Ahad Esmaeilian
Vice President of Clean Energy,
Audubon Companies, USA
Biography: Dr. Ahad Esmaeilian serves as the Vice President of Clean Energy at Audubon Engineering Company, where he is responsible for overseeing the company's clean energy businesses. Prior to joining Audubon, Ahad held the position of Director of New Initiatives Development at Avangrid, the third largest renewable owner/operator in the USA.
He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in electrical engineering from The University of Tehran, a master's degree in Business Administration from Clarkson University, and a PhD in Electrical Engineering from Texas A&M University. With over 15 years of experience in the clean energy and utility sector, Dr. Esmaeilian has expertise in renewable and zero-carbon energy, grid modernization, energy storage, e-mobility, hydrogen, advanced fuels, and electric and gas markets. He is recognized as a Senior Member of the IEEE and has previously served as the Chairman of the inaugural IEEE PES Grid Edge Technologies Conference & Exposition.
Title
From Renewables to Green Molecules:
The Electrical Grid's New Frontier
Abstract: As the global push towards decarbonization intensifies, green hydrogen has emerged as a promising solution to reduce carbon emissions across various industrial sectors. Derived from renewable energy sources, green hydrogen and its derivatives—often referred to as green molecules—offer a sustainable alternative to traditional fossil fuels. However, integrating green hydrogen into the existing energy infrastructure presents significant challenges, particularly for the electrical grid. Electrolyzers, the devices used to produce green hydrogen, are substantial electrical loads that could exacerbate grid congestion. This presentation will discuss the fundamentals of green hydrogen, exploring its potential to drive the decarbonization of industries such as transportation and manufacturing, as well as discussing the impact of large-scale electrolyzer deployment on grid reliability, load management, and energy storage requirements, offering insights into how we can harness the benefits of green molecules while addressing the critical challenges posed by their integration.