LEE members attends SEECON 2018 in Cebu City

admin • October 25, 2018

Mr. Eugene Esparcia, Jr. and Mr. Michael Castro attended the Sustainable Energy Ecosystems International Conference (SEECON) 2018 held in Waterfront Cebu City Hotel at Lahug, Cebu City, Philippines last October 24 to 26, 2018. SEECON 2018 is mainly sponsored by the Center for Research in Energy Systems and Technologies of the University of San Carlos in Cebu City, Philippines, which is one of the local collaborators of the Laboratory. The conference is also co-located with 1 st Philippine International Microgrid Exhibition and Conference (PIMEC) which the microgrid developers gathered for networking and exchange of experience within the industry.

The conference theme is “Energy Access and Energy Efficiency Towards Sustainable Energy Ecosystems for Urban, Rural, and Island Communities”. In the conference, the status of energy access and equity in the off-grid areas in the Philippine were discussed with high regard on social dimension of energy access in order to achieve real sustainability. Since the Philippines is at high risk for climate change-related disasters, climate change mitigation and resiliency strategies were also emphasized. New innovations and trends on microgrids and hybrid energy systems technologies were discussed for awareness and generation of potential research track that the Philippines can embark. Case studies on current deployment of microgrids in the Philippines were discussed to learn from experiences for future reference.

Mr. Esparcia presented his work entitled “A Classification of Off-grid Philippine Islands – A Cluster Analysis Approach for Rapid Renewable Energy Transition” with University of Kassel (Dr. Henning Meschede) and University of Freiberg (Mr. Peter Holzapfel) from Germany, and from the Department of Geodetic Engineering (Dr. Ariel Blanco and Ms. Ma. Rosario Ang) of University of the Philippines – Diliman. Dr. Meschede and Mr. Holzapfel are one of many international collaborators of the Laboratory. The work focuses mainly on the hastening the deployment of microgrids by classifying the off-grid islands in the Philippines. The results show that there are 54 types of islands in the Philippines among the 502 islands that were selected. Mr. Esparcia hopes his work will help bridge the persistent academe-industry gap and will help fellow Filipinos in these areas have improve their standard of living.

Mr. Castro presented his work entitled “Development of an Open-Source Off-grid Island Energy System Optimization Tool with Cost Projecting Analysis” under the supervision of Dr. Joey Ocon. The Island Systems LCOEmin Algorithm (ISLA) was mainly developed by Mr. Castro which focuses on development of robust open-source tool which can be accessible to all end-users since purchasing of commercial software are very prohibitive. The results were validated using the commercial software for optimization with relatively better sizing and analysis since non-ideality of the system were accounted such as battery models and system reliability. Participants from other universities in the Philippines and in Indonesia were very interested on using the open-source software. Mr. Castro hopes to include additional features in ISLA to make the tool more flexible and robust and hopes that many people can benefit from the open-source tool.

LEE participates in PyPSA workshop

By Mecaelah Palaganas • November 30, 2024
LEE research staff and graduate students participated in an in-house training and workshop on the Python for Power Systems Analysis (PyPSA) toolbox on October 9 and 23, 2024 . The sessions were led by Arizeo Salac (SRS 1, ElectriPHI), who returned from a six-month research sandwich program at the Reiner Lemoine Institute in Berlin, Germany , where he focused on data-driven decision-making and energy systems modeling. The training included a detailed discussion on energy systems modeling, with key topics such as data sources and the representation of energy systems using both conventional and renewable technologies. Participants received hands-on assistance with the software setup and installation, followed by simulation activities that showcased PyPSA’s capabilities in energy and power systems analysis. Mr. Salac also presented his baseline model of the Philippine energy system, which can be utilized for energy transition scenario planning. The event aimed to enhance participants' proficiency with open-source modeling tools, share best practices in modeling, and support their research in energy systems. Article by: Sophia Lunor

LEE among Filipino Delegates at the ASEAN Battery Technology Conference in Singapore

By Mecaelah Palaganas • November 30, 2024
Prof. Joey D. Ocon, Dr. Julie Anne D.R. Paraggua, Dr. Lawrence Limjuco, and Giancarlo Sanglay were among the Filipino delegates at the 2nd ASEAN Battery Technology Conference , held from August 21 to 23, 2024 , at the Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa in Singapore. Themed "Powering ASEAN: Innovating the Future of Battery," the event was co-organized by key ASEAN associations from Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. They were accompanied by LEE member and graduate student, Giancarlo Sanglay and NextGen Project Chief Technical Specialist, Dr. Lawrence Limjuco, of the Advanced Batteries Center. The conference aimed to foster connections among researchers, engineers, and industry stakeholders within the battery and electric vehicle (EV) sectors. It provided a platform for knowledge exchange, technical discussions, and potential collaborations. Key topics included the development of the Battery and EV Roadmap for Southeast Asia, as well as government policies and regulations surrounding battery and energy storage systems (ESS) applications. Industry leaders and academic experts also addressed technological advancements in battery materials, financial support for innovations, and strategies for managing the end-of-life value chain of batteries. Prof. Ocon, who also serves as Co-Founder of Nascent Batteries, played an active role in the event by moderating a panel discussion on advancing ESS technologies in Asia. The panel featured representatives from prominent organizations, including EDP Renewables APAC, Green Tenaga Pte Ltd, and the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand. This collaborative event underscored the region's commitment to advancing sustainable energy solutions and highlighted the critical role of ASEAN countries in driving innovation within the battery and EV industries. Article by: Lora Monique Sapanta

Hello, LEE, Goodbye: Lab Members bid adieu to departing colleagues

By Mecaelah Palaganas • November 30, 2024
The Laboratory of Electrochemical Engineering (LEE) held a despedida party to bid farewell to two of its active members — Ms. Rosela Lazaro and Asst. Prof. Michael Castro — as they embark on a new chapter of their academic journey. The LEE members, along with their laboratory head, Prof. Joey D. Ocon, celebrated through a friendly competition at the Ever Gotesco Bowling Alley, Commonwealth Avenue last August 19, 2024. This also fostered camaraderie and strengthened the bond and friendship between the lab members. Ms. Lazaro will be studying MS in Environmental Science and Engineering at Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, South Korea. Meanwhile, Asst. Prof. Castro will be pursuing a doctorate degree in Nuclear Engineering and Management at the University of Tokyo, Japan. He will be returning to UP Diliman to tend to his duties at the Department of Chemical Engineering. Indeed, ‘goodbyes’ are not the end. It marks a beginning of a new ‘hello’, a step closer to making dreams come true. To Sir Michael, ganbatte! To Sela, hwaiting! We are all rooting for you both! Article by: Lora Monique Sapanta
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