Power and Energy Systems Group

The Power and Energy Systems Group at the University of Waterloo is one of the largest research groups in power engineering in North America, with a very reputed faculty base and available research support and a broad expertise covering practically all aspects in power engineering research.

The group is engaged in the latest state-of-the-art research activities in several areas of power engineering such as power electronics, high voltage engineering, power quality and distributions systems, power systems operation and control, smart grids, electric vehicles and electricity market deregulation.

The group is also very active in providing power engineering courses at the under-graduate, graduate and doctoral level, and also external courses.

Advanced training program

This program is a career advancement opportunity for engineers working in the power industry based on a "learn while you work" approach. Professionals in the power industry have the opportunity to participate in part-time on-line graduate studies in electric power engineering. Learn more about this graduate program.

High voltage engineering laboratory

The High Voltage Engineering Laboratory (HVEL) is one of the Group’s most important laboratories, providing a variety of routine tests, type tests, prototype tests, and design tests of high voltage (HV) apparatus and dielectric materials. 

The Power and Energy Systems Group is involved in

• Active power filter
• Conduction/breakdown mechanisms in insulation materials under high voltage (HV) stress
• Analyzing power quality problems in deregulated environment
• Ancillary services markets
• Bifurcations and chaos in power systems
• Congestion management
• Current-source converter-based Flexible alternating current transmission system (FACTS) devices
• Development of power supplies
• Distributed energy resources grid interfacing
• Distributed generation issues in electricity markets
• Distribution system automation
• Distribution system planning and load forecasting
• Disturbance monitoring
• Electrostatic applications to industrial processes
• Extraction and mitigation
• Fuel-cell inverters
• HV testing techniques
• Microsensors
• Microturbine-based distributed power generation
• Modeling, control, and implementation of converters
• Web-based power systems programming applications
• Nonlinear systems theory and applications to electricity markets
• Partial discharges
• Passive and hybrid filters design
• Photo-voltaic grid-connected inverters
• Power quality improvement in distribution systems
• Power sector deregulation and electricity markets
• Reactive power control
• Real and reactive power pricing
• Simulation, modeling, and analysis of FACTS devices
• Static frequency changers
• Super-conducting magnetic energy storage

Related links

• High Voltage Engineering Laboratory (HVEL)
• Electrical and Computer Engineering
• More electrical and computer engineering research groups
• Online Master of Engineering program in Electric Power Engineering