Thomas Morstyn BEng, PhD, FHEA, SMIEEE

I received the BEng (Hon.) degree from the University of Melbourne in 2011, and the PhD degree from the University of New South Wales in 2016, both in electrical engineering. Previously, I was a lecturer at the University of Edinburgh and an EPSRC research fellow at the University of Oxford. Prior to undertaking my PhD, I also worked as an electrical engineer in Rio Tinto’s Technology and Innovation group.

I am Associate Professor in Power Systems with the Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford and I lead the Power Systems Architecture Lab. I am also a Tutorial Fellow at Hertford College, an Honorary Fellow at the University of Edinburgh, Associate Editor of IEEE Transactions on Power Systems and Co-Chair of the IEEE Power & Energy Society Taskforce on Systems Modelling for Electricity Market Design. My research is focused on the digitalisation of power systems and electricity market design as interlinked enablers of a low-cost, high-reliability net-zero transition.

Power systems are undergoing a fundamental transition due to the rapid adoption of distributed renewable generation, the electrification of heating and transport, and the new availability of customer-level sensing, communications and control. Together, these trends significantly increase the scope for coordination across system planning and operation and the value that can be created in terms of improved reliability, affordability, and sustainability. However, they also ramp up system complexity and challenge the core assumptions which traditional approaches for power grid coordination relied upon.

My research focuses on addressing these challenges through computational research across power systems modelling, control, planning and market design. This brings together power system domain knowledge, rigorous mathematical theory, and the latest advances in computing. I also collaborate with economists, computer scientists and social scientists to address interdisciplinary challenges for the energy sector.

• FleXEdge: Data-Driven Cloud-to-Edge Computing for Scalable Near Real-Time Local Flexibility Markets (EPSRC EP/Z536283/1) - FleXEdge is focused on unlocking demand flexibility at scale from grid-edge devices including electric vehicles, electric heating, and smart appliances, through the design and national integration of local flexibility markets, crossing disciplinary boundaries between distributed AI-based coordination, market mechanism design, and cloud-to-edge computing. The project is a collaboration with Professor Pierre Pinson at Imperial College London, Mr Davy Virdee at the Edinburgh Parallel Computing Centre (EPCC) and Dr Jun Cao and Dr Pedro Rodriguez at the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST).
• SAGEflex: Safegaurded AI Agents for Grid-Edge Flexibility (part of the ARIA Safegaurded AI Programme) - SAGEflex aims to develop software tools enabling the implementation and scale up of ARIA’s gatekeeper AI workflow for multi-agent AI-based coordination of grid-edge flexibility. This project is being completed in collaboration with Professor Jakob Foerster.
• An AI-Powered Software Platform for Smart Hybrid Distribution Systems (Innovate UK Knowledge Transfer Partnership 13777 with IONATE) - This project aims to develop an AI-powered software platform for optimisation and control of IONATE’s hybrid intelligent transformers to enable their widespread integration into distribution systems.
• Oxford Martin Programme on Battery Circular Economies (Oxford Martin School programme) - This programme will examine whether and how ‘second-life’ battery redeployment can be technically viable, as well as economically, socially, and environmentally beneficial, particularly for expanding clean energy access in Global South communities. The programme is an interdisciplinary collaboration with Professor Paul Shearing, Professor David Howey, Dr Anupama Sen, Professor Charles Monroe and Professor Radhika Khosla.

My research group's open source datasets and codebases are available at our Github page. These include:

• The Open Platform for Local Energy Markets (OPLEM) is an open-source Python software platform for integrated modelling, design and simulation of local energy markets. Developed with Dr Chaimaa Essayeh.
• The Open Platform for Energy Networks (OPEN) is an open-source Python software platform for integrated modelling, optimisation and simulation of smart local energy systems. Developed in collaboration with Professor Malcolm McCulloch.
• The Home Energy Data Generator (HEDGE) tool for GAN-based synthetic data generation for domestic PV generation, electricity consumption, and electric vehicle consumption/availability based on UK historical datasets. Developed with Dr Flora Charbonnier and Professor Malcolm McCulloch.
• A tool for calculating the amount of different grid flexibility services data centres can provide and the cost of delivery. Developed with Yihong Zhou, Dr Ángel Paredes and Dr Chaimaa Essayeh.
• A high fidelity 1900-node model for Great Britain's transmission network and Balancing Mechanism combining data from the National Grid Electricity 10 Year Statement and market data from Elexon. Developed with Dr Iacopo Savelli.
• A dataset for Great Britain primary distribution substations and linked household heating data. For all GB primary substations (33/11 kV), the dataset provides the firm capacity, peak demand, location, upstream grid supply point and the number of connected homes using different types of heating. Developed with Yihong Zhou and Dr Chaimaa Essayeh.

Please see Google Scholar for a full list of publications.

I am always happy to discuss DPhil supervision with students who share my research interests in power systems and energy markets. Please email me at thomas.morstyn@eng.ox.ac.uk with your CV, latest academic transcript and topic areas you find interesting.

Information on applying for a DPhil with the Department of Engineering Science is available here. Information on funding and scholarships is available here.

Job openings for postdoctoral researchers on specific projects will be posted here when available. A full list of job openings in the Department of Engineering Science is available here.

I am also happy to discuss supporting postdoctoral fellowship applications on topics aligned with my research interests in power systems and energy markets. Please email me at thomas.morstyn@eng.ox.ac.uk with your CV, proposed research topic and details of the fellowship scheme. Information on fellowships is available here.