Balasubramanian Sambasivam

Balasubramanian Sambasivam

Assistant Professor
Balasubramanian.sambasivam@mahindrauniversity.edu.in

Dr. Balasubramanian Sambasivam is an Assistant Professor at the Centre for Sustainability, Mahindra University. He currently serves as the principal investigator of Climate Change and Net-Zero Lab at Mahindra University. His research focuses on planning and developing innovative solutions to combat climate change and achieve net-zero emissions, particularly in the energy and transport sectors. He earned his Ph.D. in Energy and Sustainability from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. Before joining Mahindra University, Dr. Balasubramanian held postdoctoral research positions at the University of Texas at Austin, USA, where he worked in the Operations Research and Industrial Engineering and Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering departments. He also served as a postdoctoral fellow at the Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies, Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Ph.D

  • Ph.D., Energy and Sustainability, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India

M.Sc.

  • M.Sc., Renewable Energy, Minor in Production Engineering, Technical University of Berlin, Germany

B.Tech.

  • B.Tech. (Hons.), Mechatronics, SASTRA University, Thanjavur, India

Nov 2021 – Nov 2023

  • Postdoctoral Fellow, The University of Texas at Austin, USA (Nov 2021 – Nov 2023)

Nov 2020 – Jul 2021

  • Postdoctoral Research Fellow, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Nov 2020 – Jul 2021)

Oct 2019 – Nov 2020

  • Research Associate, Indian Institute of Science (Oct 2019 – Nov 2020)

Publications

2024

  • Balasubramanian Sambasivam, Rakesh Narayana Sarma “India’s National Green Hydrogen Mission: An Analysis of the Strategies, Policies for Net-Zero Emissions and Sustainability” Environmental Research: Energy, Vol. 4, December 2024. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/2753-3751/ad8fb2
  • Rakesh Narayana Sarma, Balasubramanian Sambasivam, and Malolan Sundararaman “A Techno-economic Analysis of Hydrogen Production in a High Renewable Resources Electricity Grid using Alkaline Electrolysis, Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Electrolysis and Solid Oxide Electrolysis” Environmental Science and Pollution Research, Vol. 31, October 2024. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-024-35212-7
  • Balasubramanian Sambasivam, Connor Colombe, John Hasenbein, and Benjamin D. Leibowicz (2024) “Optimal Resource Placement for Electric Grid Resilience via Network Topology,” Reliability Engineering & System Safety, Vol. 246, February 2024. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ress.2024.110010

2023

  • Balasubramanian Sambasivam, and Malolan Sundararaman (2023) “Evaluating the Impact of Passenger Electric Vehicle Adoption on High Renewable Resources Electricity Grid” Resources, Conservation & Recycling Advances, Vol. 20, December 2023. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rcradv.2023.200193
  • Balasubramanian Sambasivam, and P. Balachandra “Effectiveness of demand response in managing resource constraints and high renewable energy integration in electricity systems: Evidence from India” Energy and Environment, June 2023. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0958305X231179908
  • Balasubramanian Sambasivam, and Xu Yuan (2023) “Demand-Side Management and Economic Dispatch for Energy Transition in Karnataka, India” Energy Policy, Vol. 172, January 2023. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2022.113334

2022

  • Balasubramanian Sambasivam, and P. Balachandra (2022) “The need for India’s electricity system transition and its impending challenges” Journal of Asian Energy Studies, Vol. 6, January 2022. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24112/jaes.060001

2021

  • Balasubramanian Sambasivam, and P. Balachandra (2021) “Effectiveness of demand response in achieving supply demand matching in a renewables dominated electricity system: A modelling approach” Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Vol. 147, September 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2021.111245
  • Balasubramanian Sambasivam, and P. Balachandra (2021) “Characterising electricity demand through load curve clustering: A case of Karnataka electricity system in India” Computers and Chemical Engineering, Vol. 150, July 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compchemeng.2021.107316

In the Press

2020

Conference Presentations

2024

  • Balasubramanian Sambasivam, Krishna Murthy Gurumurthy, and Kara M. Kockelman (August 2024), “What Happens When SAV Fleets Compete: A Fare-Based Analysis,” Bridging Transportation Researchers (BTR) Online Conference.
  • Balasubramanian Sambasivam, Kara Kockelman, and Benjamin Leibowicz (March 2024), “Economic and Environmental Impacts of Electric Vehicle Smart-Charging Programs On The U.S. Power Sector,” UT Energy Week 2024, The University of Texas at Austin, USA.
  • Balasubramanian Sambasivam, Krishna Murthy Gurumurthy, and Kara M. Kockelman (January 2024), “What Happens When SAV Fleets Compete: A Fare-Based Analysis,” 103rd Transportation Research Board (TRB) Annual Meeting, Washington, DC, USA.

2023

  • Balasubramanian Sambasivam, Connor Colombe, John Hasenbein, and Benjamin Leibowicz (October 2023), “Optimal Resource Placement For Electric Grid Resilience Via Network Topology,” 2023 INFORMS Annual Meeting, Phoenix, Arizona.
  • Balasubramanian Sambasivam, Krishna Murthy Gurumurthy, and Kara M. Kockelman (September 2023), “What Happens When SAV Fleets Compete: A Fare-Based Analysis,” TACC Symposium for Texas Researchers, The University of Texas at Austin, USA.
  • Balasubramanian Sambasivam, Kara Kockelman, and Benjamin Leibowicz (August 2023), “EV Smart-Charging Impacts on the United States Power Grids,” Bridging Transportation Researchers (BTR) Online Conference.
  • Balasubramanian Sambasivam, Lin Su and Kara Kockelman (April 2023), “Public-Private Charging Station Hubs,” Efficient Vehicles and Sustainable Transportation Systems, Industry Advisory Board Meeting, Spring 2023, Detroit, USA.
  • Balasubramanian Sambasivam, Matt Dean, Kara Kockelman, and Benjamin Leibowicz (March 2023), “EV Smart-Charging Impacts on US Power Grids,” UT Energy Week 2023, The University of Texas at Austin, USA.
  • Malolan Sundararaman, and Balasubramanian Sambasivam (March 2023), “Scenario Analysis of Generation Dispatch with EV Penetration – An Renewable Energy Dominated Electricity System Perspective,” Global Energy Meet, Boston, Massachusetts.
  • Balasubramanian Sambasivam and Yuan Xu (February 2023), “Demand-Side Management and Economic Dispatch for Energy Transition in Karnataka, India,” 44th IAEE International Conference, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

2020

  • Balasubramanian Sambasivam (November 2020), “India’s Climate Policy and Mitigation Strategies: Issues and Challenges,” Internationalen Alumni-Seminar on Good Urban Governance in the MENA Region: Knowledge Transfer between Global North and South, Technische Universit ̈at Berlin, Germany, online.

2019

  • Balasubramanian Sambasivam and P. Balachandra (October 2019), “Electricity Demand Side Management in a Transitioning Electricity System”, 4th Annual APEEN Conference Energy Demand-Side Management and Electricity Markets, University of Beira Interior – Covilha, Portugal.
  • Balasubramanian Sambasivam and P. Balachandra (May 2019), “Supply-Demand Matching in a Transitioning Electricity System through Optimal Demand Response Implementation”, Energy and Society in Transition: 2nd International Conference on Energy Research and Social Science, Arizona State University Tempe, USA.
  • Balasubramanian Sambasivam and P. Balachandra (January 2019), “Modelling Electricity demand with representative load curves: A Simulation-based approach,” International Workshop on Putting Sustainability into Convergence: Connecting Data, People, and Systems organized by US National Science Foundation and National University of Singapore, Singapore.

2018

  • Balasubramanian Sambasivam and P. Balachandra (December 2018), “Simulation based characterization of electricity demand profiles,” International Conference on Business Analytics and Intelligence (ICBAI), Bangalore, India.
  • Balasubramanian Sambasivam and P. Balachandra (March 2018), “Modus Operandi of India’s Electricity System Transitions, Challenges & its implications,” International Seminar:Water, Renewable Energies and Environmental Management in Asia jointly organized by Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad and Technische Universit ̈at Berlin.

2017

  • Balasubramanian Sambasivam (July 2017), “A case study on low carbon energy and development strategies for Guyana,” University of Cape Town, South Africa.
  • Balasubramanian Sambasivam and P. Balachandra (May 2017), “Electric Vehicle intervention in Demand Response Planning,” Internationalen Alumni-Seminar Best Practice fu ̈r E-Mobility im Rahmen der Energiewende, Technische Universit ̈at Berlin, Germany.

2016

  • Balasubramanian Sambasivam and P. Balachandra (December 2016), “The Need for India’s Electricity System Transition and its impending Challenges,” International Conference on Business Analytics and Intelligence (ICBAI), Bangalore, India.

At the Climate Change and Net-Zero Lab, our research focuses on:

  1. Integration of Renewable Energy in the Electricity System:
    • Investigating the impact of renewable energy sources like solar and wind on the supply and demand sides of the electricity system.
    • Addressing the inherent variability of renewable energy generation and fluctuating demand to achieve a balanced, low-carbon electricity grid.
  1. Electric Vehicle Integration:
    • Identifying optimal charging times for electric vehicles (EVs) to minimize carbon emissions.
    • Determining strategic locations for EV charging stations across urban areas to support sustainable mobility.
  1. Advancing Green Hydrogen Technologies:
    • Exploring the potential of green hydrogen as a viable alternative to conventional fossil fuels.
    • Developing methods to enhance the adoption of green hydrogen to reduce emissions across various sectors significantly.
  1. Transport Sector Emission Reduction:
    • Analyzing passenger behavior to design solutions that integrate and optimize travel activities.
    • Evaluating the potential for shared travel systems and the role of public transportation (road, rail, and water) in reducing emissions.