Yi Yang

The U.S. electric power system is transitioning from fossil fuel-based electricity generation to renewable resources such as wind and solar photovoltaic (PV) generation, electric vehicles and building electrification, and the increasing usage of energy storage. How the energy transition will impact the secure and reliable operation of the electric grid has always been a critical question yet to be answered by utilities and power industries. Dr. Yi Yang would like to share some of her experiences in related areas and her thoughts on how young professionals should adapt themselves to this evolving field of electric power and energy.

Biography:

Dr. Yi Yang is a technology advisor to support the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO). She joined SETO in January 2022 and works with the Systems Integration team. Prior to this role, she was a senior engineering specialist working with Eaton Research Labs for over 12 years, and served as principal investigator and technical lead for multiple government-funded programs, and led strategic innovation and research in multiple areas, including building load intelligent power and energy monitoring, diagnostics, control, and management technologies; and power distribution protection and control for DERM/Microgrid interconnections.

Yi received her Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, M.S. in electrical and computer engineering from Nanyang Technology University, Singapore, and a B.E. in electrical engineering from Southeast University, Nanjing, China.

Dr. Yang is the author and co-author of over 20 scientific papers and articles, and she also owns more than 10 patent awards. Yi is a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and served as Chapter Chair of the IEEE Milwaukee Section Industrial Electronics Society and Industry Applications Society Joint Chapter from 2016–2018.