NSF East Asia and Pacific Summer Institute for FY 2012 in Japan

Walter Travis, Berkeley, Ca CA

Investigators

Abstract

This action funds Travis Walter of the University of California, Berkeley to conduct a research project, entitled "Forecasting building energy use for efficient distribution," during the summer of 2012 at the University of Kitakyushu in Kitakyushu, Japan. The host scientist is Professor Weijun Gao. The Intellectual Merit of the research project is an application of load forecasting techniques to the design of distributed energy systems. Previous research in the area of demand response has led to very useful load forecasting techniques, but the design of distributed energy systems uses simpler models of energy use profiles. This research includes more detailed building energy use models in the computation of optimal distributed energy systems. It promises to advance discovery and understanding by introducing techniques developed by the demand response community to problems being solved in the distributed energy community. Broader Impacts of an EAPSI fellowship include providing the Fellow a first-hand research experience outside the U.S.; an introduction to the science, science policy, and scientific infrastructure of the respective location; and an orientation to the society, culture and language. These activities meet the NSF goal to educate for international collaborations early in the career of its scientists, engineers, and educators, thus ensuring a globally aware U.S. scientific workforce.