Event
MSE Seminar: Dr. Babu Chalamala, Sandia National Laboratories
Wednesday, February 5, 2025
3:30 p.m.
Room 2110 Chemical and Nuclear Engineering Building
Sherri Tatum
301-405-5240
statum12@umd.edu
Energy Storage and the Future Electric Grid
Abstract: The electric grid is poised for transformative changes. Generation and load profiles are changing rapidly, the pace of integrating renewables is accelerating, and an increasing focus on the electrification of transportation sector. There are significant engineering challenges for grid readiness to support renewable integration, electrification, and decarbonization of industrial sector. Modernizing the electric grid requires integration of a range of new technologies into the grid infrastructure. How to manage the future grid while ensuring grid reliability and resilience requires large scale integration of energy storage, a greater role for power electronics, wide area sensing, distributed controls and communications. This presentation will review current plans for grid modernization, highlight R&D challenges, and discuss potential pathways to further transform the grid infrastructure.
Bio: Dr. Babu Chalamala is a Senior Scientist at Sandia National Laboratories. Earlier, he was Head of the Energy Storage Technology and Systems Department and Program Manager for Grid Energy Storage at the laboratory. Prior to joining Sandia in 2015, he was a Corporate Fellow at MEMC Electronic Materials/SunEdison where he led R&D and product development in energy storage technology. Earlier, as a research staff member at Motorola and Texas Instruments, he made contributions to vacuum microelectronics and flat panel display technologies. He also had founding roles in two startup companies. He is a Distinguished Lecturer of the IEEE Power and Energy Society. He is a Fellow of the IEEE, AAAS, and the National Academy of Inventors and a member of the National Academy of Engineering.
