University of Toronto
Description :
Founded in 1827, the University of Toronto is consistently ranked as Canada’s top university. We have a long history of challenging the impossible and transforming society through the ingenuity and determination of our faculty, students, alumni, staff and supporters.
We are proud to be one of the world’s top research universities, bringing together the brightest minds from every conceivable background and discipline to collaborate on the world’s most pressing challenges.
The ideas, innovations and contributions of more than 720,000 graduates advance U of T’s impact on communities across the globe.
Together, we continue to defy gravity by taking on what might seem unattainable today and generating the ideas and talent needed to build a more equitable, sustainable and prosperous future.
Role :
The University of Toronto (UofT) is a core PowerMAX research partner, leading project-wide data coordination, technical specifications, and modelling frameworks. UofT develops Ontario-specific market and grid models, evaluates LDES revenue and system impacts, and advances the battery swarm concept with Hydro One and eCAMION. Its work includes digital twin design and validation, protection and resilience studies, PHIL testing, and integration of storage into grid operations. UofT also contributes to hydrogen-storage research, helping bridge analytical innovation and real-world deployment while supporting future replication in Canada and internationally.
Team members
Ali Hooshyar
Associate Professor – Ali Hooshyar joined the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Toronto in 2018. He founded the Grid Modernization Centre (GMC) in the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering in 2022 and serves as its technical director. His research focuses on modernizing electrical power grids, with an emphasis on renewable energy integration – creating next-generation control and protection devices to make power grids compatible with green energy sources, smart grids – studying system resilience, voltage instability, and large-scale load loss in modern distribution networks, as well as grid modeling & planning – developing reliable data center models and advanced testing approaches using real-time digital simulators.
Reza Iravani
Professor – Reza Iravani joined the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering at University of Toronto in July 1987, where now he holds the rank of professor with tenure. He has been the holder of the L Lau Chair since November 2004. He founded the Centre for Applied Power Electronics (CAPE) in the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering in 1989 and serves as its director. His research interests include HVDC grids – control, operation, and wide-area protection of High Voltage Direct Current and mixed HVDC-AC systems; integration of renewable energy – connecting solar, wind power plants, and grid-scale energy storage into existing power networks; microgrids – operational concepts, optimization, and control for AC-DC microgrids and distributed energy resources; electric vehicles – infrastructure design and controls for EV fast-charging stations as well as power electronics – modeling and control of power electronic converters and electromagnetic transients.
Ahmed Abdelaziz
Postdoctoral fellow – My research focuses on smart-grid optimal planning and operation, energy management, and cyber-physical resilience of integrated energy systems. I specialize in coordinating long-term planning and operational energy-management strategies to enable the optimal integration of distributed energy resources and emerging technologies, maximize multi-service revenue stacking, and maintain reliable operation under cyber-physical contingencies, equipment failures, extreme events, and data degradation. My research also investigates emerging grid technologies, particularly hyperscale AI data centers, including their integration, regulation, operational impacts, and participation in grid-service frameworks to support the reliable, resilient, and stable operation of future smart grids and integrated energy systems.
Peter Aulich
Managing Director, Grid Modernization Centre – Peter Aulich is the Managing Director of the Grid Modernization Centre within the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering at the University of Toronto. In this role, he leads strategic industry partnerships, oversees multi‑stakeholder projects, manages vendor and government relationships, and guides marketing and outreach initiatives that support the Centre’s mission to advance Canada’s clean energy transition.