PhD student Ahmed Shaban Omar and Dr. Ramadan El-Shatshat of the University of Waterloo’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) have received the Best Paper Award at the IEEE Electrical Power and Energy Conference (EPEC) 2025. The award recognizes their innovative research on intelligent energy management for microgrids.
The theme of EPEC 2025 focused on the decarbonization of energy systems, highlighting the importance of smart energy technologies in the transition to a more sustainable electricity grid.
Their award-winning paper, “Primal-Dual Deep Reinforcement Learning-Based Energy Management of Microgrids with Electric Vehicles Charging Station,” addresses one of the most pressing challenges in modern power systems: operating microgrids that integrate renewable energy sources, battery storage, and electric vehicle (EV) charging stations while maintaining safety, reliability, and efficiency.
Managing these systems is inherently complex. Renewable energy generation from solar and wind is variable, EV charging demand can surge unexpectedly, and power systems must continuously avoid overloads and voltage violations. Omar and Dr. El-Shatshat address these challenges using constrained reinforcement learning, an artificial intelligence approach that enables systems to make real-time, optimal decisions—such as when to generate electricity, store energy in batteries, or draw power from the main grid—while strictly respecting operational and safety constraints.
As electric vehicles introduce new and unpredictable demands and renewable generation remains intermittent, utilities face growing operational challenges. While artificial intelligence offers powerful tools for managing this complexity, its broader adoption depends on safety and reliability. This research advances AI-based energy management by developing constraint-aware methods that are dependable and well suited for real-time operation in low-carbon energy systems.
About the researchers
Ahmed Shaban Omar
Omar is a PhD student in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Waterloo. His research focuses on safe deep reinforcement learning for low-carbon energy management in urban integrated energy systems. His work aims to develop AI-driven control and optimization methods that balance economic efficiency with strict operational and safety constraints. He chose Waterloo for its global reputation in engineering research, collaborative culture, and strong connection between theory and real-world applications.
Dr. Ramadan El-Shatshat
Dr. El-Shatshat is an Associate Professor (Teaching Stream) and Director of the Electric Power Engineering program in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. His expertise includes distribution system engineering, with a focus on distribution automation, smart grids, energy management, and the operation and control of distributed generation systems. His research also explores the conversion of power from renewable energy sources into grid-quality AC power.
Congratulations to Ahmed Shaban Omar and Dr. Ramadan El-Shatshat on this well-deserved recognition.