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Research or Laboratory Scientist
01 April 2016 - 30 August 2021
Siripha Junlakarn received the B.Eng and M.Eng degrees in electrical engineering from Chulalongkorn University in 2007 and the PhD degree in engineering and public policy from Carnegie Mellon University in 2015. Since 2016, she has joined the Energy Research Institute, Chulalongkorn University as a researcher. Her research interests are distributed generation applications and impacts, new business models in the power sector.
As rooftop PV deployment accelerates around the world, forecasts of rooftop PV penetration by geographical region and customer group are essential to guide policy and decision-making by utilities. However, most state-of-the-art forecasting tools require detailed data that are often unavailable for developing countries. A simplified analytical tool with limited data is proposed to preliminarily identify the rooftop PV “hotspots”—that is, geographical areas where many new investments into rooftop PV investments are likely to occur. The tool combines the assessment of financial and technical indicator in form of the optimal PV-to-load ratio indicating the maximum penetration of solar PV, and the capital-to-expenditure ratio indicating the ease of such investment. Using Thailand as a case study, the results from this tool show that under the self-consumption and net-billing scheme, the Northern and Northeastern regions are marked as the potential hotspots where the utility’s impact will be realized early or strongly or both. The average LCOE and self-consumption level for all customer classes and regions are in the range of 0.084–0.112 USD/kWh and 41.33–73.13% of PV production, respectively.
Wichsinee Wibulpolprasert; Umnouy Ponsukcharoen; Siripha Junlakarn; Sopitsuda Tongsopit. Preliminarily Screening Geographical Hotspots for New Rooftop PV Installation: A Case Study in Thailand. Energies 2021, 14, 3329 .
AMA StyleWichsinee Wibulpolprasert, Umnouy Ponsukcharoen, Siripha Junlakarn, Sopitsuda Tongsopit. Preliminarily Screening Geographical Hotspots for New Rooftop PV Installation: A Case Study in Thailand. Energies. 2021; 14 (11):3329.
Chicago/Turabian StyleWichsinee Wibulpolprasert; Umnouy Ponsukcharoen; Siripha Junlakarn; Sopitsuda Tongsopit. 2021. "Preliminarily Screening Geographical Hotspots for New Rooftop PV Installation: A Case Study in Thailand." Energies 14, no. 11: 3329.
Globally, policies designed for high penetration of distributed photovoltaics (DPV) primarily have shifted from mainly encouraging investment through subsidies to addressing equity and stakeholder concerns on retail tariffs and utility revenue impacts. Net metering and feed-in tariffs now serve as the main policy mechanisms to support distributed PV in the U.S. and Europe, although modifications are ongoing to alleviate concerns over consumer inequity and the financial health of utilities. Retail tariff design and utility revenue impacts are now at the forefront of the debate for ASEAN countries formulating new policies and incentives for PV deployment. This paper discusses experiences of DPV development in the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. These countries have ongoing efforts to adjust their DPV programs to match a rapidly dynamic and evolving DPV market and incorporate new technology capabilities such as blockchain-based peer-to-peer solar energy trading platforms. The paper also presents a quantitative analysis of customer economics under various competing compensation mechanisms and analyzes the remaining barriers to DPV market expansion in these three countries. Net billing could achieve more economically equitable policy design for other Southeast Asian countries looking to make solar electricity broadly accessible for all.
Siripha Junlakarn; Noah Kittner; Sopitsuda Tongsopit; Supawan Saelim. A cross-country comparison of compensation mechanisms for distributed photovoltaics in the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 2021, 145, 110820 .
AMA StyleSiripha Junlakarn, Noah Kittner, Sopitsuda Tongsopit, Supawan Saelim. A cross-country comparison of compensation mechanisms for distributed photovoltaics in the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 2021; 145 ():110820.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSiripha Junlakarn; Noah Kittner; Sopitsuda Tongsopit; Supawan Saelim. 2021. "A cross-country comparison of compensation mechanisms for distributed photovoltaics in the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam." Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 145, no. : 110820.
Although home energy management systems (HEMS) and batteries are part of the Thailand Smart Grid Master Plan, the financial feasibility and attractiveness of installing residential solar rooftop photovoltaic (PV) systems with integration of the HEMS and battery have never been investigated. This study develops three scenarios comprising of an installation of only solar PV system, solar PV system with the HEMS, and solar PV system with integration of the HEMS and battery under the current net billing solar program for households and analyzes their financial feasibility and attractiveness by using economic measures. In addition, sensitivity analysis is performed to analyze the impacts of critical parameters on the feasibility of these three scenarios. Findings indicate that the installation of a solar rooftop system with the HEMS provides the highest customer economics. Although the implementation of HEMs leads to an increase in energy exports, benefits from bill savings of lower electricity consumption by using the HEM are relatively high compared to the loss from energy exports. Therefore, in the short term, the government should promote the integration of HEMS with a PV system; however, the installation of a PV system with HEMS and battery in the residential sector should be promoted when battery cost decreases.
Methee Srikranjanapert; Siripha Junlakarn; Naebboon Hoonchareon. How an Integration of Home Energy Management and Battery System Affects the Economic Benefits of Residential PV System Owners in Thailand. Sustainability 2021, 13, 2681 .
AMA StyleMethee Srikranjanapert, Siripha Junlakarn, Naebboon Hoonchareon. How an Integration of Home Energy Management and Battery System Affects the Economic Benefits of Residential PV System Owners in Thailand. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (5):2681.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMethee Srikranjanapert; Siripha Junlakarn; Naebboon Hoonchareon. 2021. "How an Integration of Home Energy Management and Battery System Affects the Economic Benefits of Residential PV System Owners in Thailand." Sustainability 13, no. 5: 2681.
Along with the modernized grids, a transactive energy concept has been developed to enhance the efficiency in managing grids through a market-based approach. This paper proposes a market-based approach with the process of service price settling that is required only the necessary information in the form of bid functions to provide differentiated reliability service under the considered market structure. Decisions about investments and the prices to charge for services are made based on information from a service provider and customers by optimizing its objective with respect to its own interests. The numerical simulation shows that customers can obtain the higher reliability services according to their willingness to pay.
Siripha Junlakarn; Marija Ilic. Provision of Differentiated Reliability Services Under a Market-Based Investment Decision Making. IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid 2020, 11, 3970 -3981.
AMA StyleSiripha Junlakarn, Marija Ilic. Provision of Differentiated Reliability Services Under a Market-Based Investment Decision Making. IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid. 2020; 11 (5):3970-3981.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSiripha Junlakarn; Marija Ilic. 2020. "Provision of Differentiated Reliability Services Under a Market-Based Investment Decision Making." IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid 11, no. 5: 3970-3981.
Declining prices of solar photovoltaic modules and consumers' interest in green electricity production are driving the prevalence of electricity “prosumers” worldwide. Prosumers are electricity consumers who produce electricity for their own consumption, using distributed energy technologies including distributed solar photovoltaics (DPVs). Many jurisdictions around the world are adjusting to this changing energy landscape by reforming their policies to support self-production and self-consumption of electricity. This paper analyzes the economics of electricity self-consumption of DPV electricity in Thailand. Based on our study, we assess the feasibility of DPV self-consumption schemes for four customer groups. Among the three schemes assessed, (no compensation for excess electricity, net metering, and net billing), all customer classes are profitable and net metering offers the most customer benefits. However, we recommend net billing for policy adoption, not only because of its sufficient level of economic viability but also its flexibility in addressing broad stakeholders' concerns. Our analytical approach captures in detail how DPV sizing relative to the load may be impacted by those compensation mechanisms. Our methodology can be replicated by countries that would like to develop or reform their national-level DPV self-consumption policies during an energy transition.
Sopitsuda Tongsopit; Siripha Junlakarn; Wichsinee Wibulpolprasert; Aksornchan Chaianong; Phimsupha Kokchang; Nghia Vu Hoang. The economics of solar PV self-consumption in Thailand. Renewable Energy 2019, 138, 395 -408.
AMA StyleSopitsuda Tongsopit, Siripha Junlakarn, Wichsinee Wibulpolprasert, Aksornchan Chaianong, Phimsupha Kokchang, Nghia Vu Hoang. The economics of solar PV self-consumption in Thailand. Renewable Energy. 2019; 138 ():395-408.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSopitsuda Tongsopit; Siripha Junlakarn; Wichsinee Wibulpolprasert; Aksornchan Chaianong; Phimsupha Kokchang; Nghia Vu Hoang. 2019. "The economics of solar PV self-consumption in Thailand." Renewable Energy 138, no. : 395-408.
Siripha Junlakarn; Weerin Wangjiraniran. Assessing Potential of Power Generation Investment in ASEAN Countries. Energy Procedia 2016, 100, 475 -479.
AMA StyleSiripha Junlakarn, Weerin Wangjiraniran. Assessing Potential of Power Generation Investment in ASEAN Countries. Energy Procedia. 2016; 100 ():475-479.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSiripha Junlakarn; Weerin Wangjiraniran. 2016. "Assessing Potential of Power Generation Investment in ASEAN Countries." Energy Procedia 100, no. : 475-479.
This paper proposes a market mechanism that provides differentiated higher reliability services beyond a standard level in distribution networks. To offer the higher reliability services, switching devices, as one of technologies for enhancing reliability, will be installed in the systems. The decisions on numbers and locations of these switches are made based on information from a service provider and customers.
Siripha Junlakarn; Marija Ilic. Provision of differentiated reliable services in distribution systems based on customer preferences. 2015 North American Power Symposium (NAPS) 2015, 1 -6.
AMA StyleSiripha Junlakarn, Marija Ilic. Provision of differentiated reliable services in distribution systems based on customer preferences. 2015 North American Power Symposium (NAPS). 2015; ():1-6.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSiripha Junlakarn; Marija Ilic. 2015. "Provision of differentiated reliable services in distribution systems based on customer preferences." 2015 North American Power Symposium (NAPS) , no. : 1-6.
This paper proposes a possible approach to providing differentiated reliability options to customers in urban and suburban distribution networks. To offer different reliability options based on customer's preferences, a utility can deploy distributed generation (DG), sectionalizing switches (Normally Closed Switches: NCSs) and tie switches (Normally Open Switches: NOSs). During power outages, DG, as backup generation unit, is a means of providing higher reliability to customers who require it. Furthermore, a utility may need to reconfigure the networks such that NCSs and NOSs operate in an optimal way to deliver power to priority customers. The problem is formulated as an optimization problem with the objective of minimizing utility liability while assuring the supply of power to priority customers. The optimization is performed off-line and the optimal switch combinations are stored in a database for use by the utility in real time. The information about customer preferences for uninterrupted service is needed to provide investment signals for NCSs, NOSs, and DG to utilities. The paper also demonstrates that utilities would invest in providing differentiated reliability options as long as the cost of these investments is lower than the liability cost utilities must pay for failing to deliver service.
Siripha Junlakarn; Marija Ilic. Distribution System Reliability Options and Utility Liability. IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid 2014, 5, 2227 -2234.
AMA StyleSiripha Junlakarn, Marija Ilic. Distribution System Reliability Options and Utility Liability. IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid. 2014; 5 (5):2227-2234.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSiripha Junlakarn; Marija Ilic. 2014. "Distribution System Reliability Options and Utility Liability." IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid 5, no. 5: 2227-2234.
This paper proposes an approach to providing differentiated reliability options in distribution networks under the assumption that utilities would guarantee to deliver power to customers according to customers' willingness to pay. The approach is based on the optimal system reconfigurations by operating normally closed switches (NCSs) and normally open switches (NOSs) for given fault locations and power supplies. In addition, a distributed generator (DG) is deployed to supply power to priority customers if all main substations are disconnected. The problem is formulated as an optimization problem with the purpose of minimizing utility liability. The optimization is performed offline and the optimal switch combinations are stored in a database for use by the utility in real time. Furthermore, a decision tree algorithm is applied to determine combinations of switches for cases that are not stored in the offline database.
Siripha Junlakarn; Marija Ilic. Toward implementation of the reconfiguration for providing differentiated reliability options in distribution systems. 2014 IEEE PES General Meeting | Conference & Exposition 2014, 1 -5.
AMA StyleSiripha Junlakarn, Marija Ilic. Toward implementation of the reconfiguration for providing differentiated reliability options in distribution systems. 2014 IEEE PES General Meeting | Conference & Exposition. 2014; ():1-5.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSiripha Junlakarn; Marija Ilic. 2014. "Toward implementation of the reconfiguration for providing differentiated reliability options in distribution systems." 2014 IEEE PES General Meeting | Conference & Exposition , no. : 1-5.