Renewable Energy & Advanced Power Electronics Research Lab
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Vijay Kumar K presents research paper at the 2026 IEEE Texas Power and Energy Conference (TPEC)
Ph.D student Vijay Kumar K presented his paper entitled “Assessing the Impact of Smart Inverters on Voltage Regulator Actuations using OpenDSS and MATLAB” at the 10th IEEE Texas Power and Energy Conference (TPEC) held on February 8-10, 2026 in College Station, Tx USA.
This paper investigates the potential for adverse interactions between smart photovoltaic (PV) inverters and conventional voltage regulators in electric distribution systems. Multiple operating scenarios are developed and analyzed using a simulation-based methodology designed to quantify the impact of smart inverter operation on voltage regulator performance. The IEEE 123-bus test feeder, configured with seven voltage regulators, is modeled in OpenDSS-G and integrated with three PV inverters. Six scenarios are examined, ranging from a baseline case with no PV to configurations including mixed smart and conventional inverters and a fully smart-inverter deployment. Time-series simulations are conducted over a 24-hour period with 10-minute resolution, and the resulting data are exported for post-processing and analysis. The findings provide insight into future strategies for coordinated inverter–regulator control.
Dr. Ibrahim Guneş presents research paper at the 2026 IEEE Texas Power and Energy Conference (TPEC)
Dr. Ibrahim Guneş, visiting scholar in the REAPERlab from Istanbul University – Cerrahpaşa, presented his paper entitled “Comparison of Performance for Floating Photovoltaic (FPV) and Ground-Mounted PV Systems” at the 10th IEEE Texas Power and Energy Conference (TPEC) held on February 8-10, 2026 in College Station, Tx USA.
The study presents a comparative evaluation of floating photovoltaic (FPV) systems and conventional ground-mounted PV installations. The research systematically analyzes key performance metrics including energy yield, module operating temperature, conversion efficiency, performance ratio, and site utilization characteristics under comparable environmental conditions. The results demonstrate that FPV systems exhibit measurable thermal advantages due to the natural cooling effect of water bodies, leading to improved module efficiency and enhanced energy output in specific operating regimes. In addition to performance analysis, the study addresses practical considerations such as installation constraints, environmental interactions, maintenance requirements, and long-term operational reliability. This contribution advances the technical understanding of alternative photovoltaic deployment strategies and supports informed decision-making for sustainable and optimized solar energy integration.
Professor Balog gives a tour of the Grid Interactions Research Facility as part of the TPEC 2026 conference.
Professor Balog gave a tour of the Grid Interactions Research Facility (GIRF) to conference attendees as part of the 10th Anniversary Texas Power and Energy Conference on February 8, 2026.
The Grid Interactions Research Facility (GIRF) is a research, development, and testing facility dedicated to power electronics at the grid-edge with an emphasis on the interaction of distributed energy resources (DERs) for power grid modernization. Examples of DERs include smart photovoltaic (PV) inverters, electric vehicles (EV), battery energy storage systems (BESS), smart loads, smart appliances, and other devices. This location provides 1,000 square feet of fully conditioned lab space and an additional 3,000 square feet of high bay workspace. Adjacent to the GIRF is the outdoor Solar Energy Technology Testing Laboratory (SETTL) with permanently installed PV modules and flexibility to suit a variety of PV and balance of systems testing. The SETTL test field is connected to the GIRF through a series of underground conduits to carry power and communications cables for power off-take telemetry. The GIRF is supplied from a dedicated medium voltage transformer and has access to 1.8MVA at 480V for research use.
The IEEE Texas Power and Energy Conference (TPEC) brings together participants from industry and academia to present and discuss the latest technological developments and challenges in the power and energy industry. Electric power engineers, technical managers, educators and students are encouraged to participate and contribute with their knowledge to advance the research and development of the power and energy industry.
Dr. Robert S Balog publishes a research paper at IEEE Energy Conversion and Congress Exhibition (ECCE ’25).
Professor Robert S Balog along with University of Doha for Science and Technology collaborators Dr. Mostafa Soliman, Dr. Morcos Metry, and Dr. Mohammad Tayyab presented their paper, titled “Data-Driven MPC for Variable-Speed Variable-Pitch Wind Turbines” at the IEEE Energy Conversion and Congress Exhibition oral presentation session in Philadelphia, Pa on October 23, 2025.
This paper investigates the effectiveness of a data-driven model predictive control (DD-MPC) technique for variable-speed variable-pitch wind energy conversion systems (WECS), comparing its performance with multiple model predictive control under different wind speed ranges. These improvements facilitate improved grid integration, reduce mechanical wear, and extend turbine lifespan.
Research team awarded US Patent for power quality compensation.
The REAPERlab is pleased to announce that Dr. Robert S. Balog (Professor and lab Director), Dr. Mohammad Shadmand, Dr. Morcos Metry, Dr. Wesam Rohouma, Dr. Miroslav Begovic, and Dr. Aaqib Peerzada have been awarded US Patent 12,413,071 for their invention of a “Power quality compensation system, a power electronic controller and control method of the same.”
The wide application of power electronic-based loads such as variable speed drives, inverter-based home appliances, solid-state LED lights, personal electronics in distribution networks has given rise to problems related to power quality. These problems include current/voltage harmonics, voltage sag/swell, unbalance, and fluctuations. These power quality issues can have a deleterious impact on utility and consumers including increased system losses, malfunction to protection equipment and interference with other loads, damage to electrical devices. This invention is a power quality compensation system and control method to address these issues.
For Prof. Balog, this is his twenty-third US patent that he has been awarded. Most of his patents have been assigned or licensed to the industry and have already been or are currently being commercialized.
Congratulations to Ms. Nabila ElBeheiry upon her graduation.
The REAPER lab congratulations Ms. Nabila ElBeheiry upon her graduation. Ms. ElBeheiry joined the REAPERlab in 2019. She earned her BSEE from Texas A&M University in Qatar in 2020. Her research pertained to developing a noninvasive method for early detection of moisture ingress in photovoltaic (PV) modules by using real-time electrical measurements derived from the natural switching action of the maximum power point tracker.
Congratulations to Dr. Sawsan Shukri upon graduating with her PhD
REAPER Lab congratulates Dr. Sawsan Shukri (PhD) on the occasion of her graduation from Texas A&M University and the REAPER Lab. Dr. Shukri joined the REAPERlab in 2018. She earned her BSEE from Texas A&M University in Qatar in 2019 and her MSEE from Texas A&M University in 2021. Her research focused on the application of machine learning techniques for fault detection and diagnostics in photovoltaic (PV) systems.
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