In this year’s 28th edition of the Werner von Siemens Award, 662 entries from technical and natural science fields were submitted, from which an expert jury selected the best. Among the 22 awarded students, young scientists, and educators is Vojtěch Blažek from the ENET Centre, Centre for Energy and Environmental Technologies.
Vojtěch Blažek won in the category Best Doctoral Thesis in Smart Infrastructure and Energy with his dissertation titled Optimization in SMART GRID. In his work, he focuses on optimizing energy consumption in so-called smart energy networks – smart grids. These represent a modern way of managing the power system that allows better responses to fluctuating electricity generation, for example from renewable energy sources.
His research also focuses on Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology. This approach makes it possible to use electric vehicle batteries not only to power the vehicle but also as flexible energy storage units. In practice, this means that a parked electric car can store electricity during times of surplus and return it to the grid during periods of shortage.
The core of the dissertation is the development of an advanced NSGA-II genetic algorithm, capable of efficiently managing energy flows depending on electricity prices or tariff schemes. The proposed methodology was tested on a digital model of a real island-mode house. The results show that integrating electric vehicles into the energy system can significantly increase household energy self-sufficiency as well as the economic efficiency of their operation. The research therefore suggests what a more stable and sustainable energy infrastructure of the future might look like.
“I see this award primarily as recognition of the work of the entire team and the environment in which the research was carried out. I would especially like to thank my supervisor, Stanislav Mišák, for his professional guidance and long-term support. The topic of intelligent energy networks is very relevant today, because smart management of the power system will be essential for integrating renewable energy sources and ensuring the stability of the energy sector in the future,” said Vojtěch Blažek.
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The Werner von Siemens Award competition is organized by Siemens Czech Republic in cooperation with leading experts from universities and the Czech Academy of Sciences. These experts act as guarantors of individual categories and participate in evaluating the submitted works. Thanks to its long-standing tradition, broad scope, and strong support of young scientists, the competition ranks among the most important independent awards for scientific work in the Czech Republic.
We congratulate Vojtěch Blažek on this significant achievement and wish him many further successes in his scientific career.