PhD Research Fellow: Power Quality & PV Grid Planning

Arbeidsplassen; Grimstad; On-site; NOK 496,000 - 606,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Participation in FME SOLAR network

Dynamic international research enviro

Job summary

University of Agder invites applications for a 3-year PhD Research Fellow in Power Quality Assessment and Planning of Distribution and Transmission Grids at Campus Grimstad. The role is tied to the Energy Systems Group and the national FME SOLAR centre.

The successful candidate will develop digital twins and an event-based PQ framework, evaluate grid-control strategies to boost PV hosting capacity, and validate results with HIL experiments in collaboration with SOLAR.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree (120 ECTS) in Electrical Engineering, Renewable Energy, or related discipline.
• Experience with scientific programming and data analysis, preferably using MATLAB and/or Python.
• Good written and spoken English. TOEFL/IELTS documentation if NOKUT requirements apply.
• Experience with power quality analysis, EMT simulations, or event-based power system studies.
• Familiarity with voltage control, hosting capacity analysis, or renewable energy grid integration.
• Research experience documented through a Master’s thesis or publications.
• Knowledge of Norwegian or another Scandinavian language.

Responsibilities

• Development of digital twins for pilot distribution (LV/MV) and transmission (HV) grids with high penetration of PV and inverter-based technologies.
• Development of an event-based power quality assessment framework, including a PQ toolbox based on EMT simulations.
• Evaluation of grid control strategies for increasing PV hosting capacity, including active/reactive power control, voltage management, reactive power compensation (SVC/STATCOM), energy storage, demand-side management, and hybrid PV–wind systems.
• Development of optimal strategies for increasing grid hosting capacity considering power quality, voltage stability, and losses.
• The research will be validated through scaled hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) laboratory experiments.
• Collaboration within the FME SOLAR consortium is an integral part of the position.

Skills

Scientific programming

Data analysis

English proficiency

Norwegian language

Power systems knowledge

Research experience

Education

Master's degree in Electrical Engineering or Renewable Energy

Tools

MATLAB

Python

Job description

University of Agder invites applications for a 3-year PhD Research Fellow in Power Quality Assessment and Planning of Distribution and Transmission Grids at Campus Grimstad. The role is tied to the Energy Systems Group and the national FME SOLAR centre.

The successful candidate will develop digital twins and an event-based PQ framework, evaluate grid-control strategies to boost PV hosting capacity, and validate results with HIL experiments in collaboration with SOLAR.