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Course

Planning and Operation of Smart Power Distribution Systems

ECE-40314

This course provides best practices of modern distribution power systems.

Participants will examine the practical aspects of the technologies, design and implementation, smart grid applications and sensing; demand side management, smart grid economics, microgrids and distributed energy resources, and fault location and service restoration (FLSIR).

Course Highlights:

  • Overview of traditional of distribution systems
  • Modern and future distribution systems
  • Smart grid
  • Distributed energy resources (DER)
  • Challenges of integrating of distributed energy resources into the distribution systems
  • Conservation voltage reduction
  • Advanced protection systems, feeder automation and reconfiguration
  • Fault location, Isolation and Service Restoration (FLSIR)
  • Microgrids
  • Engineering economics for smart grid
  • Road mapping

Course Learning Outcomes:

  • Grasp the structure of the evolving distribution systems     
  • Learn the nature of distribution loads and their characterization
  • Master the depth of distribution reliability and relevance of reliability indices
  • Assimilate the impact of distribution feeder voltage regulation
  • Understand the value of the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition System (SCADA) in today’s dx system
  • Comprehend the impacts of selected distribution automation applications
  • Identify the challenges with Distributed Energy Resources on dx systems
  • Learn the salient points of smart meters, Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) and applications, Distribution Management Systems (DMS), and Outage Management System (OMS)

Course Typically Offered: Online in Summer and Winter quarters.

Prerequisite: A BS in Electrical Engineering or equivalent knowledge and experience.

Next Step: After completing this course, consider taking other courses in the Power Systems Engineering certificate program to continue learning.

Contact: For more information about this course, please email unexengr@ucsd.edu

Course Information

Online
3.00 units
$845.00

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This course applies to these programs

Power Systems Engineering

Course sessions

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Section ID:

190378

Class type:

Online Asynchronous.

This course is entirely web-based and to be completed asynchronously between the published course start and end dates. Synchronous attendance is NOT required.
You will have access to your online course on the published start date OR 1 business day after your enrollment is confirmed if you enroll on or after the published start date.

Textbooks:

All course materials are included unless otherwise stated.

Policies:

  • No refunds after: 6/30/2025

Schedule:

No information available at this time.
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Instructor: Nicholas Abi Samra

Nicholas Abi Samra
Nicholas Abi-Samra serves as the Principal at Electric Power and Energy Co. and as Senior Technical Director at Worley, in addition to his teaching role at UC San Diego Extended Studies Division. His career includes positions such as Westinghouse Fellow, Senior Technical Executive at EPRI, Vice President at Quanta Technology, and Senior Vice President of Power Transmission & Distribution at DNV GL. He authored "Power Grid Resiliency Under Adverse Conditions" (2017) and “Microgrid Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide for Resilient and Sustainable Energy Systems” (2024). He also authored or co-authored more than 150 scholarly publications, as well as developed fifteen advanced power engineering courses.

Abi-Samra chaired the 2012 IEEE Power & Energy Society General Meeting and has led the IEEE Power & Energy and Power Electronics Societies in San Diego for a decade.
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