Research Overview
As solar and wind energy, energy storage, and other clean energy technologies increase in usage, we must adapt our power grids and other energy systems to match. A renewables-based power grid must be “smart,” with the ability to automatically and rapidly adapt to the fluctuations in generation while still meeting user demands—ideally without firing up dirty fossil generators. CEI researchers study how information technology and advanced analytics can be used to plan, forecast and control grid assets, and design new power electronics hardware to maintain grid stability and reduce the cost of integrating renewable resources with the grid. Our researchers are also studying the evolution of electric vehicle technology and optimizing the distribution of charging stations around the country.
Featured Researchers
Assistant Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering
Recent News
Preparing tomorrow’s clean energy leaders
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Daniel Kirschen named editor in chief of IEEE Transactions on Energy Markets, Policy and Regulation
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=".vc_custom_1659482302298{padding-bottom: 10px !important;}"]July 28, 2022[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=".vc_custom_1659482290831{padding-bottom: 10px !important;}"]By Wayne Gillam | UW...
Microgrids for education and energy sovereignty
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=".vc_custom_1647562110902{padding-bottom: 10px !important;}"]After founding Northwest Indian College's first engineering...
Transforming the nation’s electrical grid to better support renewable energy
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=".vc_custom_1632856777608{padding-bottom: 10px !important;}"]September 24, 2021[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=".vc_custom_1632856510391{padding-bottom: 10px !important;}"]By Wayne...
Recent Publications
- Trading solar panels for grid power: An ethnography of rural energy service in Peru (Journal of Rural Studies, August 2020) | PDF
- The challenges and contradictions of Peru’s Proyecto Masivo de Energía Solar (The Regulation and Policy of Latin American Energy Transitions, Chapter 6, February 2020)
- Non-wire alternatives: an additional value stream for distributed energy resources (IEEE Transactions on Sustainable Energy, June 2019)
- Optimal control via neural networks: a convex approach (International Conference on Learning Representations, May 2019)
- A multilevel DC to three-phase AC architecture for photovoltaic power plants (IEEE Transactions on Energy Conversion, March 2019)
- Transient stability assessment of multi-machine multi-converter power systems (IEEE Transactions on Power Systems, March 2019)
- Scheduling post-disaster repairs in electricity distribution networks (IEEE Transactions on Power Systems, February 2019)
- Optimal battery control under cycle aging mechanisms in pay-for-performance settings (IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, August 2018)