Presented by: Dr. Khaled Abdul-Rahman, Vice President of Power System and Market Technology, California ISO This webinar: Will provide a high level brief overview of the solutions and algorithms evolved over the last several decades to solve the short term unit scheduling problem. The focus is on the practically most used solutions to power systems operations. The discussion will include priority merit list, dynamic programming, Linear Programming, Lagrangian relaxation, Augmented Lagrangian relaxation, and the game changer Mixed Integer Program (MIP). The mathematical breakthroughs and efficient search algorithms used in recent MIP commercial solvers made MIP the algorithm of choice widely adopted by the power systems industry to solve such highly complex, non-convex, and combinatorial optimization problem. The huge reduction in the MIP optimization solution time, the ease of mathematical constraints modeling, and the increased solution quality transformed the real-time applications and made it possible to model large number of complex resources’ types like combined cycle units, startup times and cost, transition time and cost, dynamic ramp rates as functions of resources MW. These advances in MIP made it possible to also include unprecedented large set of cross-resources and cross-time intervals coupling constraints such as transmission, and environment constraints in optimizing operations in day-ahead and real-time applications. As illustrative example, the presentation will highlight the current large-scale mathematical MIP model sizes, solution times, and the optimal MIP integer gaps achieved in both day-ahead and real-time market applications at the California ISO’s production system. Presenter bio: Dr. Abdul-Rahman is currently serving as the Vice President of Power Systems & Market Technology division at the California ISO. In his role he oversees and directs different departments including Power Systems Technology Operations, Power Systems Technology Development, Software Engineering, IT Infrastructure, Architecture & Info Sec, and Corporate Systems. Dr. Abdul-Rahman has many publications in IEEE referred journals, proceedings, and conferences. He has also served on many thesis committees and executive panel discussions.

Presented by: Dr. Shuhui Li, University of Alabama This webinar series aims to provide fundamental knowledge and guideline on how to conduct solar photovoltaic system design and installation process. The webinar starts with a brief introduction to electric power systems as well as the clean development of modern electric power systems. Then, the webinar turns to one of the fastest-growing clean energy sectors – Solar Photovoltaic (PV). The webinar aims to provide an easy understanding way, with minimum theoretical involvement, to establish with quick understanding and skills on how to design and install a solar PV system. The topics include solar panels, solar inverters, batteries for solar PV systems, racking of solar panels, PV system design guidelines, PV system installation guide, and testing and troubleshooting. A significant number of practical figures, drawings, videos, and presentation animations will be utilized in the webinar series to build fundamental skills that would speed up trainees to get into the solar industry. Presenter bio: Dr. Shuhui Li received the B.S. and M.S. degrees in electrical engineering from Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China, in 1983 and 1988, respectively, and the Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA, in 1999. He joined the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA, as an Associate Professor, in 2006. He is a recipient of the IEEE Standards Association’s Emerging Technology Award for his contribution to IEEE Std. 2800-2022. He is the chair of the Pre_university Committee and Renewable Technologies Subcommittee with IEEE Power & Energy Society. His current research interests include renewable energy systems, power electronics, power systems, electric machines and drives, and applications of artificial intelligence and machine learning in power and energy systems. Dr. Li is a senior member of IEEE and the National Academy of Inventors.