Randika Wijekoon is a member of the Grid Planning and Analysis Center at NREL and holds 10 years of industry experience in electricity system planning. His expertise includes long term capacity expansion planning, production cost modeling, and renewable energy grid integration. His current projects include work on modeling, simulation, and analysis of the power systems in United States and India to explore challenges in deep decarbonization and develop strategies for future pathways.

Research Interests

Capacity expansion planning and production cost modeling

Power system flexibility and capacity adequacy

Electricity system planning for net zero futures

Education

M.S., Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Peradeniya

B.S., Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Peradeniya

Professional Experience

Electrical Engineer (Generation Planning), Ceylon Electricity Board (2012–2022)

Projects Engineer, Trade Promoters Pvt Ltd (2011–2012)

Associations and Memberships

Member, IEEE

Member, CIGRE

Member, ESIG

Member, Engineers Australia

Featured Work

Cross-Border Electricity Trade between India and Sri Lanka: Impact on Power System Operations, NREL Technical Report (2018)

Managing Spinning Reserves for Power System Stability under Increased Renewable Energy Penetration, IEEE 15th International Conference on Industrial and Information Systems (2020)

Impact of Electric Vehicles to the operation of the Sri Lankan Power System, Ceylon Journal of Science (2018)

Evaluation of Variability Characteristics of Distributed Solar PV Production from Grid Integration Perspective, Annual Session Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka (2018)

Determining the Regulating Reserve Requirement with the integration of Variable Renewable Energy Sources to the Sri Lankan Power System, National Energy Symposium of Sri Lanka (2017)

Awards and Honors

E.O.E Pereira Award for the Best Research Paper, 112th Annual Session of Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka (2019)

Best Technical Paper Award of the National Energy Symposium of Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority and the Ministry of Power and Renewable Energy (2018)