This year’s PowerWeb conference, "Optimizing Today's Energy System for a Better Tomorrow," was successfully organized by the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of TU Delft. Presentations focused on research and insights addressing the following critical challenges around the electrical grid. With the energy transition, society will increasingly run on renewable electricity. However, the current electrical grid is not designed to handle such massive demand, and is already experiencing substantial stress. Renewable energy can also be intermittent (think: the sun does not shine 24/7), which can cause energy shortages or surpluses. In addition, some sectors, such as those that use heavy-duty vehicles (e.g. ships, ground, aviation), cannot run solely on electricity with current technology and need other forms of sustainable energy storage (e.g. hydrogen).
Sessions
Keynote by Jalal Kazempour
A keynote by Dr. Jalal Kazempour, who discussed integrating power-to-X hybrid power plant systems in the energy market and what optimization methods and insights are involved in modelling for non-linear properties of these plants and uncertainty regarding energy prices.
Keynote by John Simpson Porco
A Keynote by Dr. John Simpson-Porco who discussed methods and approaches to address the challenges associated with modern-day grid control with a focus on inverter-based resources.
Electric Vehicles and the Grid
A session on Electric Vehicles and the Grid – utilizing electric vehicles not just as a mode of transport but as a form of energy storage which can provide more flexibility in the grid, and various opportunities and challenges that lie ahead considering increases in electrical vehicle use.
