SLEMA Gold Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Energy Research – 2025

A Smart Load Shedding System for Appliances to Improve Power System Stability in Smaller Isolated Grids. This final-year research project was honoured with the Gold Award for the Most Outstanding Undergraduate Energy Research 2025 by the Sri Lanka Energy Managers Association (SLEMA). The project team — Sahan Gunathilaka, Yasith Rajapaksha, and Navindu Akalpa Gamage — developed a smart appliance-level load shedding system aimed at enhancing frequency stability in small and isolated power grids such as Sri Lanka’s. The system introduces a smart plug-based under-frequency load shedding (UFLS) mechanism that selectively disconnects domestic appliances like refrigerators and air conditioners during grid disturbances, thereby supporting system recovery while maintaining user comfort. The proposed model, tested through PSSE and Real-Time Digital Simulator (RTDS) simulations, demonstrated improved grid resilience and smoother frequency recovery compared to traditional feeder-based UFLS methods. This research contributes to modernizing grid protection strategies in the context of increasing distributed generation and renewable energy integration. Supervised by Dr. Thilak Siyambalapitiya (Resource Management Associates Pvt. Ltd.) and Dr. Thushara Rathnayaka (Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Moratuwa).

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