Maria Carmela Di Piazza is a Senior Research Scientist of the Italian National Research Council (CNR) at the Institute of Marine Engineering (INM), former CNR -ISSIA, where she held the position of head of the Palermo branch of the Institute. She was adjunct professor at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Palermo. She has led several scientific projects and activities on sustainable and efficient technologies for energy and transport. She is co-author of over 150 papers published in international journals and conference proceedings. She also co-authored a book, published by Springer, and three book chapters focusing on photovoltaic generation. Since 2012 she is a Senior Member of IEEE (member of the IEEE Power Electronics, and Industrial Electronics Societies). Her scientific interests cover power electronics and electrical drives, renewable generation, energy management systems (EMS), shipboard electrical systems, and smart micro/nano-grids.
Lecture – Enabling technologies for energy transition: micro- and nanogrids
The lecture will focus on defining the most relevant aspects of the micro/nanogrid paradigm and the advantages of this solution in the perspective of the energy transition. The case study of a shipboard power system will be discussed. An overview of the most promising technologies enabling the implementation of the microgrid paradigm onboard, for an increased efficiency and sustainability of maritime transportation, will be given. Particularly, the following topics will be explored: 1. decentralized and low-emission power generation on board, 2. shipboard DC electrical systems and hybrid AC/DC solutions, 3. Open issues and technical challenges concerning the implementation of microgrids on board.