PERSEUS - PhD Candidate position in “Dynamic Allocation of Resources in Short-term Power and Flexibility Markets”

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The Department of Electric Power Engineering (IEL), at the Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), invites applications for a PhD Candidate position in “Dynamic allocation of resources in short-term power and flexibility markets”.

The fast-changing socio-techno-economic requirements of the 21st century requires a distributed, digitalized, smart, flexible, interactive and green electrical grid. The transition from a rigid, centralized, physical system to a flexible, distributed, cyber-physical system is aided by digital technologies (advanced metering infrastructure, phasor measurement unit, etc.) and latest advancements in ICT (automation, blockchains, Internet of Things, big data, artificial intelligence, etc.) Energy informatics is an emerging field that applies computational techniques such as big data, machine learning, artificial intelligence, optimization, etc. for realizing sustainable future energy systems (smart grids, smart homes, electric vehicles, renewable energy, energy storage, flexibility services, local markets, etc.).

The success of future power systems largely depends on the ability of the grid to identify, activate, harness and exploit the distributed flexibility potential offered by small-, medium- and large- scale producers/ consumers/prosumers and aggregators. Recently, there has been huge interest in providing flexibility services to transmission grid operators through aggregated and automated demand response, especially for frequency reserves in the Nordic balancing markets.

In this context, the main task of the PhD candidate in the doctoral work will be two-fold. First, to develop operational scheduling strategies for aggregated demand response through dynamic resource allocation for catering to stringent technical requirements of balancing markets. Second, to investigate the effects of digitalization on market design and marketplaces based on emerging enabling technologies (ICT) and decentralization initiatives.

Main supervisor: Associate Professor Jayaprakash Rajasekharan (NTNU). Co-supervisor: Professor Asgeir Tomasgård (NTNU).

This PhD poisition is a part of the PERSEUS doctoral programme : A collaboration between NTNU- Norway’s largest university, 11 top-level academic partners in 8 European countries, and 8 industrial partners within sectors of high societal relevance.

Within PERSEUS we will recruit 40 PhD candidates who want to contribute to a smart, safe and sustainable future. We are looking for highly skilled PhD candidates motivated to approach societal challenges within one of the following thematic areas:

• Big data and AI
• Digital Twins
• Internet of Things
• Extended Reality
• Information and Cyber Security

All participants in the PERSEUS network bring unique and important qualities with them into the doctoral programme. The PERSEUS PhD candidates will have the opportunity to collaborate with researchers in the partner institutions and in other project consortia, and benefit from these collaborative research and education activities.

As part of the PERSEUS team you will work alongside other highly motivated and talented PhD candidates and researchers. You will also have access to the knowledge base, state-of-the-art research infrastructure, and impact orientation of the partners in the team.

In addition to your education and development within the thematic research area, you will gain transferable skills within project development and management, science communication, research ethics, innovation and entrepreneurial thinking, as well as basic university didactics.

As a PERSEUS PhD candidate, you will be employed by NTNU. During your stay, you will do a 2-3 month international stay and a 1-2 month national stay with one of the PERSEUS partners. This will allow you to extend your network within academia and industry, and to learn about your research area from an academic, innovation, and societal perspective.

The duration of the PhD employment is 36 months

Starting gross salary is 491.200 NOK/year (equal to approx. 50.133 EUR/year by the exchange rate of May 2021)

We are looking for PhD candidates from all nationalities, who want to contribute to our quest to create knowledge for a better world. PERSEUS recruits candidates according to the EU’s mobility rule, i.e. applicants cannot have spent more than 12 months in Norway during the last 3 years.

We believe in fair and open processes. All applications will be considered through a transparent evaluation procedure, with independent observers involved.

The position's working place is NTNU campus in Trondheim. You will report to the Head of the Department.

We look forward to welcome you to the PERSEUS team.