Michael Hanestad, Principal Power System Engineer and Distribution Planning Team Lead, RLC Engineering
Will present a talk entitled:
Phase-EQ Technology: Improving Distribution System Power Quality through Dynamic Power Balancing
Abstract: The increasing penetration of distributed energy resources (DERs) and electric vehicles (EVs) is amplifying the challenge of phase imbalance in distribution systems. Switched Source’s Phase-EQ technology is a shunt-connected, medium-voltage power electronics device designed to dynamically mitigate imbalance by transferring power between phases, thereby reducing neutral current and improving system imbalance.
This talk will present results from two recent utility pilots: National Grid in New York and Georgia Power. Both projects validated the Phase-EQ’s ability to reduce neutral current, current imbalance, and voltage imbalance under real-world conditions. Simulation studies conducted in CYME further demonstrated how the device can increase residential DER and EV hosting capacity. The session will highlight pilot results, comparative performance of current and voltage control modes, alignment between simulation and field results, and broader implications for utilities seeking non-wires alternatives (NWAs) to improve reliability, efficiency, and capacity.
By bridging simulation insights with utility-scale field data, the presentation underscores the potential of dynamic phase balancing technologies to support the evolving distribution grid.
Bio: Michael Hanestad is a Principal Power System Engineer and Distribution Planning Team Lead at RLC Engineering, PLLC (RLC), with over 10 years of experience conducting and managing distribution studies across the U.S. His expertise includes advanced technology modeling, distributed energy resources (DER) system impact studies, hosting capacity analysis, and distribution system planning. Michael is a licensed Professional Engineer in Maine.
Beyond his role at RLC, Michael contributes to several industry working groups. He serves as Vice-Chair of IEEE 1547.7 Guide for Conducting Distribution Impact Studies for DER Interconnection, Secretary of IEEE P1729 Recommended Practice for Electric Power Distribution System Analysis, and is an active member of the IEEE 1547 Revision Working Group. He also supports CIGRE as NGN Co-Chair of Social Media and Outreach and a C6 Active Distribution Systems and DER Review Committee member, in addition to serving on the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) Review Committee.
Michael has authored and co-authored multiple technical papers, including Unlocking Capacity in Distribution Circuits with PEQ Technology (2023), Modeling Dynamic CVR Schemes and DER Impacts (2023), and Comparative Analysis of IBR Voltage Control for DER Hosting Capacity (2024), presented at CIGRE’s Grid of the Future (GOTF).
Tuesday September 23, 2025
12:15pm
Zoom: https://clarkson.zoom.us/j/98225948932?pwd=wmshei1qvuvcuSx1yo6aBPjl6If3S6.1
*Co-Sponsored by IEEE student branch and HKN
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Electrical and Computer Engineering l CLARKSON UNIVERSITY l Potsdam, New York 13699-5720