Home energy loads are not constant. As we move through our days, use ebbs, flows and peaks. To achieve a breakthrough in power-grid optimization research, award-winning researcher Sumit Paudyal had to teach himself the required math.

Paudyal, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at Michigan Technological University, has received the National Science Foundation’s prestigious CAREER Award for his work to advance and optimize power grid efficiency from a unique perspective—compensating for load increase at the home level rather than relying on conventional generation from legacy power providers. To solve the challenge, Paudyal faced his own. He spent three years learning the required math. Read more.