MENU Home > News
News Feed
Xavier Farrell earns NAPS 2024 presentation award for work to predict household savings on electricity bills
Farrell’s PhD work focuses on forecasting long-term financial outcomes for households switching electricity rate plans based on recommendation systems.Johanna Mathieu receives DOE C3E Award for achievements in clean energy research
Mathieu has devoted her career to reducing the environmental impact of the current power system, often in partnership with energy companies and local communities.Wired: August 13, 2024
Extreme Weather Poses a Challenge for Heat Pumps
Prof. Johanna Mathieu weighs in on the value of home heat pumps to help balance the electric load on the grid.Austin Lin awarded IEEE PES Prize Conference Paper for work quantifying HVAC load-shifting efficiency
PhD student Austin Lin presented his award-winning research at the 2024 IEEE Power & Energy Society General Meeting in Seattle.MLive.com: May 21, 2024
Nuclear is getting a reaction in Michigan. Is it reaching critical mass?
Johanna Mathieu, ECE associate professor and associate director of the Institute for Energy Solutions, discusses the nuances of nuclear energy use as a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels in this story by MLive.May 1, 2024
Energy storage for grid reliability can increase carbon emissions
“Because electricity markets are complicated with multiple products being traded and changes in one market affecting the others, adding new technologies to the grid can have unintended consequences,” said Johanna Mathieu in this story by Utility Dive.Integrating battery storage into electrical grids can sometimes increase emissions due to market forces
An electricity market analysis found adding battery storage to enhance grid reliability may cause power generation markets to favor coal over natural gas.February 8, 2024
How EV batteries can power up your house during outage
Prof. Al-Thaddeus Avestruz describes using an electric vehicle to power their home in the advent of a power outage.Large open dataset aims to improve understanding of building electricity demand response
Data collected from 14 commercial buildings can help inform efforts to balance electrical grids, maintaining reliability.Living Labs: testing energy efficiency and flexibility in University buildings
Researchers advocate for pairing real-world data with model-based simulations to help the U.S. decarbonize and electrify commercial buildings.Ian Hiskens paraglides into retirement
Hiskens is a renowned expert in power system dynamics, who made significant contributions to integrating renewable energy sources into the grid during his 15 years at Michigan.Research seeking to improve integration of renewable energy into the grid wins R&D 100 award
Led by Prof. Johanna Mathieu, the project utilizes strategic control of air conditioners to improve the overall efficiency and reliability of the power grid.The Wall Street Journal: August 22, 2023
The U.S. Is Turning Away From Its Biggest Scientific Partner at a Precarious Time
Prof. Ian Hiskens comments on the potential impact on the research community if the U.S. and China sever ties.PBS News Hour: July 10, 2023
How Can Electric Vehicles Overcome Their Limitations?
This episode of “The Sweaty Penguin” explores what possibilities electric vehicles present, what challenges stand in the way, and how those hurdles can be overcome and features special guest Prof. Al-Thaddeus Avestruz.Equity in the energy technology transition is new Institute’s goal
Prof. Johanna Mathieu is the new Associate Director of the Institute for Energy Solutions, which will continue U-M’s 75-year legacy of leadership in energy research.Johanna Mathieu awarded 2023 IEEE PES Wanda Reder Pioneer in Power Award
Mathieu is a national leader on research to reduce the environmental impact, cost, and inefficiency of electric power systems.Team working to reduce energy burdens in Detroit recognized with Michigan Difference Student Leadership Award
PhD students Joshua Brooks, Xavier Farrell, and Madeline Miller are part of an NSF Smart and Connected Communities project that partners with local Detroit organizations to reduce household energy insecurity.University of Michigan: March 22, 2023
Developing anti-racist practices, protocols & interventions
Prof. Johanna Mathieu is featured on this panel hosted by the University of Michigan’s National Center for Institutional Diversity regarding the importance of anti-racist practices, protocols, and interventions.March 13, 2023
Interfacing renewable energy infrastructure and human behavior to pursue energy security | Forum
Prof. Johanna Mathieu was a featured speaker at the Cell Press Sustainability Forum regarding the feasibility and major roadblocks of renewable energy as a vehicle to pursue energy security in residential and commercial sectors.FOX: March 1, 2023
Thousands of customers remain without power across Michigan following ice storm
Ian Hiskens, Vennema Professor of Engineering, talks to Fox Weather about why thousands of customers are still waking up to no power following last week’s ice storm.Streamlining home assessments for energy justice
In a partnership with Ecoworks, Pecan Street, and Jefferson East, Prof. Johanna Mathieu is helping create a better process for Detroit homes to benefit from decarbonization, electrification, and renewable energy integration.CNET: October 28, 2022
Our Ailing Power Grid Isn’t Cut Out for Climate Change
CNET interviews Prof. Johanna Mathieu about how we improve the power grid and integrate more renewable energy to mitigate the effects of climate change.Popular Science: August 23, 2022
Why hasn’t Henry Ford’s ideal power grid become a reality?
Johanna Mathieu sees a cooperative approach to energy usage as one of the solutions to a more sustainable approach to powering homes and businesses.Smithsonian: August 11, 2022
This 17-Year-Old Designed a Motor That Could Potentially Transform the Electric Car Industry
Prof. Heath Hofmann is quoted in this article by the Smithsonian about the sustainable manufacturing of electric vehicles that do not require rare-earth magnets.WXYZ: June 15, 2022
Agency warns of power grid failures; DTE says it has ‘enough electricity’ in Michigan
Prof. Ian Hiskens comments on this story about potential energy grid disruptions this summer in Michigan during severe heat waves.Detroit Free Press: June 13, 2022
It won’t be easy for DTE Energy to retire huge, coal-fired Monroe power plant
Prof. Ian Hiskens is interviewed in this feature by the Detroit Free Press.Anna Stuhlmacher awarded Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship for her research that could help integrate renewable energy sources into the power grid
Stuhlmacher is working to optimize the interaction between the power distribution network and the drinking water distribution network to improve the sustainability, flexibility, and resiliency of both systems.Al-Thaddeus Avestruz receives CAREER Award to advance sustainable energy storage
Using retired electric vehicle batteries, the project plans to enable widespread and equitable access to sustainable power and energy through sustainable energy storage.Optimizing the interactions between critical infrastructure systems for better flexibility, sustainability, and resiliency
PhD student Anna Stuhlmacher researches how the water distribution network can better provide services to the power network, which can allow for greater integration of renewable energy sources into the grid, reduce costs, and improve system resiliency.Heath Hofmann named IEEE Fellow for his impact in the areas of electric machinery and drive systems
Prof. Hofmann’s control technology has been implemented in commercial vehicles, and he works tirelessly to enhance opportunities for underrepresented students.New collaborative project for advancing energy justice in Detroit
In partnership with Detroit-based community organizations, Prof. Johanna Mathieu co-leads a team of researchers working to reduce disparities in household energy insecurity for low and moderate income households.Three members of ECE will represent U-M at the 2021 Rising Stars in EECS Workshop
PhD students Sijia Geng, Bahareh Hadidian, and Nasimeh Heydaribeni will participate in the intensive workshop that brings together outstanding women and gender minorities interested in pursuing academic careers in EECS.August 11, 2021
VIDEO: Grid-interactive efficient buildings
Prof. Johanna Mathieu and Shunbo Lei organized and spoke on a panel examining how energy efficiency and demand response interplay with each other in grid-interactive efficient buildings (GEBs)Sung Yul Chu wins IEEE Power Electronics Society PhD Thesis Talk Award
Chu is recognized for his research on wireless power transfer for electric vehicle charging.July 13, 2021
Energy equity depends on data, and experts say there isn’t enough of it
Utility Dive interviews Prof. Johanna Mathieu about her work with energy testbed, Pecan Street, which is expanding its residential network into Detroit to gather more insights from communities of color regarding the clean energy transition.Xin Zan awarded Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship to advance research in wireless power transfer
Zan’s research on high frequency power converters for wireless power transfer has a wide range of applications
Four ECE graduate students recognized by NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program
Four ECE doctoral students were selected for their outstanding research work in a variety of disciplines.
Sijia Geng receives Barbour Scholarship to further her research in renewable energy systems
Sijia is working to ensure the safety, stability and cost effectiveness of future power systems that are dominated by renewable resources, through fundamental studies of system operation.
U-M, community partners tackle energy insecurity in three Detroit neighborhoods
Johanna Mathieu is one of four principal investigators on a project to improve home energy efficiency and to lower monthly utility bills.
Johanna Mathieu receives 2020 Henry Russel Award
Mathieu is one of four U-M faculty members to receive this award, the university’s highest honor for early to mid-career facultyBest paper award for optimizing wireless power transfer
Prof. Al-Thaddeus Avestruz and PhD student Xin Zan were honored at the IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition for their work improving the efficiency and reliability of wireless power transfer.
Optimizing energy
Postdoc Fellow Shunbo Lei, who works to improve the efficiency and function of the power grid, was honored by the IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid.Ian Hiskens receives MA Sargent Medal for a career of excellence in electrical engineering
Ian Hiskens, Vennema Professor of Engineering, is a renowned expert in power system dynamics with a special focus on renewable energy and the grid.The Washington Post: November 7, 2019
Elon Musk says he has the solution for California’s fire-related blackouts. It starts at $15,000.
Prof. Ian Hiskens comments on using rooftop-mounted solar and battery storage as a way to achieve energy independence.The Washington Post: October 30, 2019
PG&E’s role in Sonoma fire questioned as power outage frustrations grow
Prof. Ian Hiskens serves as an expert-commentator in a Washington Post story about the potential role Pacific Gas & Electric equipment played in the wildfires ravaging Northern California.Charging Ahead
Wireless charging is already taking hold. But imagine charging your home appliances or even your car without a single wire. Rackham electrical engineering student Xin Zan is working to make that—and more—a reality.The National Academy of Engineering invites Prof. Johanna Mathieu to symposium to advance the engineering frontier
The symposium brings together 82 young engineers from different technical areas from around the country.
New DOE project aims to convert a traditional engine into a hybrid OP engine with the help of control algorithms
A new project funded by ARPA-E partners Achates Power and the University of Michigan in the development of a novel hybrid electric engine.
Xin Zan wins the Towner Prize for his work advancing wireless power transfer
PhD student Xin Zan is helping to free the world from cords, which could advance implantable medical devices, autonomous electric vehicles, and consumer electronics.
Md Salman Nazir works to improve the power grid and research papers
EECS-ECE PhD student Md Salman Nazir is recognized by the IEEE Transactions on Power Systems for his outstanding reviews of recent papers. He works at the Michigan Power and Energy Lab.
New research for the future of sustainable power and energy
Take a look at some of the exciting new projects that will help define the next evolution of sustainable power and energy.Battery economics could power the future of energy
Prof. Johanna Mathieu of EECS and Prof. Catherine Hausman of Public Policy are heading a new project to explore the social costs and benefits of battery energy storage on the electrical grid.
How air conditioners could advance a renewable power grid
In an approach that won’t disrupt consumers, researchers will tackle two of the biggest issues in the energy industry.
Johanna Mathieu receives NSF CAREER Award to help build a smarter, more sustainable grid
Mathieu will develop optimization and control methods to leverage the flexibility available from distributed energy resources.
Johanna Mathieu receives Ernest and Bettine Kuh Distinguished Faculty Award
The award recognizes Mathieu’s outstanding teaching, research, and service in the area of power and energy.
Xin Zan wins two awards for wireless power transfer research
New research into implanted medical devices and peer-to-peer charging.
Mengqi Yao receives High Quality Paper Award at PowerTech Conference
In recognition of demand response research.
Stephanie Crocker Ross receives Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship
Dissertation recognized as unusually creative, ambitious and impactful.
Sijia Geng awarded Towner Prize for Distinguished Academic Achievement
A PhD student in electrical engineering, Geng researches trajectory sensitivity and renewable energy in microgrids.
Game theory for electric vehicle charging
Using University of Michigan buildings as batteries
How a building’s thermal energy can help the power grid accommodate more renewable energy sources.
Two students earn scholarships to pursue work in sustainable energy
Two electrical engineering students, Paul Giessner and Noah Mitchell-Ward, were awarded scholarships from the Utility Variable-Generation Integration Group (UVIG) to support their education in wind and solar power.
Anna Stuhlmacher: Power to change the world
Anna Stuhlmacher, PhD in electrical engineering, is looking for ways to change the world through power and energy.
MICDE grant funds renewable power research
Prof. Mathieu is partnering with IOE faculty to improve the nation’s grid system
Solving the “Christmas light” problem so solar panels can handle shade
Just 10 percent shade cover can drop electricity production by 50 percent. A new U-M-led project aims to change that.
Lights Out
The power goes out. The aurorae stretch to the tropics. Could a major solar storm mean a year without electricity?
Stephanie Crocker earns NSF Graduate Research Fellowship to bring sustainable energy to the grid
Stephanie seeks to provide continuous energy balancing on the grid by automatically controlling loads.
Students take a field trip to a wind farm
“The trip made me more aware of some of the practical things … like the sound of the turbines, and how they alter the look of the land.”
2012 EECS Outstanding Achievement Awards
Congratulations to these amazing faculty members!
New method for building a low-cost, high-performance electric machine and drive could result in huge energy savings
Prof. Hofmann intends to design, build and test a 30kW brushless, self-excited synchronous field winding prototype machine that overcomes the weaknesses of the current technology.
Modernizing the nation’s electric grid for alternative energy
“We are proposing an integrated solution that will combine the construction of well-positioned storage facilities that will route excess energy to where it needs to be.”
Connor Field — Growing energy on a solar farm
“Energy will be the major concern in the United States for my generation,” Connor says. “Now is the time to research and invest in the technologies that will power our future.”
Ian Hiskens receives stim money for wind energy
The grant is to be used to develop new techniques for assessing the impact of wind generation on power system voltage control and transient stability.
Ian Hiskens named Vennema Professor
This professorship recognizes Prof. Hiskens’ excellent teaching, service, and research in the area of nonlinear (hybrid) systems.