PROGRAMS, WORKSHOPS, AND EVENTS

In Fall 2024, we recruited a talented team of eight Mesa College community college interns to participate in the DERConnect Internship Program. Through a year-long internship, students participate in designing and building projects that integrate photovoltaics and battery energy storage systems. Students are trained to perform literature research, design microgrids using simulation tools such as Simulink and implement hardware-based projects reflecting these concepts. Interns present progress and findings to research faculty and engineers and contribute to a comprehensive databank on DER-related concepts. The program provides practical experience in renewable energy systems and smart grid technologies. Once trained, students will participate in a summer internship at UC San Diego and perform research alongside our DERConnect research team.

The learning objectives for our internship program:

Students develop knowledge and expertise in renewable energy technologies and their role in the future of the U.S. power grid
Students are well versed in distributed energy technology, such as solar photovoltaic and battery energy storage systems
Students apply their experience by contributing to the comprehensive databank on DER-related concepts
Students demonstrate knowledge of using simulation tools to simulate microgrid behavior
Students practice technical communication by presenting their work to faculty and peers

Tsion-Aduesa Smart, Mesa College

I am a second-year Mathematics major at S.D. Mesa College with a background in Statistics and Pure Mathematics. I have a passion for numbers and problem-solving, and my interests include Actuarial Science, where I can apply statistical analysis to real-world industries. I am also passionate about energy and renewables, particularly in exploring data-driven solutions for sustainable development.

Weekly Updates

Energy Forcasting

Antoine Bonhomme, Mesa College

My name is Antoine Bonhomme and I am a first year at San Diego Mesa College studying Mechanical Engineering. I have a passion for hands on work that involves problem solving, team work, and creating solutions. I'm excited about engaging with peers around me to foster a collaborative environment to learn and grow, using each other's strengths. With the growing need for resilient infrastructure, I am passionate about contributing to research that ensures energy systems remain adaptive and secure in the face of evolving climate and grid demands.

Weekly Updates

Future of Energy

Stephen Hidalgo, Mesa College

My name is Stephen Hidalgo. I am getting my associates in Engineering at Mesa College and my bachelor's in Aerospace Engineering at SDSU. I want to expand my knowledge on energy and optimization to eventually bring this knowledge amd experience to communities in need.

Weekly Updates

Cost & Optimization

Phuong Nguyen, Mesa College

I am currently a senior mechanical engineering student at San Diego Mesa college. My interest lies in aerospace engineering and electrical/robotics engineer. I love hands-on experience, and learning new skills. A lot of my friends would call me "Jack of all trades," this is because I really like learning. I am currently working with UCSD as an intern for their DERConnect. This internship has sparked an interest in power for me. Especially PV renewable energy. I have enjoyed working with optimizations of PV generations and storing systems for future usage.

Weekly Updates

Battery Storage

Jeff Smit, Mesa College

I am a 2nd year Electrical Engineering Student at San Diego Mesa, with the hope to transfer to UCSD in 2026. My interest in power generation and distribution started in the navy where I was trained to operate nuclear power plants. This training led to a deeper interest in alternative methods of power generation such as renewables and nuclear. Currently I am interested in learning more about using renewable resources in conjunction with energy storage systems as microgrids and how they can affect the power grids that we have in place today.

Weekly Updates

Microgrids

Mariela Cueto, Mesa College

Hi, my name is Mariela Cueto. I began studying at Mesa in 2024 and plan to transfer to a four year university for my undergraduate degree. I am interested in sustainable energy optimization, storage technologies, and development processes.

Weekly Updates

Renewables

Marc Olsher, Mesa College

A graduate of UC San Diego with a degree in Music, Marc balances creative expression with a passion for engineering. While studying engineering at San Diego Mesa College, Marc is preparing to pursue graduate studies focused on renewable energy and applied engineering. Marc has also worked as an electromechanical technician, gaining practical experience in troubleshooting, system integration, and technical problem-solving to support innovative energy solutions. Marc’s unique blend of creativity, technical skill, and hands-on experience makes them excited to be part of UCSD’s DERConnect.

Weekly Updates

Photovoltaics

Oren Balmir-Cloven, Mesa/City/Miramar College

Hi! My name is Oren Balmir-Cloven and I am currently a second-year student at San Diego Mesa College studying Electrical Engineering. I am very interested in the robotics/ electronics field and I am excited to learn more about innovations with renewable energy technologies and see how robotics can be incorporated into the world of energy and sustainable technologies. I am excited to get more hands-on experience and apply my skills to working on renewable energy projects.

Weekly Updates

Cyber Physical Sys.

FEB 28

NOV. 2024

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Weekly Meetings

November 2024 - Present

Our intern team and research assistant team meet weekly to implement projects, discuss about DER connect, review literature, and provide feedback for developing curriculum.

SPRING 2025 SYLLABUS

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How To Give Presentations

April 25, 2025

Student learn about key tips and strategies on how to deliver a professional presentation. The talk discusses in detail on how to prepare a presentation, how to deliver it, and key strategies for making the slides concise, impactful, and high quality.

Presentation Tips

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KiCAD and PCB Design 101

April 13, 2025 @ 10:30AM - 12PM on Zoom

Students learn about PCB design and fundamentals of best practices in wiring and schematic design. Interns prepare for their final project and seek personalized feedback and advice for their design. Tahseen goes over basic PCB design in KiCAD.

Recording April 13

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Maximum Power Point Tracking

May 2, 2025 @ 10:30AM - 12PM at Mesa College

Students learn about the fundamentals of Distributed Energy Resources with a focus on solar photovoltaic (PV) systems and Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) algorithms. The talk discusses how voltage, current, and power interact in a solar panel and learn to interpret I-V and P-V curves to identify the Maximum Power Point (MPP). Students engage with Simulink and program their own MPPT algorithm.

Presentation

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Grid Forming System Workshop

April 11, 2025 @ 10:30AM - 12PM at Mesa College

Students learn about microgrids, islanding mode, transformers, inverters, peak shaving, load shifting, the California duck curve, grid forming and grid following. Workshop implements Mathworks grid forming system tutorial to help students understand how grid forming operates in a simulation.

Presentation | Recording

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Virtual Sync. Machine & Droop Control

April 18, 2025 @ 10:30AM - 12PM at Mesa College

Students learn to analyze simulations for virtual synchronous machine and droop control.

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Pilot Workshop on Decentralization

March 22, 2025 @ 9AM - 12PM in Envision Studios

Our interns joined our research assistant team at UC San Diego at Envision Studios to pilot our initial documentation for the Introduction to Decentralization project.

Documentation

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Intro to Research

February 14, 2025

Introduction to academia and research. Types of research papers and their components. In this presentation, we discuss about the research engine in academia and how important technical communication is to the scientific community and research driven innovation. We discuss how to read the major components of a research paper and how to navigate Google Scholar search.

Intro to Research Presentation

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Pilot Solar Battery Charger

January 25, 2025

Our interns joined our research assistant team at UC San Diego at Envision Studios to pilot our initial documentation for the Solar Battery Charger followed by a lecture on DER concepts (microgrid: active vs reactive power, islanding, grid forming, grid following, battery energy storage systems, and intro to Simulink concepts, photovoltaics, etc.). This workshop session was a pilot to receive initial feedback and insight from our interns and their experiences to improve the curriculum.

Documentation

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Pilot Simulink Concepts

January 25, 2025

Our interns joined our research assistant team at UC San Diego at Envision Studios to pilot our initial documentation for intro to Simulink concepts, photovoltaics, etc. This workshop session was a pilot to receive initial feedback and insight from our interns and their experiences to improve the curriculum.

Presentations

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PCB and CAD Workshop

November 16, 2024

In this workshop, students are introduced to KiCAD and OnShape to learn more about PCB design and 3D modeling for practical skill building.

Workshop Materials

Spring 2025 Schedule

February 2025 - May 2025

Our intern team are working alongside our UC San Diego research assistants on projects in both hardware and software. For Spring 2025, they will be working on independent research projects via a 30-min technical presentation and developing their own ideas for a final project.

Tentative Schedule

Fall 2024 Schedule

November 2024 - December 2024

Our intern team are working alongside our UC San Diego research assistants on projects in both hardware and software. For Fall 2024, they are primarily focused on building research skills, technical skills, technical training, programming, and background knowledge for the project.

Fall & Spring Training Activities

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DC to AC Inverter

Developer: Phuong Nguyen

Description: This project demonstrates how an inverter can convert a DC voltage into a sinusoidal AC wave and then back into a stable DC voltage. Using MOSFETs in an H-bridge configuration, the inverter redirects DC current to generate an AC waveform at the output. A full-bridge rectifier then converts this AC wave back into DC. By adding a capacitor and indicator, the final output is smoothed to produce a clean, noise-free DC voltage.

Demo: Watch Video Here

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Microgrid System

Team: Marc Olsher, Phuong Nguyen, Antoine Bonhomme, Mariela Cueto, Jeff Smit

Description: This project features a smart microgrid with AC-to-DC conversion and a hierarchical control system combining centralized and decentralized elements. It supports remote load control, auto load shedding, and automatic transfer to a Battery Energy Storage System during outages. The system also manages battery charging and discharging based on solar PV output and microgrid demand, highlighting key capabilities in intelligent and resilient energy management.

Project Presentation