Power and Energy
Home AC units can balance the electrical grid without impacting comfort
A real-world frequency regulation experiment demonstrates that managing AC units can help actively balance electricity supply and demand.Johanna Mathieu and Anna Stuhlmacher receive HICSS Best Paper Award for work on the potential of drinking water networks as flexible electric loads
The team found that drinking water distribution networks in the U.S. represent a sizable resource when used as flexible electric loads.A Q&A with new faculty member Ziyou Song
Song is an assistant professor specializing in energy storage systems for electrified vehicles and renewable energy applications.Xavier Farrell earns NAPS 2024 presentation award for work to predict household savings on electricity bills
Farrell’s PhD work focuses on forecasting long-term financial outcomes for households switching electricity rate plans based on recommendation systems.Austin Lin awarded IEEE PES Prize Conference Paper for work quantifying HVAC load-shifting efficiency
PhD student Austin Lin presented his award-winning research at the 2024 IEEE Power & Energy Society General Meeting in Seattle.Large open dataset aims to improve understanding of building electricity demand response
Data collected from 14 commercial buildings can help inform efforts to balance electrical grids, maintaining reliability.Living Labs: testing energy efficiency and flexibility in University buildings
Researchers advocate for pairing real-world data with model-based simulations to help the U.S. decarbonize and electrify commercial buildings.ECE PhD student Inhwi Hwang awarded two fellowships from IEEE for his research on power electronics
Hwang is working to enhance the stability and robustness of power grid converters, which could help strengthen grid stability for renewable energy sources, as well as help protect against cyber attacks.Ian Hiskens paraglides into retirement
Hiskens is a renowned expert in power system dynamics, who made significant contributions to integrating renewable energy sources into the grid during his 15 years at Michigan.Research seeking to improve integration of renewable energy into the grid wins R&D 100 award
Led by Prof. Johanna Mathieu, the project utilizes strategic control of air conditioners to improve the overall efficiency and reliability of the power grid.Equity in the energy technology transition is new Institute’s goal
Prof. Johanna Mathieu is the new Associate Director of the Institute for Energy Solutions, which will continue U-M's 75-year legacy of leadership in energy research.Johanna Mathieu awarded 2023 IEEE PES Wanda Reder Pioneer in Power Award
Mathieu is a national leader on research to reduce the environmental impact, cost, and inefficiency of electric power systems.Team working to reduce energy burdens in Detroit recognized with Michigan Difference Student Leadership Award
PhD students Joshua Brooks, Xavier Farrell, and Madeline Miller are part of an NSF Smart and Connected Communities project that partners with local Detroit organizations to reduce household energy insecurity.Streamlining home assessments for energy justice
In a partnership with Ecoworks, Pecan Street, and Jefferson East, Prof. Johanna Mathieu is helping create a better process for Detroit homes to benefit from decarbonization, electrification, and renewable energy integration.Alireza Ramyar awarded Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship for his research on power processing architectures for improved sustainability
Ramyar’s research focuses on how power and energy can be transformed, extracted from clean power generation, and stored effectively and sustainably.Anna Stuhlmacher awarded Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship for her research that could help integrate renewable energy sources into the power grid
Stuhlmacher is working to optimize the interaction between the power distribution network and the drinking water distribution network to improve the sustainability, flexibility, and resiliency of both systems.Al-Thaddeus Avestruz receives CAREER Award to advance sustainable energy storage
Using retired electric vehicle batteries, the project plans to enable widespread and equitable access to sustainable power and energy through sustainable energy storage.Optimizing the interactions between critical infrastructure systems for better flexibility, sustainability, and resiliency
PhD student Anna Stuhlmacher researches how the water distribution network can better provide services to the power network, which can allow for greater integration of renewable energy sources into the grid, reduce costs, and improve system resiliency.New collaborative project for advancing energy justice in Detroit
In partnership with Detroit-based community organizations, Prof. Johanna Mathieu co-leads a team of researchers working to reduce disparities in household energy insecurity for low and moderate income households.Three members of ECE will represent U-M at the 2021 Rising Stars in EECS Workshop
PhD students Sijia Geng, Bahareh Hadidian, and Nasimeh Heydaribeni will participate in the intensive workshop that brings together outstanding women and gender minorities interested in pursuing academic careers in EECS.Sung Yul Chu wins IEEE Power Electronics Society PhD Thesis Talk Award
Chu is recognized for his research on wireless power transfer for electric vehicle charging.Four ECE graduate students recognized by NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program
Sijia Geng receives Barbour Scholarship to further her research in renewable energy systems
U-M, community partners tackle energy insecurity in three Detroit neighborhoods
Johanna Mathieu receives 2020 Henry Russel Award
Mathieu is one of four U-M faculty members to receive this award, the university’s highest honor for early to mid-career facultyBest paper award for optimizing wireless power transfer
Ian Hiskens receives MA Sargent Medal for a career of excellence in electrical engineering
Ian Hiskens, Vennema Professor of Engineering, is a renowned expert in power system dynamics with a special focus on renewable energy and the grid.‘Green methane’ from artificial photosynthesis could recycle CO2
Charging Ahead
Wireless charging is already taking hold. But imagine charging your home appliances or even your car without a single wire. Rackham electrical engineering student Xin Zan is working to make that—and more—a reality.The National Academy of Engineering invites Prof. Johanna Mathieu to symposium to advance the engineering frontier
New DOE project aims to convert a traditional engine into a hybrid OP engine with the help of control algorithms
Xin Zan wins the Towner Prize for his work advancing wireless power transfer
Md Salman Nazir works to improve the power grid and research papers
New research for the future of sustainable power and energy
Take a look at some of the exciting new projects that will help define the next evolution of sustainable power and energy.Battery economics could power the future of energy
How air conditioners could advance a renewable power grid
Johanna Mathieu receives NSF CAREER Award to help build a smarter, more sustainable grid
Johanna Mathieu receives Ernest and Bettine Kuh Distinguished Faculty Award
Blue Sky and Research Accelerator Initiatives fund solar fuel and high-power research
Blue Sky: Up to $10M toward research so bold, some of it just might fail
Xin Zan wins two awards for wireless power transfer research
Mengqi Yao receives High Quality Paper Award at PowerTech Conference
Stephanie Crocker Ross receives Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship
Sijia Geng awarded Towner Prize for Distinguished Academic Achievement
Game theory for electric vehicle charging
Seed-sized U-M computers pumped into oil wells featured at the Houston Museum of Natural Science
Using University of Michigan buildings as batteries
Anna Stuhlmacher: Power to change the world
MICDE grant funds renewable power research
EE student Leonard Kapiloff earns PES scholarship to support studies in secure, sustainable grid
Solving the “Christmas light” problem so solar panels can handle shade
Solar power plant: $1.4M grant aims to cut costs
Stephen Forrest Elected to National Academy of Sciences
Lights Out
New method for building a low-cost, high-performance electric machine and drive could result in huge energy savings
Modernizing the nation’s electric grid for alternative energy
Connor Field — Growing energy on a solar farm
Ian Hiskens receives stim money for wind energy