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Power and Energy Center, VT

Power and Energy Center

PEC Lab

Power engineering research involves delivering electricity and converting it for use at its final destinations. Power systems in many industrialized countries rely on decades-old equipment, creating unique challenges in blending state-of-the-art technology with working equipment that can be half a century old.

At Virginia Tech, researchers work to design, improve, and protect the world's power grids and equipment; understand and design distributed and alternative power systems; store electricity for later use; and develop equipment that increases function with less energy.

Center Administration

Ali Mehrizi-Sani

Ali Mehrizi-Sani

PEC Directormehrizi@vt.edu | (540) 231-4492 | 428 Whittemore

Dikshita Bansal

Dikshita Bansal

Center Coordinator | dikshita@vt.edu | (540) 231-2095 | 426 Whittemore

Core Faculty

Ali Mehrizi-Sani

Ali Mehrizi-Sani

PEC Director and Professor | mehrizi@vt.edu | (540) 231-4492 | 428 Whittemore

- Microgrid control
- Inverter-based resources
- Integration of renewable
-Cybersecurity

CCLIU

Chen-Ching Liu

PEC Director Emeritus and
AEP Research Professor Emeritus | ccliu@vt.edu | (540) 231-1373 | 426A Whittemore

-Distribution systems
-Cyber-power system security
-Industrial software for system restoration: EPRI (Trans.), PNNL (Distr.)

Arun Phadke

Arun Phadke

PEC Founding Director and University Distinguished Research Professor 

-Power system analysis
-Power system protection and control
-Synchronized measurement systems

Lamine Mili

Lamine Mili

Professor  | lmili@vt.edu | (703) 538-3767 | Room 438 (Falls Church)

-Static and dynamic state estimation
-Robust power system parameter and dynamic state estimation w/PMUs

Ming Jin

Ming Jin

Assistant Professorjinming@vt.edu | 472 Whittemore

-Control, optimization, and machine learning for energy systems
-Trustworthy AI for urban infrastructures
-Cyber-physical systems security

Paul Ampadu

Paul Ampadu

Professor | ampadu@vt.edu | (540) 231-3121 | 345 Durham

-Energy Internet, Blockchain enabled for energy systems
-VLSI, Networks-on- Chip, Systems-on-Chip

Richard Zhang

Richard Zhang

Hugh P. and Ethel C. Kelly Professorzhangr@vt.edu | 4-014 VT Research Center (Arlington)

-HVDC and FACTS
-High-power electronics

Saifur Rahman

Saifur Rahman

Joseph Loring Professor | srahman@vt.edu | 571-858-3300 | 5-194 VT Research Center (Arlington)

-Energy efficiency and sensor integration
-DOE BEMOSS platform
-President of IEEE (2023)

Scott Dunning

Scott Dunning

Associate Department Head and Chief of Operationsscottd65@vt.edu | (540) 231-2133 | 464 Whittemore

-Energy efficiency

Virgilio Centeno

Virgilio Centeno

Professor and Assistant Department Head | virgilio@vt.edu | (540) 231-2045 | 427 Whittemore

-PMU
-Instrumentation

David Roop

David Roop

Adjunct Professor of Practice

-Power system operations
-Resiliency hardening and recovery planning for utilities
-Utility grounding for lightning protection

Jaime De La Ree

Jaime De La Ree

 Adjunct Faculty |  jreelope@vt.edu 

-Protection
-Machines

Affiliated Faculty

Jeff Reed

Jeffrey H. Reed

Willis G. Worcester Professor | reedjh@vt.edu | (540) 231-2972 | 451 Durham

-Wireless Communications
-Wireless Security

Shima Shahab

Shima Shahab

Associate Professor | sshahab@vt.edu | (540) 231-6516 | VTRC, Room 5-008, Arlington, VA 22203

-Wireless Power Transfer

Robert Meyers

Ronald Meyers

Associate Professor of Practice |   rbmeyers@vt.edu | (540) 570-9535

-Renewable Energy Facility Siting

Harpreet Dhillon

Harpreet Dhillon

W. Martin Johnson Professor of Engineering and Associate Dean for Research and Innovation| hdhillon@vt.edu | (540) 231-2129 | 445 Durham

-Wireless Communications

Ronald Meyers

Lingjia Liu

Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering | ljliu@vt.edu | (540) 231-7243 | 

-Dynamic Spectrum Access

John Ignosh

John Ignosh

Senior Extension Specialist  jignosh@vt.edu | (540) 432-6029 x108

-Renewable Energy
-Energy Efficiency
-Nutrient Management

Harpreet Dhillon

Robin White

Associate Professor | rrwhite@vt.edu | (540) 231-7384| 101 FST Bldg.
175 West Campus Drive 
Blacksburg, VA 24061

-Agrivoltaics
-Sustainable Agriculture

PEC Sponsors