and carried out pre- and post-construction noise assessments at a number of sites. In his time at Green Cat he has managed more than 30 wind energy projects through the Scottish planning system and technically supported at all stages of wind, solar and hydro project development from pre-planning to post-construction.
Director, Grid Analytics & Technology
BluWave~ai
Mostafa Farrokhabadi is the technology leader at BluWave-ai. He has more than 7 years of experience in designing mission critical grid solutions for industry and academia, including smart grids and microgrids projects at Hatch and Canadian Solar. He has authored several articles in high-impact journals, conference proceedings, and magazines, and has filed multiple patent applications. He has also led the IEEE Power and Energy Society Task Force on Microgrid Stability Definitions, Analysis, and Modeling. Mostafa obtained his PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Waterloo, and has also studied and performed research in Sweden at KTH and Germany at KIT. During the course of his industrial and academic career, he has received multiple business, research, and teaching awards, including the prestigious Ottawa's Forty Under 40.
Technical Director
Green Cat Renewables Ltd, UK
Cameron is responsible for Green Cat's wind, solar and hydro Due Diligence work for a variety of funders and investors, and he provides technical oversight across the company's Environmental Assessment areas and Asset Management function. Cameron has an MSc in Renewable Energy Systems Technology and 14 years of experience in the renewables industry mainly with onshore wind and solar projects of various scales across the UK and, more recently, Canada. His primary technical specialisms are in Resource Analysis and Noise Assessment, having produced more than 40 bankable wind assessments and carried out pre- and post-construction noise assessments at a number of sites. In his time at Green Cat he has managed more than 30 wind energy projects through the Scottish planning system and technically supported at all stages of wind, solar and hydro project development from pre-planning to post-construction.
Senior Engineer
Microsoft US
Ehsan Nasr, PhD, P.Eng., is a senior infrastructure engineer and program manager at the Data Center Advanced Development department in Microsoft Corporation, US, leading several Energy Research projects. He received his Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Waterloo, Canada, 2014. Ehsan has worked in various electrical engineering positions since 2006. His current technical activities include renewable energy, microgrid, and advanced energy storage system, artificial intelligence, and advanced technologies in data centers. He has worked at Canadian Solar Inc from 2014 to 2018, leading various hybrid renewable energy solutions and microgrid projects such as Canadian Renewable Energy Laboratory, a unique testbed for microgrids in Canada. His works concentrated on power system, modeling, and design of hybrid system and he is actively involved in several IEEE smart grid, microgrid, and electrical system standard development, IEEE working groups and Task Forces and he is currently a member of IEEE power system dynamic performance (PSDP) committee and technical committee program chair of the PSDP committee. Ehsan has published several technical journal/conference papers.
Founder and CEO
I-EMS Group Ltd.
Ashkan has 24 years of professional consulting and R&D experiences in Power Systems' modeling, simulation, planning and optimal control. He has served as the V.P. of Engineering at Genscape Inc. (2001 to 2002); Senior Research Associate at School of ECE, Cornell University (2003); Assistant Professor (2004 to 2008) and Associate Professor (2009 to 2014) at School of ECE, College of Engineering, University of Tehran; Senior Research Associate, ECE Dept., University of Toronto (2015); Founder and President, I-EMS Group Ltd., Toronto, Canada (2015 to present); and Senior Data Scientist & Energy Market Analyst, Opus One Solutions, Toronto, Canada (2016 to 2018).
Thomas Kalitzky
Managing Director
Qantic GmbH
Managing Director
Qantic GmbH