RSI Research Seminar

Join us every other Monday at noon for lunch and a 30-minute research talk, presented by Resnick Sustainability Institute Graduate Fellows and Caltech researchers funded by the Resnick Sustainability Institute. To see the full schedule of speakers, visit the RSI Research Seminar web page. Seminars are currently in-person only. For more information, please reach out to [email protected]

A Digital Twin of the Electrical Distribution Grid

Electrical distribution grids today are experiencing rapid transformation with the proliferation of distributed energy resources (DERs) such as photovoltaic (PV) panels, electrical vehicles (EVs), and batteries. These devices are crucial to decarbonization, but they also bring new challenges. Issues such as stability, uncertainty, and constraint violations have been reported in distribution networks. Solving these challenges requires high-quality data.

With the support from RSI Impact Grant, we were able to explore, design, and install a sensor network across several sites in Southern California to support future distribution grid research, planning, and operations. We report the first densely deployed phasor and waveform measurement units in distribution grids and make the dataset generated publicly available.

To illustrate the value in this metering approach, we will discuss several enabled applications. We will share insights from previous and ongoing work with Pasadena Water and Power (PWP) towards the clean electricity by 2030 goal (Resolution 9977). This seminar is prepared to be accessible to a general audience without a background in power systems or electrical engineering.