Get to know Adolfo Anta form AIT!
Adolfo Anta is a senior researcher at the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, working at the Power Systems Planning and Operation department, on the topics of grid stability and the impact of large penetration of inverter-based resources. He previously worked in different research positions at General Electric Global Research, Max Planck Institute and Airbus in energy supply, power grids and control theory.
What was your original motivation to become a researcher/project manager?
I always enjoyed technical work, mathematics and engineering. I studied applied mathematics and always wanted to find an area where my skills would be useful to address the main challenges that humanity is facing. I have been working in power systems for more than 10 years already and I enjoy the immediate impact that our work has on the operation of power grids, and therefore on reducing the emissions in our society.
What is your (main) research area today?
As we transition towards a low emission power grid, the massive penetration of renewable sources poses a challenge in the planning and operation of electrical systems. In my daily tasks we investigate different technologies that can facilitate the usage of inverter-based sources and thereby reducing the consumption of fossil fuels, while still guaranteeing proper grid reliability and stability.
What is the main focus of your team in iSTORMY?
In the iStormy we look at how hybrid storage systems can provide grid services in future grids. These services were originally envisioned for conventional power plants, and more recently, standard storage systems have shown to be good candidates for the provision of such services in a competitive manner. Given the new characteristics of power grids, we expect grid services to be suitable for hybrid storage systems, but the uncertainty is still there, hampering the business case behind hybrid storage.
Could you describe your favourite moment/satisfaction when working for the project and – more in general – for your organisation?
One of the important aspects of today’s research is to keep it interdisciplinary, to find sinergies between different topics and to provide out-of-the-box approaches. In this sense, I enjoyed the discussions with battery and power electronics experts on topics such as aging, efficiency, etc. that allowed us to consider how to properly operate a storage system in an optimal manner, and, furthermore, consider how grid services may need to be retuned to accommodate for the characteristics of certain units.
How do you expect iSTORMY results will affect your organisation and the energy storage sector?
Throughout the project we have improved our understanding on the operation of hybrid systems and how to combine the different parts and satisfy the grid code requirements. We do have many customers that are starting to approach us with these types of solutions to explore its viability. Our efforts within the project should help the sector providing guidelines on the operation of storage systems in order to be compliant with the system operator requirements.
Which partner would you like to nominate next for this coffee break?
I would like to nominate UNR as the next partner for this coffee break.