Background Cadmium telluride (CdTe) photovoltaic technology is considered one of the most successful commercial thin film solar cell technologies, boasting a power conversion efficiency of approximately 23%. Despite this achievement, the current power conversion efficiency for CdTe modules is still far from the theoretical power conversion efficiency...

Background All-inorganic perovskite solar cells (AI-PSCs) have emerged as a promising technology in the field of photovoltaics, offering significant advancements in efficiency and stability. Perovskite materials as solar energy absorbers are traditionally developed with hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites. These types of hybrid materials demonstrate...

In the field of power grid analysis, particularly in distribution systems, solving the power flow problem is fundamental for grid planning and operational decision-making. Traditionally, methods rely on iterative techniques and sparse linear solvers to find solutions. However, these approaches can be computationally intensive, require careful initialization,...

High frequency isolated resonant converters have found widespread application in the field of EV charging, solar inverters, switch mode power supplies, and aircraft power supplies, due to their higher power density and superior conversion efficiency. Specific applications include auxiliary power units used in more electric aircrafts that use fuel cell-based...

Real-time monitoring and control of distribution networks was traditionally deemed unnecessary because it had radial configuration, unidirectional power flows, and predictable load patterns. However, the fast growth of behind-the-meter generation, particularly solar photovoltaic, electric vehicles, and storage, is transitioning the distribution system...

The real-time operation and control of distribution systems has not been significantly automated due to limitation of communication infrastructure, real-time monitoring, and operational scheduling tools. Also, the energy democracy movement is resulting in more and more penetration of energy resources in electric distribution systems. With increasing...

Due to the recent emphasis on a more accurate representation of the electric distribution grid, several utilities now have extensive geographic information system (GIS) databases on distribution feeder equipment and conductor segments. These GIS databases have the ability to manage great amounts of geographical data constructed with spatial information...

Energy usage in the industrial sector has been increasing since 2007 and has been the largest energy consuming sector in the US (e.g., at nearly 33 quadrillion Btus in 2018). Industrial facilities are not only the largest end-use consumer of energy, but account for one-third of the total peak power demand in the US. This creates several challenges...

As the world gears up for the ongoing renewable energy revolution, the temporal variability of the renewable sources remains a big headache for designing a reliable electricity grid. A multi-level energy storage infrastructure is thus necessary to maintain high, year-round dispatchability. No technology that currently exists is ideally suited to meet...

Urban infrastructures are complex and vulnerable to cascading failures (e.g., a hurricane causing large-scale power outages). Understanding urban infrastructures, their relationships, and propensity for cascading failures is essential to preparing for future extreme events. Often seemingly innocuous failures trigger a catastrophic hazard as the initial...