Prof. Michael F Howland

The Howland group studies the flow physics of Earth’s atmosphere and the modeling, optimization, and control of renewable energy generation systems. This work is focused at the intersection of fluid mechanics, weather and climate modeling, uncertainty quantification, and optimization and control with an emphasis on renewable energy systems. We use synergistic approaches including simulations, laboratory and field experiments, and modeling to understand the operation of renewable energy systems, with the goal of improving the efficiency, predictability, and reliability of low-carbon energy generation. We are pursuing two coupled research themes:

(1) Modeling complex environment-energy system interactions through the use of simulations and experiments
(2) Leveraging the developed models in full-scale field experiments or case studies to improve the operation and integration of low-carbon generation