Satish Ranade, department head of the Klipsch School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at New Mexico State University, is the recipient of the 2013 New Mexico Association of Energy Engineers Energy Executive of the Year Award. The NMAEE presented the award in Albuquerque, N.M., on Sept. 24.
"The NMAEE Executive of the Year Award is presented to an individual for outstanding accomplishments in promoting the practices, principles and procedures of energy engineering," said Jack McGowan, NMAEE awards chairman.
Ranade is the director of the Electric Utility Management Program at NMSU, Public Service Company chair in utility management, and is a Klipsch Distinguished Professor. He has done research on power system operations; optimization, control and analysis; artificial intelligence applications; electric machine control and power electronics; photovoltaic; and water system electric use optimization.
McGowan said Ranade was chosen as the Energy Executive of the Year because Ranade and the NMSU program he oversees are nationally known and "his understanding of our complex grid and unparalleled knowledge of electricity and energy engineering uniquely positions him to articulate the critical needs for the electric industry."
"What is even more exciting for NMAEE is that Dr. Ranade has applied his knowledge and skill in utility management to promoting efficiency and new technologies like microgrids and renewable energy in this staid industry," McGowan said.
Ranade holds a U.S. Patent, "Enhanced distributed energy resource system." He has published more than 70 refereed journal articles, conference proceedings and reports. Throughout the southwest, he is involved in electric distribution system assessments for municipalities, rural electric cooperatives and major electric utilities.
"The value of his scholarly and positive influence on tomorrow's electricity business leaders cannot be understated," McGowan said.
In 2012, Ranade became the department head for the Klipsch School of Electric Engineering and Computer Science. He joined the NMSU engineering faculty in 1981. He earned his bachelor's degrees from Sagar University, Sagar, India, and the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India. He earned his master's degree in electrical engineering at NMSU and Ph.D. from the University of Florida.