TOPICS
The integration of clean energy generation sources
INAMORI SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AT THE
NEW YORK STATE COLLEGE OF CERAMICS
First Annual
AUenergy Symposium
Future of Electrical Grid Systems
Friday, October 12, 2018
10 am – 2 pm
A
lfred University brings energy industry
professionals, clean energy engineers, and
technology students together for the First
Annual AUenergy Symposium in October 2018. The
theme of this inaugural event, Future of Electrical
Grid Systems, aims to propel sustained efforts among
a diverse array of clean energy industries.
At issue is envisioning and harnessing the expanding
potentials of collaboration among high-tech
industries toward building and securing macro-
scale electrical grid systems that can respond to
changing local and global needs and pressures into
the next century. Growing secure grid systems starts
with educating today’s and tomorrow’s engineers.
The first aim is to conceptualize the opportunities
for and threats against highly advanced smart grid
systems to define system ends and means. Then the
grid energy industry can utilize cloud-computing-
based controls systems, nano-scale materials science,
and clean energy technologies to develop stable
yet dynamic approaches to one of the grandest
challenges of engineering.
This First Annual AUenergy Symposium focuses
the current and emerging generations of clean
energy engineers on the issues, questions, goals,
and approaches needed to develop best practices
for the entire industry. The educational and energy
infrastructure resources of the Western New York
region are already poised to lead the nation, via
collaboration, through a deliberate process of
knowledge transfer that can question and shall shape
the future of “grid” power policy.
To register, please visit:
auconnect.alfred.edu/event/2571328
Infrastructures
Reliability refers to the delivery of high quality
Solar and Wind Grid Integration as New York State
moves toward its goals for expansion of renewables
With many years of research/development/practice,
power engineers now have methods/technologies
to control traditional power generation from gas, oil,
coal, nuclear, and hydro. Power loads continuously
change to match user needs, but some randomness
may be predictable based on the past usage and/or
routines established by certain rules/regulations. (For
example, many businesses typically operate between
7 am and 5 pm weekdays, and their power usage is
fairly constant during those hours.)
The new problem is that both solar and wind
energy sources are intermittent, so the regularities
and patterns of the supply are difficult to predict.
Clouds affect radiation intensities on the solar
harvesters, and wind velocity is never constant. Also,
in New York State and other regions, independent
system operators, who buy and sell electricity as a
commodity, make plans a day ahead of schedule and/
or a week ahead of schedule. Integrating intermittent
solar and wind supplies is a very challenging task to
the operators.
What data analysis techniques can the industry
envision and develop to meet the challenges of
integrating renewables reliably?
Cybersecurity and Interoperability
AU
Interoperability among modern local/regional
power grid systems can provide robust and reliable
delivery that can respond to changing user needs
and problems (e.g., weather events) in real time. To
achieve interoperability, the capabilities of two or
more networks, systems, devices, applications, or
components must be shared securely and effectively.
However, smart grid systems are vulnerable to power
grid disruptions, unauthorized data access from
attempted cyber intrusions, and losses of critical
functions during intentional cyber assaults.
Cyber security is the key to modern power grid
systems, and interoperability depends on reliable
controls and communications. What are the
necessary steps to ensure cyber security by
eliminating, reducing, and/or preventing data
breaches?
System Reliability and Resiliency
and the high-tech advancement of Western New
York’s economy offer a unique opportunity for home-
grown industrial expansion that responds to local,
national, and international needs for power and
security.
Based on power generation and consumption
trends and projections, Western New York must add
new generators, transmission lines, power stations,
and power delivery systems to meet the needs
for a reliable, sustainable, and resilient power grid
infrastructure.
Expanding networks of long-distance transmission
lines to integrate wind/solar power generation sites
complicates interoperability and security. What will
the eventual power grid system infrastructures look
like, and how can we ensure their protection from
physical and cyber attacks?
Grid Workforce Initiatives
With its concentration of expertise, its diverse
STEM- and business-rich educational institutions, its
already deep investment in renewable energy, and
its geographic location, Western New York is poised
for transforming expansion of the nation’s high-tech
energy grid industry.
The only obstacle is a shortage of qualified people.
This growth potential urgently and critically needs
a knowledgeable, capable workforce who can
comprehend, design, build, maintain, operate, and
manage cyber-physical systems. An imminent
retirement wave is starting to make the transitions
even more challenging.
How shall we make the most of the little time
available to create smart educational initiatives
that will supply a robust workforce? Beyond or
within current STEM education, what fundamental
knowledge must the upcoming generation(s) of
grid power engineers possess? We have to re-
conceptualize how academic and industrial sectors
collaborate to ensure responsive knowledge transfer
in real time because the industry faces continuously
emerging challenges. Let’s view this moment as an
opportunity as much as a challenge.
electricity while meeting quantity requirements. It
can be measured by interruptions; for example, if a
light is always on with consistent illumination, the
system reliability is high. Resilience reflects a system’s
abilities to reduce magnitudes and/or durations of
disruptive events.
Some clean/renewable energy generation methods
challenge the presumed standards of reliability and
resiliency. Specific features of solar and wind power
force us to:
• reckon with the limits of infrastructure and learn to
compensate for those limits
• rethink scalable, redundant, adjustable models of
interoperability
• apply data management to more local needs for
security, reliability, and resiliency.
Can we design resilient community power systems
that resist disruption?
Data Analytics in Power and Energy
Power generators’ utilizations and downtimes are
key performance parameters, known as security
constrained unit commitment (SCUC). Data for
instantaneous power consumptions and generations
is extremely valuable. Advanced control systems can
obtain large volumes of data via sensors, meters, and
IoTs (Internet of Things).
If this data can be analyzed and utilized in real time,
then advanced control systems can monitor and
control power generators, grids, and power stations.
We need to figure out the statistical mathematics
needed to configure and drive artificial intelligence
(AI) so that we can apply it to promote energy
efficiencies and clean energy penetrations.
Energy Forecasting
Energy forecasting uses historical data and second-
ahead data to predict energy consumption and
production. Such forecasting is crucial to maintain
approximate energy balance (between consumption
and production).
continued
Energy Forecasting continued Data integration serves social integration’s role in Participants
guiding a mass society’s progress toward the goal of a Managers and engineers from NYPA, NYSEG, RG&E,
Solar PV harvesters on rooftops and behind-the-meter
sustainable economy. National Grid, NYISO, EPRI, NYSERDA, NREL, Steuben
harvesters respond to light conditions moment by
moment. The solar eclipse in 2017 taught us valuable Rural Power Co.
Thus, the ethics of the uses of the data becomes a
F I R S T A N N U A L

AU
lessons about how deeply such individual systems
central concern. How shall we guide notions of what Professors, teachers, and students from universities,
affect larger productions.
we are doing all of this for, and for whose benefit, colleges, and high schools.
and how those benefits shall be shared?
To ensure effective energy forecasting, it is crucial
that the industry design and connect/network control
Marketing and Energy Trading Policy
systems that are guided by algorithms based on
statistics and machine learning. Electricity affects the well-being and life-qualities
of entire populations. Its metaphysical presence far
EPRI S Y M P O S I U M
Dr. John Simmins
Error Reduction outshines its physical presence. Technical Executive
Traditionally, power grids are simple and
straightforward: large generators supply power to
As with other commodities in different markets,
Information & Communication
Technology (ICT) Program
Future of
loads that are delivered in one-way/forward-bias
system operators buy, process, sell, and move bulk
electricity in its journey from power generators to
Power Delivery and Utilization Sector Electrical Grid Systems
fashion. Electric Power Research Institute
users. Does the current system privilege certain Knoxville, TN
stakeholders’ interests and profits?
Today, however, more distributed power generators
are connected to the grid systems, along with solar/ NYSEG and RG&E
An integrated approach is required to involve Mr. Brian Conroy, P.E.
wind generation sites. With such increased complexity
engineers, social scientists, energy producers, Director of Network Projects
of systems, error probability for operations increases,
business people, policy makers, regulators, and and Initiatives
which would undercut progress with security,
consumers in marketing and energy trading. What Smart Grids Planning
efficiency, and cost containment.
kinds of policy initiatives need to be started now and Portland, ME
maintained throughout the life cycle of this new
To reduce errors, entire grid architectures should be
generation of electricity? UL
re-designed to respond to changing energy demands,
changing threats and risks to system integrity, and Dr. Daniel Kirk-Davidoff
changing energy inputs from both the growing clean/ Symposium Format Lead Research Scientist
renewable energy sources and the traditional energy Grid Solutions
Invited experts from the grid energy industry speak UL
sources in ways that optimize the effective input by the
on the ten topics during panel discussions. Albany, NY
clean/renewable energy sources.
For each topic, a moderator makes a short
What will it take to create new AI models for reducing presentation about the changing situation and the Energy Solutions Consortium, LLC
errors? How will public policy for energy production main issues and problems. Then a panel of four Andrew Dorn
and regulation have to change? or five persons discuss the matter with the goal of President
producing takeaways and action points for future Energy Solutions Consortium, LLC
Big Data Analysis work. Ongoing collaborations shall set the program Herndon, VA
Besides physical data for power grid operations, data for discussions at the Second Annual AUenergy
analytics (can) produce huge amounts of data about Symposium in 2019.
electricity consumers, such as usage habits and For more information
Parking
routines, reactions to price variations and regulatory McLane Physical Education Center Parking Lot Laura Grove, Graduate & Faculty Secretary
surcharges, and their opinions. Analyzing big data Alfred University
may reveal correlations between grid operations and Schedule for Meetings Inamori School of Engineering
10 am – 12 noon Nevins Theater; 12 noon – 1 pm at the New York State College of Ceramics
consumers’ desires.
Kenyon-Allen Room (Working-Lunch/Students’ poster
Friday, October 12, 2018
1 Saxon Drive
session); and 1 pm – 2 pm, Nevins Theater 10 am – 2 pm
However, all of the data and interpretations never Alfred, NY 14802
appear on a mere blank slate. For policy makers and grovel@alfred.edu Alfred University Campus
To register, please visit:
business leaders, big data-driven decision processes 607-871-2449 Alfred, New York
auconnect.alfred.edu/event/2571328
are crucial for mass communication in mass societies.