Electric Energy and Power Panel Sessions S.S. (Mani) Venkata University of Washington, Seattle, WA venkata@ee.washington.edu 520-820-8005 2011 ECEDHA Annual Conference Phoenix, AZ March 13, 2011
Background Not many significant changes have happened in power until 1980 s Radical changes have happened since 1980 s Deregulation New technologies New materials Communications, control and computation 3/14/2011 2
Background Now is the exciting time to embrace new energy and power: Cyber and Physical Systems (CPS) It could be also mean Smart Grid Intelligent Gird Emerging Grid It all means energy and power embraces various disciplines in engineering 3/14/2011 3
Developments to date ECEDHA Board submitted a proposal last summer on new power and energy education Pre-workshop took place during October 30-31, 2010 The main workshop took place during November 1-2, 2010 The report is distributed to all of you at this meeting 3/14/2011 4
Two-day Pre-workshop Summary The meeting was held on October 30-31, 2010 About 20 (invited) attendees attending two days before the ECEDHA meeting Sponsorship: NSF, International Engineering Consortium (IEC), ECEDHA NOT SINCE 1970 HAS THERE BEEN THIS LEVEL OF OPPORTUNITY, EXCITEMENT AND MOMENTUM FOR ECE DEPARTMENTS TO LEAD IN ELECTRIC POWER AND ENERGY ENGINEERING 5
A few strategic points In the future, energy utilization in general shall be more electrified. ECE programs should seize this opportunity to address this area. Energy engineering spans a wide range of technological areas: e.g., biomedical, aero, transportation, agricultural, civil infrastructures, chemical, automotive. 6
A few strategic points One pillar of the future of electrical engineering education is energy sustainability. We need to incorporate system methods into energy engineering education. These points might be viewed as part of a roadmap for ECE departments. 3/14/2011 7
Managing challenges to the power and energy programs Building energy programs / the definition of a sustainable core program in the area The breadth of the educational program depends on local needs and balance of teaching vs. research, but programs that encompass the field should include systems, T&D, energy conversion, power market infrastructures 8
Managing challenges to the power and energy programs Sustainability of research funding Propagation of the concept of course in a box and similar inexpensive techniques to cover the field are not suitable to address the energy area in a comprehensive education and research-oriented program Aging professorate and need to encourage the next generation of energy professors 3/14/2011 9
Main Workshop Report This draft report summarizes the discussions and conclusion of that workshop and includes a complete set of presentation materials used by the various participants. 3/14/2011 10
Main Workshop report summary Electrical and computer engineering will be required to lead the development of advancements in energy systems technologies. While energy systems will be one of the signal areas of challenge in engineering in general, it remains the case that the electricity grid is, and will only grow in importance as, the backbone of energy systems. In addition, electrical systems will grow in importance as many systems including transportation electrify and move to the use of the electrical infrastructure. 3/14/2011 11
Main Workshop report summary The development, deployment, and use of electrical energy systems technologies as well as the guarantee of their use in a secure, efficient and reliable manner will require a highly trained workforce educated in a broader range of technologies than the power systems engineers of a previous generation. This new generation of engineers will not only need to understand traditional power systems technologies but will also have to be expert in technologies not previously considered as a part of power systems. 3/14/2011 12
Main Workshop report summary Areas that are of growing importance as the new electrical energy infrastructure is developed include sensors and sensor networks, networking and communications, software systems development for modeling and control, and security. It is this integration of power systems with information technologies that will define the new energy systems infrastructure and the engineers that will be required to advance and use this infrastructure. 3/14/2011 13
Main Workshop report summary The industry need for the development of the appropriate workforce in terms of the required expertise is exacerbated by the aging of the current power systems workforce and the impending retirements of many of its members. 3/14/2011 14
Main Workshop report summary It is against this background that the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department Heads Association (ECEDHA) with the support of the National Science Foundation and the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade hosted a workshop bringing together leaders from across North America in academia, industry and government. 3/14/2011 15
Main Workshop report summary The workshop addressed the developments in energy systems technologies and the academic programs that will serve the needs of students in terms of their careers, of industry in terms of their short and medium term workforce requirements, and of society in general for reliable and sustainable energy systems in the long term. 3/14/2011 16
Main Workshop report summary Sessions within the workshop included keynote presentations, panel discussions, and workshop discussions by representatives of government and industry presenting the current and future energy systems landscape, the needs for faculty development, the expectations of students, the needs of facilities development, and the needs of industry. 3/14/2011 17
Future Plans and Action Items The concept of a 1, 2, or 3 week summer workshop, run each year for 5 years, a honorific summer workshop fellowship For faculty, post-docs, and graduate students Organization, financing, and technical sponsorship by NSF, IEC, IEEE, ECEDHA How to distinguish between cost and value? Objective: develop synergy between computer, other ECE disciplines and power engineers so that they talk the same language 18
Future Plans and Action Items Fits with cyber-physical systems vision Potential topics: Education: Planning for the first workshop in July 2011 at Georgia Tech Research: Cyber Physical System 3/14/2011 19