Alfred University is partnering with clean-tech startup Ranial Systems Inc. to develop an artificial intelligence-assisted controller for grid-scale battery storage and microgrids. The project began the week of June 29 and is supported by funding from New Energy New York.
The Alfred University-Ranial partnership was among four in New York State to share a combined $315,000 in funding through NENY’s Technical Assistance Program. Ranial develops CognitEMS, a patented edge-AI platform for Distributed Energy Resources. The project will receive $65,000 in funding and is expected to be completed in November.
Dr. Chandan Kumar, Assistant Professor of Computer Science, is the Principal Investigator, with Dr. Xingwu Wang serving as co-Principal Investigator. The controller will be validated through hardware-in-the-loop testing at Alfred University’s GE Vernova Advanced Power Grid Lab and Edibon Power Systems Simulation Lab.
KEY QUOTES:
“This project provides an excellent opportunity for hands-on training in cutting-edge energy systems research, bridging the gap between academic learning and real-world industrial application. Her involvement ensures that the work also contributes to building the next generation of engineers equipped to tackle challenges in intelligent energy infrastructure.”
“We see this collaboration as a meaningful opportunity to translate cutting-edge Machine Learning research into a commercially deployable, domestically developed solution with direct relevance to New York State’s clean energy goals and the broader national push toward resilient, intelligent energy infrastructure. What excites me most about this work is that we are bringing unsupervised learning out of the research lab and into the power grid, where it can make a real difference in how we manage and protect our energy systems.”
Dr. Chandan Kumar, Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Principal Investigator, Alfred University
