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Energy Digitization

Energy Digitization

At the Confluence of Energy Systems and Data Science

The energy sector across the world is at a crossroads: how should we continue to fuel the prosperity of human development, while doing it in an environmentally sustainable manner?

While decarbonization and electrification transform the future of the energy sector, the proliferation of sensors, communication, computing, and predictive & control capabilities, or termed as “digitization,” will undoubtedly change the way we convert and deliver energy services for the future.

The Texas A&M Energy Institute Initiative on Energy Digitization brings together the entire Texas A&M University community across science, technology, policy, and law, to contribute towards the digitization of the energy sector in Texas and beyond.

We provide education, research, and services to the state of Texas and beyond in addressing the potential opportunities and challenges of energy sector digitization.


Education

Through the Initiative on Energy Digitization, several new courses have been added to the curriculum of the Energy Institute’s Master of Science in Energy and Certificate in Energy programs. In addition, a new Elective Course Theme has been created on Energy Digitization.

Click the course title to view the course description.

Energy Digitization

ICPE 602
Credits: 1.5 (1.5 Lecture Hours)

Application of geostatistical techniques to build reservoir models through integration of geological core/well log, seismic and production data to generate a consistent reservoir description; background and insights to geostatistical modeling techniques and situation where the application of geostatistics could add value.

Prerequisite: Graduate classification.

ICPE 615
Credits: 1.5 (1.5 Lecture Hours)

Fundamentals of electricity grid development; monitoring, control and protection; renewable generation; microgrids and grid integration; electricity markets; long term planning and associated risk, and grid robustness.

Prerequisite: Graduate classification.

ICPE 638
Special Topics in Energy
Credits: 1.5 (1.5 Lecture Hours)

Discussion of basic concepts and methods used in data science with an emphasis on applications in energy; topics include concepts of probability theory, probability distributions, statistical data modeling and inference, linear regression and predictive models, dimension reduction, introduction to machine learning and statistical modeling of dependent data.

Prerequisite: Graduate classification.

ICPE 689
Credits: 1.5 (1.5 Lecture Hours)

This is an introductory course discussing machine learning methods commonly seen in data science with an emphasis on applications in energy. Topics to be discussed include supervised and unsupervised learning, clustering, classification, predictive models, performance evaluation, neural networks, and reinforcement learning.

Prerequisite: Graduate classification.

ICPE 689
Credits: 1.5 (1.5 Lecture Hours)

Introduction to the “digital oil field” (DOF) and the incorporation of new practices to leverage new technologies in drilling, production, and reservoir management processes. Discusses state-of-the-art digital technologies applied in the context of reservoir exploration and production, instrumentation, workflows for automation in drilling, production, and reservoir management. Overview of artificial intelligence for the smart integration of production systems.

Prerequisite: Graduate classification.

ICPE 689
Credits: 1.5 (1.5 Lecture Hours)

Motivated by the expectations for the impacts that data science will have on science and engineering, the goal of this class is to enhance the fundamental understanding and applications of data science throughout the process systems engineering field, particularly with a focus on energy applications.

Prerequisite: Graduate classification.

ICPE 637
Credits: 1.5 (1.5 Lecture Hours)

Basic concepts and methods of data science with an emphasis on energy-related applications; discussion of probability theory, data-based statistical modeling and inference, linear and non-linear regression and predictive models, dimensionality reduction, introduction to machine learning and statistical modeling of dependent data. 

Prerequisite: Graduate classification.

ICPE 639
Credits: 1.5 (1.5 Lecture Hours)

Discussion of machine learning methods commonly seen in data science with an emphasis to applications in energy; topics include supervised and unsupervised learning, clustering, classification, predictive models, performance evaluation, neural networks and reinforcement learning. 

Prerequisite: Graduate classification.

Research

The Energy Institute is actively pursuing research projects and concept cultivation through interdisciplinary work and workshops/seminars.

Example Project

Dr. Le Xie, a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Texas A&M University and the Texas A&M Energy Institute’s Assistant Director of Energy Digitization, along with his research group and collaborators at Tsinghua University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has developed a first-of-its-kind cross-domain open-access data hub, integrating data from across all existing U.S. wholesale electricity markets with COVID-19 case, weather, cellular location, and satellite imaging data.
More Information

Workshops and Seminars

Massively Digitized Power Grid: Opportunities, Dangers and Challenges

Dr. Le Xie
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Texas A&M University and the Texas A&M Energy Institute’s Assistant Director of Energy Digitization

May 11, 2020 – 12:00 p.m.
Watch on YouTube

How to be “cloud-ready” for conducting power/energy research

August 22, 2020 – 1:30 p.m.

NSF Activities in AI and Data Science with Applications to Power Systems

Dr. Anthony Kuh
Professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of Hawai’i, as well as a Program Director in the National Science Foundation’s Division of Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems

Making Cents Out of the Mess, A Wind Energy Example

Brian Hayes
Executive Vice President of Asset Operations at EDP Renewables North America LLC

October 29, 2020 – 3:30 p.m.
Watch on YouTube

Partnerships

Research on the topic of Energy Digitization includes experts from a variety of disciplines and has wide-ranging applications.

Collaborators

Texas A&M University System

Texas A&M Institute of Data Science (TAMIDS)

Texas A&M TRIPODS Research Institute for Foundations of Interdisciplinary Data Science (FIDS)

TEES Smart Grid Center

External Entities

National Science Foundation
Division of Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems

Department of Energy
Solar Energy Technologies Office

Key Contacts

Professor Le Xie

Assistant Director of Energy Digitization
le.xie@tamu.edu

Energy Digitization