Our mission is to advance the field of control and optimization for future energy systems. Through cutting-edge research, we aim to develop distributed optimization and control tools for a sustainable and resilient energy future.

In the dynamic landscape of energy generation, distribution, and consumption, control systems and optimization play a pivotal role in building a scalable, resilient, and a zero-carbon energy infrastructure

As the mobility, heating, industrial, and manufacturing sectors undergo electrification and decarbonization, there is a growing demand for precise control over energy generation, efficiency, demand, and trading. Achieving this requires optimisation and control of energy generation, storage, demand management and distribution, as well as energy usage in areas including transportation, buildings and industry. A key focus is on the application of real-time, distributed optimization, machine learning, and feedback control to guarantee the efficient and reliable operation of future energy systems.

By ensuring that energy demand and storage are optimally balanced on a daily basis, energy systems can operate more cost-effectively, reducing energy waste and potentially lowering operational costs. This optimization has the potential to benefit a wide range of sectors, including residential, commercial, and industrial, leading to cost savings and improved resource management.

This research line focuses on building distributed control and optimization tools for real-time decision-making in large-scale interconnected systems. Part of this work is also supported by a prestigious VENI grant from NWO.

As different sectors electrify, the burden of a zero carbon society is pushed more towards the energy production. Renewable energy alone do not have the capability to fully replace fossil fuels and meet the growing energy demands. Nuclear Fusion is the holy grail of future energy systems that have the capability to produce a clean and stable baseload. However, safe and optimal operation of nuclear fusion reactors is not possible without control engineering. This research line also aims at addressing the control challenges within nuclear fusion, and collaborated with the Energy Systems and Control group at DIFFER.