Innovation in Microgrids

Poor energy access is “an endemic and crippling problem” according to the Center for Global Development. That may explain, in part, why the UN has elevated the issue to a place among its Sustainable Development Goals, aiming to ensure that everybody worldwide has access to affordable energy. Microgrids are becoming an increasingly important means of delivering power to communities with spotty access or no access at all to a central grid. Microgrids can stand alone or provide backup to the central grid in case of blackouts. As these technologies continue to advance, so do the benefits.

This webinar will explore insights and innovation in microgrids with four experts in the power and energy sector.

Join this webinar to:
• Understand microgrids and their place among the possible energy solutions
• Hear updates about technology advances that can drive scale
• Recognize potential challenges to their viability

Presenters: 

Dr. Henry Louie is an Associate Professor and Fr. Francis Wood Endowed Research Chair in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Seattle University. His research areas include electricity access in developing communities, renewable energy and appropriate technology. He is the President and Co-founder of KiloWatts for Humanity, a non-profit organization providing electricity access and business opportunities in sub-Saharan Africa. Dr. Louie served as a Fulbright Scholar to Copperbelt University in Kitwe, Zambia. He is recognized as a Distinguished Lecturer of the IEEE and is an Associate Editor of the journal Energy for Sustainable Development.

Omer Ghani is an entrepreneur with a passion for enabling energy independence, energy access and eliminating the impact of climate change. Omer is commercializing technologies in distributed renewable energy, energy storage and e-mobility, that will significantly increase energy independence, energy access, and reduce green-house gases all over the world.

Jay Taneja is an Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He develops and studies applications of sensing and communications technology on the measurement and control of infrastructure systems in the developing and developed world. Prior to joining UMass, he was a Research Scientist leading the Energy team at the IBM Research – Africa lab in Nairobi, Kenya, from 2013 to 2016. There, he focused on developing technology to improve electricity reliability and access in sub-Saharan Africa. He earned his Ph.D. and M.S. in Computer Science at the University of California – Berkeley, where for his dissertation work, he built and studied supply-following electricity loads that change electricity consumption to match fluctuations of increasingly renewable electricity supplies. He earned his B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering at The Ohio State University.

Moderator:

Frank Bergh is VP of Grid Engineering for Sigora International with experience in renewable energy in a variety of contexts from community-driven systems to utility-scale power plants. He’s an Instructor for Village Earth, teaching web-based courses on Appropriate Technology and Community Based Development at Colorado State University. He’s been an active leader within Engineers Without Borders USA since 2005. Follow Frank on Twitter: @FrankBergh.