Abstract
The electric grid that we have known for more than a century must transform to meet the global challenge of climate change. The global transformation of power systems is underpinned by the need to displace fossil fuel-fired generation with renewable energy technologies (e.g., solar and wind technology backed by batteries) and to electrify everything where possible (e.g., the transportation sector starting with electric vehicles).
This transformation of power systems is in the face of the requirement to continue operating safely, reliably and stably and achieving this in an economic way.
Future electric grids must also be able to withstand more severe and frequent weather events resulting from climate change. In this presentation, we explore this problem through new approaches in control engineering that overcome unnecessary limitations on infrastructure utilisation.
Bio
Dr Elizabeth Ratnam earned her BEng (Hons I) degree in Electrical Engineering in 2006 and a PhD in Electrical Engineering in 2016, both from the University of Newcastle, Australia. She further honed her expertise through postdoctoral research positions at the University of California, San Diego, and the University of California, Berkeley, within the California Institute for Energy and Environment (CIEE).
From 2001 to 2012, Dr. Ratnam held key positions at Ausgrid, one of Australia’s largest electricity distribution networks.
Her contributions to the field earned her the Future Engineering Research Leader (FERL) Fellowship at The Australian National University (ANU), where she served as a Senior Lecturer and Sub-Dean for Educational Programs at the College of Engineering & Computer Science.
As of 2024, Dr. Ratnam continues to advance the frontiers of power systems research as an Associate Professor at Monash University.
A Senior Member of IEEE and a Fellow of Engineers Australia, Dr. Ratnam’s research is centered on pioneering new paradigms for operating power systems, with a strong focus on developing a resilient, carbon-neutral power grid.