Nando Ochoa Pizzali

Nando Ochoa Pizzali is Professor of Smart Grids and Power Systems in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the University of Melbourne. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering from UNI in Peru, a Research MSc in Electrical Power Engineering, and a PhD in Electrical Power Engineering from UNESP Ilha Solteira in Brazil. Prior to his appointment at Melbourne, he served in full- and part-time academic roles at The University of Manchester from 2011 to 2021. Earlier in his career, he was a Research Fellow in Energy Systems at the University of Edinburgh from 2007 to 2010, during which he undertook an industrial secondment with Psymetrix Ltd (part of GE Grid Solutions) in Edinburgh. In addition to his academic positions, Ochoa Pizzali is Chief Scientist and Co-Founder of VoltMind, where he guides the development of advanced software tools supporting electricity distribution companies in managing evolving grid challenges.

Professor Ochoa Pizzali leads one of the world's top research teams on Smart Grids and directs the Smart Grid Lab at the University of Melbourne. His primary research specializations encompass electricity distribution networks, with a focus on the integration of distributed energy resources (DER) such as renewables (wind and solar PV), battery storage, and electric vehicles. This includes aspects of modeling, analysis, operation, planning, optimization, impacts, management, aggregation, and planning of DER-rich networks. He employs data-driven and AI techniques, including data analytics and electrical model-free approaches, to foster smarter, low-carbon grids through active network management, optimization, and hardware-in-the-loop simulations. Ochoa Pizzali has produced over 230 peer-reviewed research papers in top international journals and conferences, more than 90 technical reports, and holds two patents. His scholarly impact is evidenced by over 13,500 citations on Google Scholar in areas of power systems, distribution networks, and smart grids. An IEEE Senior Member and PES Distinguished Lecturer, he previously served as an Editorial Board Member of the IEEE Power and Energy Magazine. He contributes to teaching subjects including Introduction to Power Engineering and Grid Integration of Renewables, and has delivered public lectures on topics such as electric vehicles and grid interactions.

Professional Email: luis.ochoa@unimelb.edu.au