DER Integration Engineer - Staff IV

EPRI•Palo Alto, CA

6d•$100,000 - $113,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The EPRI DER Integration team leads collaborative research to integrate distributed energy resources into distribution circuits without compromising safety, reliability, cost, and power quality. This position will offer technical expertise and leadership in solar PV, energy storage, and electric vehicle (EV) power electronics. It will also involve electromagnetic transient (EMT) modeling and analysis of grid-following (GFL) and grid-forming (GFM) inverters, as well as testing distributed energy resource (DER) technologies in both laboratory and field settings. The position will be responsible for identifying research needs, developing research proposals, and communicating research results to EPRI members and industry.

Requirements

Demonstrated proficiency in power converters (Inverters and generators) and other power system components (e.g. motors, transformers, nonlinear loads, protection devices, etc.) EMT model development, controller design, and hardware-in-loop testing.
Proven experience with one or more industry modeling and simulation tools such as PSCAD, EMTP-RV, PowerFactory, Python, OpenDSS, CYME, Synergi
Ability to perform laboratory testing including developing test plan, building test setup, executing tests, analyzing data, and producing technical reports.
Clear understanding of DER technologies, interconnection standards, and challenges of higher penetration.
Experience applying AI, machine learning, or advanced analytics techniques to power system applications.
Demonstrated ability to produce high-quality reports, technical papers, and presentations summarizing research objectives, approach, and findings.
Minimum of 3-5 years of experience in industry, utility, or research organization in a relevant field. For candidates with advanced degrees, the experience requirement may be reduced. Candidates with more relevant experience may be considered for a higher-level position.

Nice To Haves

Grid-forming inverter research experience will be a plus.
Programming skills in Python, Matlab, and more (e.g. JavaScript, HTML) are desirable.
Experience with digital simulators (Typhoon HIL and RTDS) will be a plus.

Responsibilities

Developing grid-following (GFL) and grid-forming (GFM) inverter EMT models and performing transient analysis to address DER interconnection challenges.
Performing laboratory and field testing of DER technologies and analyzing test data to validate and improve models.
Evaluate emerging technologies and applications through analytical and field-based studies.
Authoring technical reports/papers and presenting research findings to internal and external stakeholders.
Contribute to the development and evaluation of AI-enabled tools and analytics.