The registration deadline has been extended until 8 am CDT on October 24, 2023 or until the capacity is full.
Electricity is the lifeblood of our modern society, and for most this electricity is supplied by large-scale, interconnected electric grids. Engineered as the ultimate in plug-and-play convenience, the wall outlet is actually the gateway to the world’s largest and most complex machine. The goal of this course is to provide a comprehensive introduction for those without an in-depth electric power engineering background on how such electric grids are designed and operated, and on how they are likely to change in the future. The electric grid of the past, which was primarily power by large-scale fossil-fuel generators, is no longer a reality and the current system is rapidly changing. The integration of vast amounts of renewable generation resources along with the addition of new technologies such as energy storage and large amounts of digital technology supporting its design and operation, also known as the smart grid, are presenting many new opportunities and challenges. This course is focused on providing a non-technical introduction for those who need to understand the design and operation of electric grids.
The course philosophy is to provide in-depth coverage of the topics, but to do so using a practical, hands-on approach with abundant examples. Throughout the course concepts will be illustrated using common industrial analysis and simulation tools including PowerWorld Simulator. Collectively the five course instructors have wide experience in this area doing electric power system studies, software tool development, research and engineering education (Hours: CEU 2.1, PDH 21).
Who Should Attend
The course is designed to provide introductory coverage of the design and operation of large-scale electric grids for people without an electric power engineering background. It is ideally suited for those who work in areas associated with the electric grid and need to better understand electric power engineering but don’t possess a technical degree. Hence the course is appropriate for non-technical professionals at electric utilities and other companies in the electric power industry as well as for staff at regulatory agencies, government officials, developers, investment bankers, etc. This short course is particularly useful for those who manage electric power engineers, for new engineers from other disciplines, for academics wishing to gain practical knowledge in this important area, and for graduate students interested in careers in the power industry.
This course counts toward the Texas A&M Certificate in Electrical Power Engineering.
Topics
- Introduction and history of the electric grid
- Components of the electric grid
- Overview of how electric grids are operated
- Modeling electric grids at the transmission level
- Modeling electric grids at the distribution level
- Common engineering analysis tools
- Interconnected grid simulations
- Electricity markets
- How the electric grid is planned
- Electric grid protection
- Policy and regulator issues
- The role of NERC and regional committees
- Electric grid dynamics
- Impacts of renewable resources and energy storage on the grid
- Electric grid cyber security
- Improving electric grid resiliency
- Emerging technologies and their potential impact
- “SmartGrid” or Grid Modernization
Dates and Times
October 24-26, 2023, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Location
The short course will be held in person at the Center for Infrastructure Renewal, RELLIS Campus.
Registration
Registration fee is $1,795. Discount of 25% is available for employees of Smart Grid Center member companies. For more information on the discount, contact SGC@tamu.edu.
More information on the instructors of this short course is posted here.