Research Interests
My research focuses on problems related to the control and optimization of energy and power systems, and the sustainable integration of distributed energy resources (DER) such as solar PV, electric vehicles, and battery energy storage systems into smart grids with efficient electricity markets. I am also interested in designing competitive, and equitable market mechanisms for transactive energy systems, in addition to analyzing DER aggregation and adoption dynamics.
I employ tools such as mathematical analysis, optimization, control theory, and dynamic programming, but given the interdisciplinarity of my area, I also frequently resort to tools such as microeconomics theory, pricing theory, game theory, and mechanism design. I value practical solutions guided by insights rooted in mathematics and economic foundations, and I meld theory and application in my research of energy and market systems and operations.
A complete list of my publications and research work can be found under Publication/Awards.
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Sample Projects:
1) Control and optimization of behind-the-meter DER
i) Prosumers with flexible loads and renewable distributed generation under net energy metering (NEM):
We introduce NEM X, an inclusive retail tariff model that captures features of existing NEM policies. It is shown that the optimal prosumer decision under NEM X obeys by a two-threshold policy. The threshold policy yields three household consumption modes: (a) the net consuming mode where the prosumer consumes more than its behind-the-meter distributed energy resource (DER) production when the DER production is below a predetermined lower threshold, (b) the net-producing mode where the prosumer consumes less than its DER production when the DER production is above a predetermined upper threshold, and (c) the net-zero energy mode where the prosumer’s consumption matches its DER generation when its DER production is between the lower and upper thresholds. Both the thresholds are obtained in closed-form and computed apriori.
ii) Co-optimization of BTM DER in linear complexity
The co-optimization of behind-the-meter distributed energy resources is considered for prosumers under the net energy metering tariff. The distributed energy resources considered include renewable generations, flexible demands, and battery energy storage systems. An energy management system schedules the consumptions and battery storage based on locally available stochastic renewables by maximizing the expected operation surplus under the net energy metering tariff. A stochastic dynamic programming formulation is introduced for which structural properties of the dynamic optimization are derived. A closed-form optimal myopic co-optimization algorithm is proposed
2) Mechanism Design for efficient and competitive energy communities
TBC..
3) Dynamics of DER adoption and utility rate restructuring
TBC..
