 ELECO 2025 Invited Talks |
Ioana PISICA Brunel University of London College of Engineering, Design and Physical Sciences Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering London, United Kingdom Abstract – As conventional synchronous generation is displaced by inverter-based resources (IBRs), the stability of power systems is increasingly reliant on the control capabilities of these inverters. Grid-forming (GFM) control represents a paradigm shift, allowing converters to emulate the behaviour of synchronous machines, thus providing essential grid services such as frequency and voltage regulation, inertia, and black-start capabilities. Unlike conventional grid-following inverters, which require an existing voltage reference to operate, GFM inverters can operate autonomously, making them suitable for black-start capabilities, microgrid autonomy, and support in weak grid regions. The keynote will cover recent advancements in grid-forming control. Unlocking the full potential of grid-forming control requires close collaboration across disciplines. Power electronics, control theory, system planning, and policy must converge to develop solutions that are not only technically sound but also practical and scalable. Only through this interdisciplinary effort can grid-forming technologies be effectively integrated into resilient and economically viable energy systems. |
 Associate Professor Ioana PISICA Biography - Dr. Ioana Pisica is Associate Professor at Brunel University of London, Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering.
She graduated from the National Technical University of Bucharest, Romania with a BSc in Information systems for power engineering. She susbequently received her MSc in Information Systems from the Academy of Economic Studies from Bucharest and her PhD from the National Technical University of Bucharest, Romania in Machine Learning for Power Systems Her research interests include modern optimization techniques for power systems with distributed generation and FACTS devices, machine learning for power systems control, power quality, smart metering, and ICT infrastructures for future power networks. Her research spans distributed energy resources and the application of machine learning and AI in real-time control, state estimation, and demand-side management. She is particularly interested in advancing grid-edge intelligence, peer-to-peer energy markets, hydrogen-electricity coupling, and system resilience through digitalisation. Dr. Pisica has been Principal or Co-Investigator on more than 15 funded projects from UKRI, the European Commission, National Grid ESO, and British Council, with overall cumulative funding exceeding £10 million. She serves on the Intelligent System Applications to Power Systems, ISAP-2024 Council, and on the Universities Power Engineering Conference, UPEC-2022 International Steering Committee, and on the International Conference on Electrical and Electronics Engineering, ELECO 2025 Technical Committee. She is the Chair of the IEEE Task Force on Data-Driven Flexibility in Decarbonised Power Distribution Systems. Dr. Ioana Pisica is one of the editors of the book of "Sustainable Energy - Technological Issues, Applications and Case Studies", 2016.
Research Interests: Power systems operation optimization • renewable energy systems • power quality • energy efficiency in the built environment and industry • smart metering communications, and • analysis of large amounts of data from smart meters More details can be found at https://www.brunel.ac.uk/people/ioana-pisica. |
