Logistics collaborative begins its first research project

The recently formed Commonwealth Center for Advanced Logistics Systems (CCALS) is conducting its first research project, trying to identify cyber vulnerabilities in renewable energy storage devices.

CCALS is a collaborative logistics research organization involving business, government and universities, including the University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia State University and Longwood University.

The research project is supported by a one-year, $53,247 grant from government consulting firm LMI, which is an industry member of CCALS.

The project will be led by CCALS member Randy Cogill, an assistant professor at the University of Virginia. He will attempt to not only identify weaknesses in renewable energy sources with battery storage, but to also develop algorithms for detecting cyberattacks targeting these devices.     .

Using battery storage devices, renewable energy sources, like wind and solar power, can provide sustainable power generation, CCALS noted. These storage devices, however, are also vulnerable to cyberattacks.

CCALS and Cogill will investigate methods for detecting cyberattacks directed toward battery storage systems used in solar and wind power facilities. This project will build on existing models and algorithms for optimizing energy storage for battery-backed power generation.