IEEE DAY MTT-S Talk: Communications at the Grid Edge: From Modbus to MQTT – Enabling Connected Energy Systems
IEEE Day Talk from the IEEE MTT-S Chapter of Thompson Okanagan Section.
The transition to sustainable energy depends not only on better power electronics but also on robust communication frameworks that link devices across the grid edge. From programmable solid-state circuit breakers to electric-vehicle chargers and energy-harvesting IoT sensors, these devices must exchange data reliably and securely often over constrained links and with limited energy budgets.
This talk explores the practical communications technologies that make these systems work in the field. I will discuss the role of Modbus for legacy device integration, the use of REST-based APIs for interoperability with modern cloud services, and how MQTT and Protobuf enable lightweight, scalable communication for distributed energy resources. The talk also highlights the unique challenges of supporting energy-harvesting devices, which impose strict constraints on bandwidth, latency, and power consumption.
Drawing on more than a decade of hands-on experience architecting communication solutions for EV-to-grid integration, home-energy management, and industrial IoT systems as well as ongoing PhD research in energy harvesting, I will share lessons learned, design trade-offs, and opportunities for innovation. Attendees will gain the perspective on building communication architectures that are secure, interoperable, and ready for the next generation of connected energy systems.
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- Starts 05 October 2025 11:00 PM UTC
- Ends 08 October 2025 01:00 AM UTC
- No Admission Charge
Speakers
Eshwar of Eaton
Communications at the Grid Edge: From Modbus to MQTT – Enabling Connected Energy Systems
Biography:
Eshwara Prasath Ramesh is a hands-on engineering leader and PhD researcher in Electrical Engineering at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, focusing on energy-harvesting technologies for connected energy systems. He is currently Lead Firmware Engineer at Eaton, where he develops communication-driven solutions for vehicle-to-grid and vehicle-to-home energy integration, smart breakers, and distributed energy resources. Previously at Atom Power, he architected the world’s first programmable solid-state circuit breakers and designed their end-to-end communication frameworks, integrating Modbus, RESTful APIs, and secure cloud platforms.
With more than a decade of experience in embedded systems, edge-to-cloud integration, and industrial/IoT communication protocols such as MQTT and Protobuf, he is passionate about bridging the gap between research and deployment of sustainable energy technologies. Eshwara has published in IEEE conferences on renewable energy and holds an honorary doctorate in Electrical Engineering.
Email:
Address:Eaton, , Peachtree City, Georgia, United States
Agenda
Talk - 6 PM PT
Q&A - 6.45 PM PT