Staff spotlight: Making renewable energy more secure

Making the integration of renewable energy into traditional power grids more secure is a key focus for Senior Lecturer in Renewable Energy Dr Feifei Bai, who recently joined Griffith.

A member of Griffith’s Institute for Integrated and Intelligent Systems, Dr Bai’s research uses real-time data streaming to predict potential power grid outages, with the aim of stopping them before they happen.

Dr Bai says her focus is on developing new technologies to solve existing and emerging problems in the renewable energy field.

“I am developing new technologies to predict impending power failures online based on real-time data and machine learning techniques to revolutionise the existing monitoring approaches,”

SHE SAYS.

She is currently in the process of creating an online platform to provide real-time alerts to energy providers so they can send a team into the field to address potential issues, before there is a power outage. 

Her research draws on her experience working and studying across countries, in China, United States of America and Australia, and also extends into the impact of electric vehicles on the power grid and finding solutions to emerging challenges in this area.

She has led three research projects in the area of renewable energy, has been granted a US patent, and she actively collaborates with industry, including Energy Queensland, NOJA Power, Powerlink, and Australian Energy Market Operator.

In addition to her ground-breaking research in renewable energy, Dr Bai will also be sharing her passion and expertise with students, through the introduction of a new course, 4018ENG Renewable Energy Integration into the Modern Power Grid.

This course covers renewable energy integration technologies, grid codes around the world and in Australia, the main technical challenges associated with renewable energy integration, methods of analysis, and solutions to mitigate the challenges. 

Dr Bai says she hopes she can cultivate more students at Griffith to contribute to renewable energy and the electrical power sector.

“Renewable energy is an exciting and important field that students should consider investigating, which can deliver practical outcomes to create impact locally, as well as globally,”

Dr Bai says.

To learn more about studying a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) visit the Griffith University website, or if you’re interested in undertaking a research degree in the area of renewable energy please contact Dr Bai directly to discuss further.