Presentation highlights safer, more effective energy storage deployment through hardware-in-the-loop testing

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On June 18, 2026, Ujjwol Tamrakar delivered an invited presentation titled “High-Fidelity Testing and Validation of Energy Storage Controls” at the Energy Institute at Colorado State University. Energy storage is a rapidly developing technology that plays a growing role in meeting evolving energy needs. However, bringing an energy storage system online presents a wide range of technical challenges, particularly when advanced control strategies must operate safely and reliably in complex grid environments. The presentation highlighted how high-fidelity Controller Hardware-in-the-Loop (CHIL) testing can help address these challenges by providing a near-realistic environment for developing and validating controls for grid-connected energy storage systems. The platform combines real control hardware with detailed models of energy storage systems and the electric grid, allowing researchers to evaluate performance and identify potential issues before field deployment. The presentation showcased several novel control techniques developed at Sandia National Laboratories and demonstrated how CHIL-based validation can support safer, more effective energy storage deployment.

Ujjwol Tamrakar describes an energy storage controls and development workflow during the invited presentation, “High-Fidelity Testing and Validation of Energy Storage Controls” at the Energy Institute at Colorado State University. Photo courtesy of Ujjwol Tamrakar, Sandia National Laboratories.
Ujjwol Tamrakar describes an energy storage controls and development workflow during the invited presentation, “High-Fidelity Testing and Validation of Energy Storage Controls” at the Energy Institute at Colorado State University. Photo courtesy of Ujjwol Tamrakar, Sandia National Laboratories.
Ujjwol Tamrakar describes an energy storage controls and development workflow during the invited presentation, “High-Fidelity Testing and Validation of Energy Storage Controls” at the Energy Institute at Colorado State University. Photo courtesy of Ujjwol Tamrakar, Sandia National Laboratories.
Ujjwol Tamrakar describes an energy storage controls and development workflow during the invited presentation, “High-Fidelity Testing and Validation of Energy Storage Controls” at the Energy Institute at Colorado State University. Photo courtesy of Ujjwol Tamrakar, Sandia National Laboratories.
Ujjwol Tamrakar describes an energy storage controls and development workflow during the invited presentation, “High-Fidelity Testing and Validation of Energy Storage Controls” at the Energy Institute at Colorado State University. Photo courtesy of Ujjwol Tamrakar, Sandia National Laboratories.
Ujjwol Tamrakar describes an energy storage controls and development workflow during the invited presentation, “High-Fidelity Testing and Validation of Energy Storage Controls” at the Energy Institute at Colorado State University. Photo courtesy of Ujjwol Tamrakar, Sandia National Laboratories.

This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Electricity (OE), Energy Storage Division.