Forskerportrett: Nicolae Lucian Mihet

Position, name and department: Full Professor in Energy Technology, Nicolae Lucian Mihet (Lucian Mihet-Popa on my publications), Department of Engineering 

Field of study: Electrical and Computer Engineering, Green Energy Technology 

Residence: Fredrikstad 

Age: 52 

At HIØ since: August 2016 

Title of doctoral dissertation / graduate institution / dissertation year:  

• January 2015 – Dr. Habil in Electrical Engineering (Topics: Renewable Energy Conversion and Storage components/systems, Smart Grids), with the Habilitation thesis entitled: Development of Simulation Tools for Distributed Energy Conversion Systems toward Smart Grids; Graduate Institution: “Politehnica” University of Timisoara-Romania. The research presented in this Habilitation Thesis was done working in 4 research projects, with Danish Technical University-DTU for 3 years.

• December 2003 – Ph D degree in Electrical Engineering at the “Politehnica” University of Timisoara – Romania, Dept. of Electrical Machines and Drives, Ph. D. Thesis entitled: “Wind turbines using induction generators connected to the grid”. The work done in this PhD Thesis was done working in 2 research projects for a stage of 2 years, in collaboration with Aalborg University, Denmark.

What challenges are you working on, and why is it important?

I have been working in the last 2 years on 3 ongoing research projects (EEA and Norway Grants), together with partners from Norway and Romania, related to energy efficiency in smart buildings.

In one of the projects, entitles “Increasing Energy Efficiency in Municipal Buildings by using PV System Solutions”, which is part of Renewable energy, Energy efficiency call, we received in total more than 2.200.000 Euro funding from Innovation Norway. The project will design, develop and implement the deep renovation of two public buildings, a secondary-school and a gym with swimming pool, to significantly enhance indoor comfort. We will design and develop innovative solutions, including an optimal local coordination for the BEMS, based on Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning algorithms that integrate several technologies. The project solutions will increase the energy efficiency with 82% improving the performance up to nZEB level and significantly reduce the GHG emissions with 78%.

In another project, submitted last year at Energy Programme-Focus area: renewable energy, received 450.000 Euro funding from Innovation Norway; The project entitled "Design and development of an Energy Efficiency Management and Control System with cost-effective solutions for residential and educational buildings", is financed by the EEA and Norway Grants Financial Mechanism 2014-2021. The project consortium has 2 partners from Norway, Oestfold University College and NxTech, and 4 partners from Romania, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Technical University of Timisoara, Alba-Iulia Municipality and Association Center for the study of democracy. It would be a great pleasure to continue our great collaboration and partnership with our partners. Our project, will provide an end-to-end solution for customers’ energy management needs, based on demand side management for energy & cost savings. The cost of energy will be included into the Energy Management and Control System (EMCS) so that control decisions will be evaluated from cost perspective. It will be developed as an autonomous concept which will integrate the building sensors and building infrastructure into one common cloud interface through Gateway based on machine/self-learning, reinforcement learning and AI algorithms. The envisioned and targeted energy optimization solutions include the development of an innovative Internet of Things (IoT) algorithm system awareness, considering a secure communication and data processing approaches, reducing energy demand and equivalent CO2 emissions with at least 350 MWh/yr and 86 tons/yr for the 3 pilot sites, 2 in Romania and one in Norway. A smart relay plug-in communication module for an existing water heater prototype will also be developed based on an innovative solution for optimizing storage of hot water temperature in heater tanks by controlling the amount of water with the highest temperature actively. #researchproject;

What makes this publication special? Nice if you include a link.

The most 3 cited papers received in total more than 700 citations in Google Scholar (https://scholar.google.no/citations?user=ubXYA5cAAAAJ&hl=en ), more than 400 citations in Scopus (https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=6506881488 ) and >260 citations in ISI Web of Science (https://publons.com/researcher/1345256/lucian-mihet/publications/ ).

The most read paper (approx. 30.000 times based on Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/316753899_A_Comprehensive_Study_of_Key_Electric_Vehicle_EV_Components_Technologies_Challenges_Impacts_and_Future_Direction_of_Development/stats ) it is a comprehensive review paper about Electric Vehicles, challenges, impact and future direction ( “A Comprehensive Study of Key Electric Vehicle (EV) Components, Technologies, Challenges, Impacts, and Future Direction of Development”). The next 3 most cited and read papers are related to Renewable Energy Sources: Wind Turbine Applications and Solar Photovoltaic Systems and Power electronic converters used for.

Is there a special person/special environment or special issues that had influence on you?

I have been motivating by my ambition to become a better version of me in every day and to make and discover new things for a better and cleaner world and by my PhD Thesis supervisor (Academician and IEEE Life-Fellow), who motivated me in many ways.

If you could change anything in the world of research, what would it be? Why?

--I would introduce the Electric Vehicles on the market at large scale one hundred years ago and I would ban completely plastic bottles.

--I would have been focused on renewables and green energy technologies much earlier.

What are you most proud of in your career so far?

The achievements and rewards I got so far in my entire career. To mention some of them:

--more than 15 international research projects for which we received external funding (>10 mill. Euro in total);

--I was invited in 2020 as expert to join the Energy and Automotive committees by The President and The Honorary President of Atomium European Institute, working in close cooperation and under the umbrella of European Commission, EU Parliament civil society organizations, industry and media. I was appointed the Chairman of AI4People 2020, Energy Section (https://www.hiof.no/ir/english/research/groups/intelligent-control-of-energy-conversion-and-stora/news/);

--a research and teaching lab with more than 10 real-time digital trainers/setups for RES, Microgrids including ESS, EVs and smart prosumers, Power electronics and Drives, Energy efficiency, I designed and developed in my first 2 years at HIOF (https://www.hiof.no/iio/ing/english/research/groups/intelligent-control-of-energy-conversion-and-stora/ );

--the IEEE IAS Transactions on Industry Applications second prize paper award

--more than 150 papers published in international and national journals and conference proceedings and 12 books, in the last 15 years

What goals do you have for your research career?

--I would like to get more external funding and to develop an energy management research center for Smart Grids based Renewables with young and ambition researchers from all over the world.

What is the best advice you have got on the beginning of your research career?

The complicated things are made by simple ones but to understand this and to succeed in your career you should practice and work constantly in every day.

Are there any issues of your particular concern at HiØ (not related to research)? Examples can be anything: Cycle to work campaigns, film club, political issues, preparation of new educational programs, open research, reorganization, bicycle parking, community gatherings

Who would you rather take a coffee with (colleague, acquaintances, celebrities, etc.)?

With simple people like me, colleagues and friends.

Do you have special rituals throughout the working day / workplace that characterize you?

To come to the office first and leave last. I don't recommend this to anyone 😊

What do you do in your free time?

There is not so much free time in my life but I like to visit new places, read a good book, listen to music, play tennis or football.

Which book or publication has been most important to you in your academic career? (not your own 😉)

There are many important good books but I would mention just a few of them: “Power electronics”-Mohan, Underland, Robbins, “Electric Drives” - Boldea and Nasar and Siegfried Heier, “Wind energy conversion systems”.

Book tips (some novels or crim and why)

I prefer thriller, Sci-Fi and historical books. Probably because I am engineer and I have a weakness for science, history and religion.

Latest cultural experience

A comedy/theatre play just before the pandemic to spread.