“The New Distributed Energy Frontier: Challenges and Opportunities in Planning for Our Evolving Power Grid”
Thursday, April 16 at 1:00 pm
Via Zoom Teleconferencing
https://ufl.zoom.us/j/3523925225
Meeting ID: 352 392 5225
Meeting ID: 352 392 5225
Find your local number: https://ufl.zoom.us/u/aW1RrcfqK
Join by Skype for Business
https://ufl.zoom.us/skype/3523925225
Abstract
Power system planning and simulation veteran Hala Ballouz will speak about the elements that make up our electric grid network system, modeling challenges, and the significance of power flow studies. She will introduce, from the industry perspective, challenges that new technologies such as: renewables, battery storage, fast controls, communications, etc. are changing the way we currently run our studies. Her talk will explain why we must urgently ramp up large scale planning tools and studies at utilities to ensure that we design our future system, rather than react to new technologies. An example will be provided of how demand dispatch deployment can be at the forefront of supporting a sustainable and flexible grid.
Biography
Hala N. Ballouz has been a lead consultant in the electric power industry since 1991. She is the Owner and President of Electric Power Engineers, Inc. and a registered Professional Engineer (P.E.) with expertise focused on power systems and energy market study.
Ms. Ballouz has also been an advisor nationally and internationally on the integration of renewables and smart grid development. She is an innovator in the holistic study of planning and operation of transmission and distribution (T&D), and integration of generation, load, and distributed resources, including implementation of DERMS and Advanced Power Management Platforms.
Hala has also founded GridNEXT, while President of the Texas Renewables Energy Association (TREIA). She is also a board member of several organizations in the energy industry. She is currently leading the innovative development of integrating smart grids into T&D planning and operation through innovative software development and application. With her vision, she established a two-year contract with Texas A&M University’s Smart Grid Center to integrate EPE’s ENER-i distribution system analytics & DER platform to fuel innovation in holistic electrical grid planning.
Through an excellent team of power systems engineers, her company is on a path of growth to exceed 40% annually.