Principal Power Systems Engineer

Engineering the
grid of tomorrow.

Chartered Professional Engineer specialising in inverter-based resources, EMT/PSCAD modelling, and AEMO connection assessments within the National Electricity Market.

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10+
Years Experience
NEM
Framework Expert
IBR
EMT Specialist
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About

Power systems
engineer & analyst.

I am a Principal Power Systems Engineer and Chartered Professional Engineer based in South East Queensland, currently with EPEC. My work sits at the intersection of modern power electronics and grid stability — particularly as Australia's energy mix shifts toward renewables.

I specialise in the end-to-end AEMO generator connection assessment process (R0–R2), and bring deep expertise in Electromagnetic Transient (EMT) modelling using PSCAD. I work with both solar PV and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), and have hands-on experience developing and validating complex inverter control models.

My focus is on technically rigorous, commercially grounded work — helping project developers navigate the NEM connection framework and de-risk their assets before energisation.

Chartered Professional Engineer (CPEng)
PhD — The University of Melbourne
Principal Power Systems Engineer — EPEC
South East Queensland, Australia
AEMO NEM Framework Specialist
EMT / PSCAD Modelling
Inverter-Based Resources (IBR)
AEMO Connection Assessment
Power System Stability Analysis
BESS & Hybrid Project Design
Control Systems & Dynamics
Protection & Fault Analysis
Network Modelling (Y-bus / Load Flow)
Voltage Control Strategy
Frequency & Inertia Analysis
Expertise

What I deliver.

01
EMT Modelling & Simulation
Development and validation of high-fidelity Electromagnetic Transient models in PSCAD for solar PV, BESS, and hybrid inverter-based resources.
PSCADEMTIBR
02
AEMO Connection Assessment
End-to-end support through the R0 to R2 connection assessment process — registration strategies, technical studies, and regulatory submissions within the NEM framework.
NEMR0–R2AEMO
03
Power System Stability Studies
Transient stability, voltage stability, and small-signal analysis to evaluate grid compliance and assess system strength at the point of connection.
StabilityDynamicsSCR
04
BESS & Hybrid Project Support
Technical advisory for large-scale battery energy storage and hybrid solar-BESS projects, including split DUID registration strategy and active power control design.
BESSHybridDUID
05
Voltage Control Strategy
Development of Voltage Control Strategy documentation for Powerlink and AEMO, including reactive power capability assessment and reactive power schedules.
PowerlinkQ-VReactive Power
06
Control Systems Engineering
Design and analysis of inverter control loops — PI/PID controllers, lead-lag compensators, frequency response (Bode/Nyquist), and low-pass filter design for power electronics applications.
Control TheoryPIDBode/Nyquist
Projects

Selected work.

001
Large-Scale Hybrid Solar + BESS — EMT Modelling
End-to-end EMT model development in PSCAD for a large hybrid solar PV and battery energy storage project in the NEM. Scope included control system design for a split DUID registration, active power control loop tuning, and AEMO R2 submission support.
EMT / PSCAD 2024–2025
002
Powerlink Connection Application — Voltage Control Strategy
Preparation of Voltage Control Strategy documentation for a large generation project connecting to the Powerlink transmission network. Included reactive capability assessments, Q-V characteristic development, and AEMO coordination.
Connection Advisory 2024
003
IBR Stability Assessment — Weak Grid Interconnection
Power system stability study for an inverter-based resource project at a weak point of connection. Assessment covered sub-synchronous oscillation risk, system strength analysis, and recommended mitigation strategies for grid compliance.
Stability Studies 2023
004
BESS Registration & R0–R2 Assessment Support
Technical lead for a standalone BESS project through the full AEMO connection assessment process. Scope spanned initial registration strategy (R0) through to R2 technical studies, model validation, and performance standard compliance demonstrations.
AEMO NEM 2023
005
Frequency Response & Inertia Analysis — Low-Inertia NEM
Analysis of ROCOF behaviour and frequency nadir under low-inertia grid conditions using the swing equation framework. Developed analytical tools to quantify the impact of synchronous machine retirement on frequency stability across NEM regions.
System Studies 2022
Publications

Academic research.

Technical Journal Papers
Towards Distributed Energy Markets: Accurate and Intuitive DLMP Decomposition
C. B. Domenech, J. Naughton, S. Riaz and P. Mancarella
IEEE Transactions on Energy Markets, Policy and Regulation — vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 240–253, June 2024
2024 DOI ↗
Comprehensive Optimization-Based Techno-Economic Assessment of Hybrid Renewable Electricity-Hydrogen Virtual Power Plants
J. Naughton, S. Riaz, M. Cantoni, X.-P. Zhang and P. Mancarella
Journal of Modern Power Systems and Clean Energy — doi: 10.35833/MPCE.2022.000324
2022 DOI ↗
Co-Optimizing Virtual Power Plant Services Under Uncertainty: A Robust Scheduling and Receding Horizon Dispatch Approach
J. Naughton, H. Wang, M. Cantoni and P. Mancarella
IEEE Transactions on Power Systems — vol. 36, no. 5, pp. 3960–3972, Sept. 2021
2021 DOI ↗
Multi-mode Operation of a Liquid Air Energy Storage (LAES) Plant Providing Energy Arbitrage and Reserve Services
A. Vecchi, J. Naughton, Y. Li, P. Mancarella and A. Sciacovelli
Energy — vol. 200, p. 117500, 2020
2020 DOI ↗
Optimization of Multi-Energy Virtual Power Plants for Providing Multiple Market and Local Network Services
J. Naughton, H. Wang, S. Riaz, M. Cantoni and P. Mancarella
Electric Power Systems Research — vol. 189, p. 106775, 2020
2020 DOI ↗
Conference Papers
A Modelling Framework for a Virtual Power Plant with Multiple Energy Vectors Providing Multiple Services
J. Naughton, M. Cantoni and P. Mancarella
2019 IEEE Milan PowerTech — Milan, Italy, 2019
2019 DOI ↗
Demand Response from an Integrated Electricity-Hydrogen Virtual Power Plant
J. Naughton, P. Mancarella and M. Cantoni
2019 IEEE EEEIC / I&CPS Europe — Genova, Italy, 2019
2019 DOI ↗

Let's work
together.

Available for consulting engagements, expert review, and technical advisory roles across the NEM.

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