Welcome

 

RAJIV K. VARMA obtained B.Tech. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur, India, in 1980 and 1988, respectively.  He joined Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, as Research Associate in1988 and was appointed as Assistant Professor at the same Institute in 1989. He was awarded the Government of India BOYSCAST Young Scientist Fellowship in 1992-93 to conduct research on Flexible AC Transmission System (FACTS) at the University of Western Ontario (UWO), London, Canada. He continued as Visiting Assistant Professor at UWO until Dec. 1994. He returned to IIT Kanpur and was promoted to Associate Professor in 1997. However, he maintained active research collaboration with researchers at the University of Western Ontario, and was appointed Adjunct Professor at UWO from July 96 to June 99. He was awarded the Fulbright Scholarship of U.S. Educational Foundation in India to travel to United States in 1998 and do research at Bonneville Power Administration, U.S. Dept. of Energy, at  Portland Oregon.  He became Professor at Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur in 2001 prior to joining University of Western Ontario in Jan. 2002. Dr. Varma is also an Adjunct Associate Professor at University of Waterloo.

He is an Editor of IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery and Chair of IEEE Working Group on HVDC and FACTS Bibliography. His teaching and research interests include Flexible AC Transmission System (FACTS), Grid Integration of Wind and Solar Power Generation, and Power System Stability. 

Dr. Rajiv Varma is Western's project lead in a recently awarded $6 Million research grant from Ontario Centre of Excellence for the project “Large-Scale Photovoltaic Solar Power Integration in Transmission and Distribution Networks”. This project has 16 faculty members – 10 from Western and 6 from University of Waterloo. The project is supported by four major industries/ utilities – Hydro One, Optisolar Farms Canada, London Hydro and Bluewater Power, Sarnia.


Dr. Varma has developed a new technology of utilizing PV solar farms in the nights. This will be showcased in two sites in London Hydro and one site in Bluewater Power, Sarnia.

 

Awards

  • University of Western Ontario USC Teaching Honour Roll Award of Excellence 2008-2009

  • University of Western Ontario USC Teaching Honour Roll Award of Excellence 2007-2008

  • University of Western Ontario USC Teaching Honour Roll Award of Excellence 2005-2006

  • University of Western Ontario USC Teaching Honour Roll Award of Excellence 2004-2005

  • Nomination for University of Western Ontario USC Award of Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching 2004-2005  

  • University of Western Ontario USC Teaching Honour Roll Award of Excellence 2003-2004

  • Faculty of Engineering R. Mohan Mathur Award for Excellence in Teaching 2003

  • Nomination for University of Western Ontario USC Award of Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching 2003-2004  

  • University of Western Ontario USC Teaching Honour Roll Award of Excellence 2002-2003

  • University of Western Ontario USC Teaching Honour Roll Award of Excellence 2001-2002  

  • Fulbright Scholar of the U.S. Educational Foundation in India, to conduct research at Bonneville Power Administration (B.P.A.), U.S. Dept. of Energy, Portland, Oregon, USA, during May-Aug. 1998       

  • BOYSCAST (Better Opportunities for Young Scientists in Chosen Areas of Science and Technology) Fellow of the Ministry of Science and Technology, Govt. of India, for pursuing advanced research in Canada, during 1992-94.

 

 MEDIA COVERAGE

 

 1)  Rogers Television Channel 13

              Western Engineering finds new way of utilizing solar farms at night

               Broadcast date -   16th August 2010 at 5 P.M

 

NEWSPAPERS

 

2)  The London Free Press  Power sharing at night

          RENEWABLE ENERGY: Western engineers find cost-cutting ways to use solar

          technology at  night to control wind generators

         http://www.lfpress.com/news/london/2010/08/16/15044006.html

          Article date:  Last Updated: August 17, 2010 7:42 am

   

     3)  Western News

    Western Engineering finds new way of utilizing solar farms at night  

http://communications.uwo.ca/com/western_news/stories/western_engineering_finds_new_way_of_utilizing_solar_farms_at_night_20100816446674

   Article date:  August 16th, 2010

 

            4)  Toronto Sun

    Researchers harness sun's power at night

    http://www.torontosun.com/news/canada/2010/08/16/15043806.html

          Article date:  August 17th, 2010

 

MAGAZINES

 

5)  "The Distributor” –  Magazine of Electricity Distributors Association of Ontario

     Utilizing Solar Technology at Night: London Hydro to Implement New Technology on

    Two Solar Sites

 http://www.eda-on.ca/eda/edaweb.nsf/0/B6651DD35924AA27852577B20054B4F1/$FILE/EDA_Distributor_Sept2010.pdf

      Article date: September 2010.

 

       6)      “IPPSO FACTO” – Magazine of Association of Power Producers of Ontario

 Pushing the limits: How to get more value out of a transmission line

 http://magazine.appro.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=961&Itemid=44

       Article date: April 2010.

 

    7)      Western Alumni Gazette – Feature Article – “What will be the ‘Fuel of the Future”?

http://www.mydigitalpublication.com/publication/?i=26942

  

RADIO

 

8)      106.9 THE X – CIXX –FM  London

 Broadcast: 19 August 2010 and 22 August 2010

 

9)      CHRW 94.9 FM

UWO Professor develops new green energy technologies http://chrwnewsandspokenword.chrwradio.com/2010/08/949-chrw-news-tuesday-august-17th-2010.html

Article date: August 17th 2010, Aired at 5 P.M

 

10)   1290 CJBK London

Broadcast 16 August 2010

 

11)   AM 920 CKNX Wingham, Ontario

Broadcast 16 August 2010

 

      WEBSITES

 

      12)  London Economic Development Corporation

            Western Engineering finds new way of utilizing solar farms at night 

            http://www.ledc.com/index.php/ledc/show_NEWS/1139

            Article date:   August 16, 2010 

 

      13)    Azoclean technology

              University of Western Ontario Brought in Cheers for Wind Farms

              http://www.azocleantech.com/details.asp?newsID=11674

             Article date:   August 20, 2010

 

      14)  Cnews science

              Researchers harness sun's power at night

       http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Science/2010/08/16/15043826.html

       Article date:   August 16, 2010 

 

15)  The green optimistic

       Solar and Wind farms sharing equipment to become more cost efficient

             http://www.greenoptimistic.com/2010/08/18/solar-wind-equipment-sharing/

             Article date:   August 18, 2010 

 

     16)   Physorg news

            Engineers find new way of utilizing solar farms at night

            http://www.physorg.com/news201274605.html

            Article date:   August 17, 2010

 

     17)    Revenue spark

             Solar and Wind Farms Sharing Equipment to Become More Cost-Efficient

              http://www.revenuespark.com/category/tags/rajiv-varma

              Article date:   August 18, 2010 

 

     18)    Business good news from around the world

              Researchers harness sun's power at night

             http://www.globalgoodnews.com/business-news-a.html?art=128299609718309857

               Source: Toronto Sun, Article date:  August 16th, 2010

 

     19)  Gas Buddy News Article

Power sharing at night.

Renewable Energy: Western engineers find cost-cutting ways to use   solar technology at night to control wind generators.

                                          http://www.edmontongasprices.com/news/Power_sharing_at_night/29676_417838/index.aspx

      http://www.torontogasprices.com/Gas-Price-News.aspx?page_no=11

      http://www.albertagasprices.com/Top-News-By-Day.aspx?page_no=5

      http://www.calgarygasprices.com/Gas-Price-News.aspx?page_no=11

      http://www.eugenegasprices.com/Gas-Price-News.aspx?page_no=11

      http://www.sanjosegasprices.com/Gas-Price-News.aspx?page_no=11

      http://www.bakersfieldgasprices.com/Top-News-By-Day.aspx?page_no=5

      http://www.westvirginiagasprices.com/Top-News-By-Day.aspx?page_no=5

     http://www.victoriagasprices.com/news/Power_sharing_at_night/29676_417838/index.aspx  http://www.honolulugasprices.com/news/Power_sharing_at_night/29676_417838/index.aspx   

      http://www.sanantoniogasprices.com/Gas-Price-News.aspx

      http://www.buffalogasprices.com/Gas-Price-News.aspx?page_no=11

      http://www.saskatoongasprices.com/Gas-Price-News.aspx?page_no=11     

      http://www.billingsgasprices.com/Gas-Price-News.aspx?page_no=11    

      http://www.greensborogasprices.com/Gas-Price-News.aspx?page_no=11

      http://www.ontariogasprices.com/news/Power_sharing_at_night/29676_417838/index.aspx   http://www.richmondgasprices.com/news/Power_sharing_at_night/29676_417838/index.aspx

       http://nfl.msg.com/article/06wIcJocwEeP6?q=Green+Energy

      Source: London Free Press, Article date:  August 17th, 2010

 

37)  Yippidu Canadian News

      Researchers harness sun's power at night

       http://www.yippidu.com/canews/reader/201?page=14&enclosureurl=London

        Source: Toronto Sun, Article date:  August 16th, 2010

 

 

 

 

 

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Contact Info

Rajiv K. Varma, Ph.D.

TEB 233 Thompson Engineering Building
University of Western Ontario, London, ON       N6A 5B9
Telephone: 519 661-2111 x85111
Fax: 519 850-2436
email: rkvarma@uwo.ca