Biography
About Me
Sohag Kumar Saha
Ph.D. Researcher | IEEE Senior Member | Graduate Research Assistant
Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, TN, USA
Email: sohag@ieee.org
Professional Summary
Power Systems Engineer with 10+ years of experience spanning grid operation and maintenance, utility-scale substation construction, transmission & distribution network modeling, microgrid energy management systems, and grid-connected BESS integration. Proficient in end-to-end project execution, including electrical design review, equipment specification, construction support, commissioning, and energization for LV/MV utility and distributed energy projects. Strong expertise in large-scale power flow analysis using OpenDSS-Python, real-time control validation using Typhoon HIL, and advanced power system studies involving OPF, state estimation, and high-performance computational benchmarking. Experienced in MV/HV transformers, switchgear, grounding systems, protection and control, inverter-based resources, BESS plant controls, SCADA integration, and utility communication protocols including Modbus TCP/IP and IEC 61850. Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with utilities, EPC contractors, cross-functional engineering teams, and stakeholders to deliver reliable, standards-compliant, and resilient energy infrastructure solutions. Passionate about deploying intelligent and sustainable energy technologies to accelerate grid modernization and renewable energy integration.
Employment Authorization
Legally authorized to work in the United States as employment authorization or EAD card with 5-year of validity approved in June, 2025 under submitted I485 (Adjustment of Status–AOS) based on approved I-140 petition in the EB2-NIW category.
Research Interests
Power System Modeling and Simulation · Intelligent Energy Management Systems · Smart Grid · Community Microgrid · Renewable Energy Integration · Battery Energy Storage Systems · Controller Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulation · Deep Learning in Power Systems · Reinforcement Learning and Deep RL · Metaheuristic Optimization · Cybersecurity in Smart Grids · Power System Protection and Control
Education
| Degree | Institution | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Ph.D. in Engineering (Electrical & Computer Engineering) | Tennessee Technological University, TN, USA | 2021–Present |
| M.Sc. in Electrical & Computer Engineering | Tennessee Technological University, TN, USA | 2021–2024 |
| B.Sc. in Electrical & Electronic Engineering | Pabna University of Science & Technology, Bangladesh | 2009–2013 |
| H.S.C. (Science) | Government Debendra College, Manikganj, Bangladesh | 2006–2008 |
| S.S.C. (Science) | Batila High School, Manikganj, Bangladesh | 2001–2006 |
Professional Experiences
| Duration | Position | Organization |
|---|---|---|
| 2021–Present | Graduate Research Assistant | Tennessee Tech University, TN, USA |
| 2022–2023 | Graduate Teaching Assistant/Instructor | Tennessee Tech University, TN, USA |
| 2020–2021 | Sub-Divisional Engineer (Electrical) | Ashuganj Power Station Company Ltd. (APSCL), B.Baria, Bangladesh |
| 2016–2020 | Assistant Engineer (Electrical) | APSCL, Bangladesh |
| 2015–2016 | Assistant Engineer | Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (BREB), Bangladesh. |
| 2013–2015 | Co-Founder & CEO | Cloud Technology BD, Bangladesh |
Skills
Power System Modeling & Analysis: Transmission & Distribution network modeling, AC/DC power flow, Y-bus formulation, Newton–Raphson and Gauss–Seidel load flow, PTDF/LODF, OPF, State Estimation, SAIDI/SAIFI analysis, Convex & Non-Convex Optimization, PSO, GA, Deep Learning, Reinforcement Learning and Deep RL
Simulation & HIL Validation: MATLAB/Simulink, Typhoon HIL, OpenDSS, Pandapower, PSCAD, LTspice, PLECS, Controller-HIL (CHIL), SIL/HIL verification, real-time simulation debugging, testing & automation
Programming & Computing: Python, MATLAB, C, CUDA/GPU Computing, HPC-based simulation and benchmarking, Structured Text, Ladder Logic
Substation Automation & Protection: SEL RTAC 3530-4, Protection Relays, SCADA integration, Modbus TCP/IP, IEC-61850 GOOSE, Ethernet communications
Power Electronics & DER Integration: BESS control, inverter-based resources, EPC inverter controller integration, microgrids, renewable energy integration, DER sizing, peak shaving, automatic islanding
Hardware Platforms: Typhoon HIL & Universal HIL Connect; SEL RTAC & Protection Relays; EPC Power inverter controller
Substation Construction: Physical Layouts; Bus-bar Arrangement; Grounding Design; Lightning Protection; DERs Sizing
Switchgear Equipment Testing: 230kV/132kV/33kV Air Insulated Switchgear (AIS); SF6 Circuit Breakers; Power Transformers, Auto-transformers; Instrument Transformers (CT/PT); Surge Arresters; Disconnect Switches; and Protection Relays.
Engineering Documentation & Project Management: LaTeX, MS Office Suite, MS Office Vision, Technical Specification Preparation, BOM Management, Vendor Review, Technical Change Control, Commissioning & Energization Planning, Contractor Supervision, AutoCAD.
Note: AC = Alternating Current, AIS = Air-Insulated Switchgear, BESS = Battery Energy Storage System, BOM = Bill of Materials, CHIL = Controller Hardware-in-the-Loop, CUDA = Compute Unified Device Architecture, CT/PT = Current Transformer/Potential Transformer, DER = Distributed Energy Resource, EPC = Engineering, Procurement, and Construction, GA = Genetic Algorithm, GOOSE = Generic Object-Oriented Substation Event, HIL = Hardware-in-the-Loop, HPC = High-Performance Computing, IEC = International Electrotechnical Commission, LODF = Line Outage Distribution Factor, OPF = Optimal Power Flow, PSO = Particle Swarm Optimization, PTDF = Power Transfer Distribution Factor, RTAC = Real-Time Automation Controller, SAIDI = System Average Interruption Duration Index, SAIFI = System Average Interruption Frequency Index, SCADA = Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition, SEL = Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, SIL = Software-in-the-Loop.
Recent Publications
- Saha, S. K., Arzani, A., & Mahajan, S. M. (2026, October). Meta-DQN-Tuned Safe Deep Reinforcement Learning-based Energy Management System for a Community Microgrid. 2026 61st IEEE Industry Applications Society Annual Meeting (IAS).
- Abdelsalam, H. A., Arzani, A., Mahajan, S. M., & Saha, S. K. (2026, February). Real-Time Implementation of Consensus Tracking Control for Battery Energy Management and SoC Balancing. 2026 IEEE 10th Texas Power and Energy Conference (TPEC).
- Kumar, P., Arzani, A., Saha, S. K., & Mahajan, S. M. (2025). An Enhanced Linear Active Disturbance Rejection Controller-Based Dual Active Bridge Converters for EV Charging. 2025 IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition (ECCE), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1109/ECCE.2025.11260107
- Saha, S. K., Arzani, A., Salceo, R., & Mahajan, S. M. (2025, February). Modbus TCP/IP Based BESS Plant Controller Operations for a Peak Shaving Application. 2025 IEEE 9th Texas Power and Energy Conference (TPEC).
- Saha, S. K., Arzani, A., Salcedo, R., & Mahajan, S. M. (2025). Modbus TCP/IP Based BESS Plant Controller Operations for a Peak Shaving Application [Poster Presentation]. In 9th IEEE Texas Power and Energy Conference (TPEC).
Honors, Awards & Scholarships
- IEEE Senior Member (August 2025)
- Elevated to the grade of Senior Member of IEEE — the highest level of IEEE membership for which one may apply. Requires at least 10 years of professional experience, significant performance over at least 5 years, and peer recognition through three impactful recommendation letters from IEEE Senior Members. Only about 10% of nearly half a million IEEE members have achieved this distinction.
- NSF Grant + CESR Travel Grant — TPEC 2025
- Received the National Science Foundation (NSF) grant for participating in the Texas Power and Energy Conference (TPEC) 2025, College Station, Texas, along with a travel grant from CESR, Tennessee Tech University.
- CESR Travel Grant — NAPS 2024
- Travel Grant from the Center for Energy Systems Research (CESR), Tennessee Tech University, for IEEE North American Power Symposium 2024, El Paso, Texas.
- CESR Travel Grant — ARC Energy Summit 2023
- Travel Grant for participating in the Appalachian Energy Summit 2023 conference in Boone, North Carolina.
- Bangladesh Sweden Trust Fund Scholarship
- Prestigious scholarship covering travel from Bangladesh to the USA for Ph.D. studies at Tennessee Tech.
- Graduate Assistantship Award
- Fully funded Ph.D. scholarship through Graduate Assistantship from Tennessee Technological University.
- Best student of the dept. in undergrad — Academic Achievement
- Achieved the best position of the dept. of electrical and electronic engineering with outstanding academic results from Pabna University of Science and Technology, Pabna, Bangladesh. Secured 1st position in merit among 52 students with CGPA 3.87/4.00.
- BASIS Outsourcing Award — Best Freelancer 2014
- Won the BASIS (Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services) Award for outstanding performance in outsourcing web development works. Award Source
- University Merit Scholarship — EEE Dept., PUST
- Merit-based scholarship from the EEE department of PUST. Consecutively secured 1st position in all eight semesters of undergraduate study.
Last updated: May 12, 2026