Professional Certificate of Competency in Smart Grids
Online
DURATION
3 Months
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
11 Mar 2025
TUITION FEES
USD 979
STUDY FORMAT
Distance learning
Introduction
A smart grid is an electricity network that uses digital and other advanced technologies in an integrated fashion to be able to monitor and intelligently and securely manage the transport of electricity. The course covers smart grid infrastructure and the associated technologies such as smart metering, energy storage, SCADA, demand side management, artificial intelligence and cyber security. For a sustainable energy future, engineers must understand the role of smart grids and collaborate to achieve smart grid values. Due to the nature of the smart grid concept, the course is suitable for all engineers including electrical and electronic engineers, data communication engineers and industrial automation engineers.
What you will learn/gain:
- Insight into smart grid infrastructure;
- The role of power electronics and energy storage in smart grids;
- Knowledge of advanced technologies and concepts such as advanced metering, demand side response, electric vehicles and the role of data communication;
- Understanding of protection and cyber security fundamentals.
Course Benefits
- You may be eligible to claim CPD points through your local engineering association.
- Receive a Certificate of Completion from EIT.
- Learn from well-known faculty and industry experts from around the globe.
- The flexibility of attending anytime from anywhere, even when you are working full-time.
- Interact with industry experts during the webinars and get the latest updates/announcements on the subject.
- Experience global learning with students from various backgrounds and experiences which is a great networking opportunity.
- Study the smart grid infrastructure and the associated technologies such as smart metering, energy storage, SCADA, demand side management, artificial intelligence, cyber security etc.
- Gain an in-depth understanding of the role of smart grids and their collaboration to achieve smart grid values.
- Learn the fundamentals of smart grid infrastructure and the role of power electronics and energy storage in smart grids.
- Gain knowledge of advanced technologies and concepts such as advanced metering, demand side response, electric vehicles, and the role of data communication.
- Understand the fundamentals of protection and cyber security.
Certification
To obtain a certificate of completion for EIT’s Professional Certificate of Competency course, students must achieve a 65% attendance rate at the live, online weekly webinar. Detailed summaries or notes can be submitted in lieu of attendance. In addition, students must obtain a mark of 60% in the set assignments which could take the form of written assignments and practical assignments. Students must also obtain a mark of 100% in quizzes. If a student does not achieve the required score, they will be given an opportunity to resubmit the assignment to obtain the required score.
Curriculum
The course introduces engineers to the principles of smart grids in power system applications under various network conditions. The content includes smart electricity networks and the role of communication in smart grid deployment, which will develop engineers’ understanding of the overall smart grid components.
The course will discuss the basic components of smart grid systems and will look into topics of smart grid regulation and market economics, communication technologies and smart transmission/distribution grids. The application of various power electronic devices and the management of energy storage, electric vehicles, demand side management and AMI will also be covered. The computation tools for smart grid design, adaptive protection, Interoperability standards and software infrastructure will be highlighted. Furthermore, students will gain a fundamental understanding of big data and cyber security in smart grids.
After covering the necessary theory, the course will introduce practical studies involving the modelling and simulation of various system conditions using appropriate software tools. Students will also gain skills in interpreting simulation results.
Additional Credit
Upon successful completion of this Professional Certificate of Competency:
If you apply and are accepted into the Master of Engineering (Electrical Systems), you will obtain credit for the MEE605 Smart Grids unit.
Module 1
Introduction to Smart Grids and Their Market Economics
- Evolution of smart grids
- The need for policy and regulation in smart grids
- Main regulatory issues (utility disincentives, pricing inefficiencies, and cybersecurity and privacy) and challenges in the electricity market
- Electricity market structure
- Incentivizing market policy and ancillary services
Module 2
Infrastructure of Smart Grids
- Technical challenges of smart grids
- Composition of the smart grid (Standards adaptation, technical components, technical perspective, conceptual reference model perspective)
- Pathways for Designing Smart Grids
Module 3
Smart Transmission/Distribution Grids
- Distributed management systems
- SCADA systems and smart grid vision
Module 4
Applications of Power Electronics and Energy Storage Systems
- FACTS application in smart grids
- Distributed energy resources and their applications
- Energy storage systems
- Power system reliability with intelligent operation strategies
- Operation of large-scale battery storage in the energy market
Module 5
Demand Side Management and AMI
- Demand side management and response in a smart grid
- The role of smart metering in smart grids
- Use case: smart home and building automation
Module 6
Electric Vehicles (EVs) Integration and Its Grid Impact
- Intro to Electric Drive Vehicles and the Challenges to EV Adoption by Customers and Utility
- Smart grid technologies for EV load management
- EV flexibility in the grid integration
- Grid support from EVs (vehicle-to-grid, vehicle-to-building, vehicle-to-home etc.)
Module 7
Measurement and Communication Technologies
- Communication technologies and standards for smart grids
- Multiagent systems (implementation, specification, technique)
- Internet of Things (IoT) and its association with smart grids
Module 8
Computation Tools for Smart Grid Design and Adaptive Protection
- Computational challenges and protection systems under smart grid environment
- Architecture of smart grid protection systems
- Smart adaptive protection for microgrids and distribution networks
Module 9
Interoperability Standards and Software Infrastructure
- Type and characteristics of interoperability standards for smart grid
- Standards development organizations (SDOs) and key interoperability standards
- Software Architecture in Smart Grids
- IT challenges, essential smart grid software platform
Module 10
Artificial Intelligence in Smart Grids
- Big data characteristics and application in smart grids
- Cloud computing implementation in the smart grids
- Application of machine learning algorithms for performance measurements
Module 11
Cyber Security in Smart Grids
- Information security for the smart grid
- Cyberinfrastructure and security of power systems
- Smart grid cyber-security standards and challenges
- Security schemes for AMI private networks and public networks
Module 12
Project and Revision
In the final week, total course contents will be briefly discussed. Students will have an opportunity to review the contents covered so far. Opportunities will be provided for a review of student work, to clarify any outstanding issues, and to work on finalizing the major assessment report.
Program delivery
You are expected to spend approximately 5-8 hours per week learning the course content. This includes attending fortnightly webinars that run for about 90 minutes to facilitate class discussion and allow you to ask questions. This program has a 65% attendance requirement in the live webinars to graduate from the program. If you are unable to attend the live webinars, you have the option of watching the recording of completed webinars and sending a summary of what you have learnt from the webinar to the Learning Support officer. The summaries go towards your attendance requirement for the program.
This program is run online on an intensive part-time basis and has been designed to fit around full-time work. It will take three months to complete.
We understand that sometimes work commitments and personal circumstances can get in the way of your studies, so if at any point you feel that you are struggling with the pace of the course or finding a particular module challenging, you are encouraged to contact your designated Learning Support Officer for assistance.