Team led by Prof. Zhe Wang Wins Second Place in iFLYTEK AI Developer Competition

A team composed of Prof. Zhe Wang, Assistant Professor at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Mr. Zeyu Duan, a PhD student of Prof. Wang, and Mr. Yi Ju from the University of California, Berkeley, has won second place in the category “Demand Optimization Strategy Challenge for Flexible Load” in the iFLYTEK 2022 AI Developer Competition.

The competition, organized by iFLYTEK Co., Ltd., aims to provide a platform for professionals from the industry and academia to exchange ideas especially those pertaining to cutting-edge scientific research and innovations in artificial intelligence. Over 32,000 teams from numerous tertiary institutions, including Tsinghua University, the University of Science and Technology of China, and South China University of Technology participated in this year’s competition.

The category “Demand Optimization Strategy Challenge for Flexible Load” is about how to operate a smart grid system using a time-of-use (ToU) scheme to minimize operational costs. The solution proposed by Prof. Wang’s team is based on model predictive control (MPC): Under a ToU scheme, an MPC controller, by integrating load prediction and system dynamics, optimizes the charging and discharging of batteries, thereby saving 17% on utility costs (compared with existing technology). The solution facilitates effective building-grid interactions and create a win-win solution for both the grid and the end-users — it helps the grid to take in more renewable generation, and the end-users to reduce their electric utility costs.

Congratulations to Prof. Wang and his team!