John McDonald, GE Grid Solutions - Smart Grid Business Development Leader, IEEE PES Past President, U. S. National Academy of Engineering, IEEE Life Fellow, CIGRE Honorary Member

Topic: Grid Modernization: Technological Advancements Beyond Smart Grid

Abstract: This talk will familiarize participants with a vision for Grid Modernization, focusing on technological advancements beyond Smart Grid. The technological advancements include discussions of key industry/societal trends, the need for a Strong Grid (communications infrastructure, IT infrastructure) before a Smart Grid, Smart Grid concepts, holistic Smart Grid solutions, managing different types of data for grid operations, big data, analytics, Internet of Things (IoT), IT/OT convergence, enterprise data management, Smart Grid standards and interoperability, and the journey to digital transformation.

Biography; John D. McDonald, P.E., is Smart Grid Business Development Leader for GE's Grid Solutions business. John has 46 years of experience in the electric utility transmission and distribution industry. John received his B.S.E.E. and M.S.E.E. degrees from Purdue University, and an M.B.A. degree from the University of California-Berkeley. John is a Life Fellow of IEEE (member for 49 years), and was awarded the IEEE Millennium Medal, the IEEE Power & Energy Society (PES) Excellence in Power Distribution Engineering Award, the IEEE PES Substations Committee Distinguished Service Award, the IEEE PES Meritorious Service Award, the 2015 CIGRE Distinguished Member Award and the 2015 CIGRE USNC Attwood Associate Award. John is Past President of the IEEE PES, the VP for Technical Activities for the US National Committee (USNC) of CIGRE, the Past Chair of the IEEE PES Substations Committee, and the IEEE Division VII Past Director. John was on the Board of Governors of the IEEE-SA (Standards Association) and is an IEEE Foundation Director-Elect. John received the 2009 Outstanding Electrical and Computer Engineer Award from Purdue University. John teaches a Smart Grid course at the Georgia Institute of Technology, a Smart Grid course for GE, and Smart Grid courses for various IEEE PES local chapters as an IEEE PES Distinguished Lecturer. John has published one hundred fifty papers and articles, has co-authored five books and has one US patent.

Professor Mario Paolone, Chair of Distributed Electrical Systems laboratory - EPFL, IEEE Fellow

Topic: Next-gen automation of power distribution systems based on time-synchronised sensing

Abstract; Power distribution systems automation refers to the set of control and monitoring technologies to optimize and streamline the operation of this part of the electrical infrastructure.The emerging availability of time-synchronised measurements and signal characterisations techniques (e.g., phasor measurement units, point-on-wave data, compressed sensing) specifically conceived to operate in power distribution systems, enables to re-shape the automation processes associated to multiple functions such as: fault detection and isolation,switching operations, voltage regulation, lines congestions as well as load balancing and dispatching. Within this context, the keynote discusses the technological and methodological advancements in time-synchronised sensing for the monitoring, control and protection of future
power distribution networks.

Biography; Mario Paolone (M’07, SM’10, F’22) received the M.Sc. (with hons.) and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Bologna, Italy, in 1998 and 2002. In 2005, he was an Assistant Professor in power systems with the University of Bologna, where he was with the Power Systems Laboratory until 2011. Since 2011, he has been with the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland, where he is Full Professor and the Chair of the Distributed Electrical Systems Laboratory. His research interests are on power systems with particular reference to real-time monitoring and operational aspects, power systems protections, dynamics and transients. Dr. Paolone’s most significant contributions are in the field of PMU-based situational awareness of Active Distribution Networks (ADNs) and in the field of exact, convex and computationally-efficient methods for the optimal planning and operation of ADNs. Dr. Paolone was the founder Editor-in-Chief of the Elsevier journal Sustainable Energy, Grids and Networks.

Professor Christian Rehtanz, Head of the Institute of Energy Systems, Energy Efficiency and Energy Economics (ie3) - TU Dortmund University, member of Academy of Science Berlin-Brandenburg, IEEE Fellow

Topic: Digitalization as key to energy system transformation

Abstract; The transformation of energy systems towards renewables requires loads, storages and generation flexibilities while avoiding grid overloads. To organize millions of distributed devices, digital processes based on information and communication technologies are required. This keynote addresses aspects and approaches for grid automation and coordination of flexibilities to achieve a robust and resilient system operation. The automation functions must operate as far as possible autonomously and their engineering must follow automated processes for their large-scale rollout. Requirements for digitalization and ICT will be specified.

Biography; Christian Rehtanz received his diploma degree in electrical engineering at the TU Dortmund University, Germany, in 1994 and his Ph.D. in 1997. In 2003 he received the venia legendi in electrical power systems at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETHZ). From 2000 on he worked at ABB Corporate Research, Switzerland. He became head of technology for the global ABB business area of power systems in 2003 and director of ABB Corporate Research in China in 2005. Since 2007 Rehtanz has been head of the Institute of Energy Systems, Energy Efficiency and Energy Economics (ie3) at the TU Dortmund University. He is a member of the Academy of Science Berlin-Brandenburg in Germany and Fellow of IEEE. Rehtanz’ research activities in the field of electrical power systems and power economics include technologies for network enhancement and congestion relief like stability assessment, coordinated network-control, Smart Grid Technologies and ICT for power system control and operation as well as integration and control of distributed generation, storages and electric vehicles.