USF College of Engineering is “On the Rise” with Bright Ideas!
The University of South Florida (USF) has been awarded $2.9 million by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to advance research on solar energy grid stability through the innovative use of digital twin technology.
The project, titled “SPRING: Stability Prediction for IBR-Penetrated Grids Enabled by Digital Twins,” is led by principal investigator Dr. Lingling Fan, a professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering at the USF College of Engineering. The research aims to develop new tools for utilities and power plant operators to monitor and manage inverter-based resources, or IBRs, which are critical components in solar power plants.
IBRs, such as those in solar power plants, differ from traditional power sources because of their dynamic behaviors. Current grid management tools only allow operators to react to IBR behaviors after a grid event — such as a storm or cyberattack — has already occurred. Dr. Fan's research aims to change that by developing tools that provide real-time monitoring and predictive capabilities for these resources. The SPRING project will use digital twin technology to create virtual models of real-world systems.
These models will include detailed, real-time measurement data, analytics, and visualization techniques to monitor IBR behaviors in real-time and predict future behaviors. The tool will also feature automatic event analysis, reporting, and provide actionable recommendations to moderate risks. This innovative solution will be demonstrated on realistic test systems and in a utility solar power plant substation.
This research initiative is part of the DOE’s ongoing efforts to drive innovation in renewable energy and modernize the nation’s power grid. By equipping operators with tools that can predict and manage the impacts of grid disturbances, the project supports the nation's transition to a more resilient and sustainable energy future.
“Real-time monitoring and potential reliability risk alarming of power grids are powerful tools. In this project, we will integrate three technologies to achieve this goal of digital twinning of solar PV power plants, including high sampling rate real-time data streaming, extracting info from data, and using such info updating virtual dynamic model for computing and making prediction,” Dr. Fan said.
Dr. Fan has been a professor at USF since 2009, following a six-year career in the power grid operating industry. She is currently the editor-in-chief of the IEEE Electrification Magazine and an associate editor for IEEE Transactions on Energy Conversion.
For more information on the SPRING project and other DOE-funded initiatives, please visit the Awardee webpage here. Stay up to date with all USF College of Engineering news by following us on social media.