Sep 2025 - Present
Senior Grid Engineer - Development and Construction
Pathfinder Clean Energy (PACE) Limited · Full-time
London, England, United Kingdom · Hybrid
Responsibilities:
- Lead grid capacity assessments to inform project origination and identify viable connection opportunities.
- Coordinate technical requirements with DNOs, ICPs, consultants and internal teams to deliver compliant grid connections from design through commissioning and energisation, including G99 compliance.
- Support ICP tendering and contractor management, from defining scope and reviewing bids through to final delivery.
Jun 2023 - Sep 2025
Power Systems Development Engineer - DSO - Network Access
UK Power Networks · Full-time
London, England, United Kingdom · Hybrid
Responsibilities:
- Developed new products for Flexible/Curtailable Connections schemes (managed by UKPN’s Distributed Energy Resource Management (DERMS) platform), allowing customers to connect faster ahead of network reinforcements.
- Developed a specialised web application “Connections Lab” to simplify the calculation of curtailment estimates for new connection applications triggering distribution and/or transmission constraints. The tool automatically generates detailed reports with curtailment breakdowns per constraint and highlights peak-curtailment periods.
- Analysed the operational behaviour of batteries connected within UKPN licence areas to identify patterns and trends, improving the assumptions used in network planning.
- Analysed the effectiveness of providing wider flexibility services (for example, reactive power) to the ESO from batteries connected in distribution networks using DIgSILENT PowerFactory and Python, including voltage compliance (statutory limits and voltage step change) and thermal constraints (transformers and circuits).
Jan 2021 - Jun 2023
Distribution System Planning Engineer - DSO and Future Networks
Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks · Full-time
Reading, England, United Kingdom · Hybrid
Responsibilities:
- Developing and maintaining integrated network models (132/33/11kV) in DIgSILENT PowerFactory, suitable for power flow and optimal power flow analysis.
- Leading the development of an end-to-end software solution for the procurement, selection and dispatch of flexibility services.
- Assessing the impact and benefits of future flexibility services on the network.
- Ensuring DSO principles can be implemented technically across all voltage levels (132/33/11kV).
- Developing Python scripts for the pre- and post-processing of network data (PI historian, asset databases, network connectivity, etc.) and for the automation of network studies.
Feb 2020 - Jan 2021
Power System Consultant
ABB · Full-time
Stone, England, United Kingdom · On-site
Responsibilities:
- Delivered grid connection studies (reactive power requirements, energy losses, short-circuit, harmonics, etc.) for offshore wind park projects to ensure compliance with the Grid Code under different scenarios.
- Developed Python scripts for the automation of large-scale simulations in DIgSILENT PowerFactory and PSCAD, and for subsequent data analysis.
- Contributed to the preparation of client reports based on grid compliance studies.
- Supported the development of proposals and bids for new projects.
2016 - 2020
I completed my PhD at the Control & Power Research Group at **Imperial College London** under the supervision of Prof Tim Green and Dr Adria Junyent-Ferre. The main focus of my research was on the integration of low-carbon technologies into distribution networks and the development of control strategies for active network management schemes, using power electronics. I researched traditional non-linear optimisation techniques, such as the OPF, as well as approaches based on machine learning. Publications delivered as part of my PhD are listed below.
1st year: Investigation of the main factors affecting the hosting capacity in distribution networks and how to increase this capacity using power electronic devices, particularly back-to-back power converters (SOPs). For this, I modelled realistic LV networks, such as the European Low Voltage Test Feeder, using OpenDSS and Matlab/Python.
2nd year: Development of a data-driven control algorithm for power converters that can operate based on local or partial measurements and with low computational requirements. This was implemented using the AC/DC OPF, together with a supervised learning algorithm (neural networks).
3rd year: Analysis of high-resolution data (1-min) from several LV substations and feeders, part of the OpenLV project, to get an accurate estimate of the loading state of the substations and outgoing feeders, as well as their imbalance level and power losses. The data also served as a benchmark by allowing the comparison and validation of network models. Comparison between the benefits of two active network management approaches: 1) autonomous meshing based on circuit breakers, as trialled in the OpenLV project, and 2) based on power electronics converters and high-level optimisation (OPF).
2019 - 2020
I participated in the OpenLV project, hosted by Western Power Distribution. The goal of our project was to compare the performance of two Active Network Management schemes. I developed scripts to clean, process, and analyse time-series data from several low-voltage substations.
2017 - 2018
I worked as a Technical Officer at Repowering London, where I supported the development of community-energy projects by carrying out solar PV feasibility studies using Skelion and SketchUp.
2014 - 2015
I completed my MSc in Electrical Power Systems at the **University of Birmingham** with Distinction.
2014
I worked as a Renewable Energy Intern at **Abengoa Mexico**, supporting the planning and assessment of a wind farm in the north of Mexico.
2009 - 2014
I did my BSc in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering at Tecnologico de Monterrey in Mexico City.
Publications:
J. Perez-Olvera, T. Green, and A. Junyent-Ferre
“Self-learning Control for Active Network Management” 2021 IEEE Madrid PowerTech, 2021, pp. 1-6, doi: 10.1109/PowerTech46648.2021.9494928.
Available at: IEEE
R. M. Rubi, J. Pérez-Olvera and A. Junyent-Ferré
“Increasing the Visibility of Low Voltage Networks Through Data Analytics” CIRED 2021 - The 26th International Conference and Exhibition on Electricity Distribution, 2021, pp. 2048-2051, doi: 10.1049/icp.2021.1566.
Available at: IEEE
J. Perez-Olvera, T. Green, and A. Junyent-Ferre
“Active network management in LV networks: a case study in the UK” 2020 IEEE Power & Energy Society General Meeting (PESGM), Montreal, QC, 2020, pp. 1-5, doi: 10.1109/PESGM41954.2020.9281406.
Available at: IEEE
J. Perez-Olvera, T. Green, and A. Junyent-Ferre
“Using multi-terminal DC networks to improve the hosting capacity of distribution networks” IEEE PES Innovative Smart Grid Technologies Conference Europe (ISGT-Europe) 2018 Conference Proceedings pp. 1–6.
Available at: IEEE
Technical competencies:
Advanced user of DIgSILENT Power Factory, PSCAD, PSSE and OpenDSS (EPRI) for modelling realistic transmission and distribution networks to assess the impact of low-carbon technologies and renewable generation.
Advanced user of Python, Git and data analysis libraries (e.g., Pandas, Scikit-Learn, NumPy, Geopandas, Matplotlib) for scripting, optimization, large-scale data analysis, and for the implementation of machine learning algorithms.
Intermediate user of MATLAB/SimPowerSystems libraries to analyse dynamics of power network components and to perform optimal power flow analysis.
Competent user of Microsoft Visio to produce diagrams for new processes and dataflows.