From helping to design the UK’s largest solar car park, to running his own company and learning the Santoor, we continue our “Meet the Team” series by getting to know Yahya Naderi.
Tell us about your role at the PNDC.
I am a Research & Development Engineer, specialising in power electronics. My role within the PNDC team is to build good expertise within the power electronics and DER theme and continue our journey toward the carbon-free world through the integration of renewable energy sources and electric vehicles to the grid.
How long have you been working here?
I am fairly new to the PNDC and have been here for four months now.
What was your background before joining the PNDC?
I received my B.S. and M.Sc. degrees both in power engineering from the University of Tabriz, Iran. While pursuing my master’s degree, I was a part-time electrical designer for designing electrical facilities of building in a consultant engineers company. In the middle of my PhD studies at the faculty of electrical and computer engineering, University of Tabriz, Iran, I joined Department of Energy Technology at Aalborg University, Denmark as a visiting researcher, where later I became a research assistant with Microgrid group of Aalborg University (Centre for Research on Microgrids – CROM), researching power quality issues of microgrids focusing on control methods of converters. It is worth mentioning that I founded and ran my own company for almost 4 years in Iran which was in the field of UPS, Stabilizers, Batteries and other power electronic-based devices.
Beginning my career in the UK, I was an industrial research associate with Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, co-leading a project in collaboration with Flexi-Solar Ltd with the foundation from Innovate UK, where we designed the UK’s largest solar carpark as going forward to the concept of “Smarts Hub”.
What do you enjoy most about working at the PNDC?
I really appreciate the friendly environment that we have here at PNDC, a group of researchers with different expertise, all working towards a common aim which is going towards Smart Grids. The collaboration between academia and industry that is made through PNDC is another outstanding feature of working at PNDC.
What can we find you doing in your spare time?
I like reading books, watching documentaries, and listening to music. Another hobby of mine is playing “Santoor”, a traditional Persian musical instrument that I have started learning, I am still an amateur but I am making progress.