Smart Energy & Mobility

SEM Research Group Members Receive İTÜ Doctoral Thesis Special Award in Consecutive Years

Dr. Ömer Gönül, a member of the Smart Energy & Mobility (SEM) Research Group, has received the 2025 Doctoral Thesis Special Award from Istanbul Technical University (İTÜ). He was one of nine doctoral graduates selected for this distinction among PhD theses completed at İTÜ in 2025.

His doctoral thesis, entitled “Siting and Sizing of Renewable Energy Supported Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Along Highways with a Novel Interoperable Smart Energy Management System,” focuses on the planning and energy management of renewable energy-supported electric vehicle charging infrastructure along highways. The study addresses key challenges at the intersection of electric mobility, renewable energy integration, charging infrastructure planning, and smart energy management.

This achievement also marks the second consecutive year in which a member of our research group has received the İTÜ Doctoral Thesis Special Award, following Dr. A. Can Duman, who received the distinction in 2024.

A. Can Duman Joins the Editorial Board of Built Environment and Power Systems

Dr. A. Can Duman has joined the Editorial Board of Built Environment and Power Systems (BEPS), an international peer-reviewed journal focusing on the integration of intelligent buildings, distributed energy resources, and modern power systems.

The journal aims to advance research toward a decarbonized, resilient, and human-centric built environment. Its scope covers a broad range of emerging topics, including building-grid integration, distributed energy resources, energy storage, grid-interactive buildings, smart grids and microgrids, energy management systems, electric vehicle integration, digital twins, and AI-based energy forecasting and control.

BEPS welcomes original research addressing these and related topics at the intersection of building science, energy systems, and power grids.

Kaan Deveci and Ahmet Kağızman Receive Utility Model Registration for a Novel Solar Tracking System

Dr. Kaan Deveci, a member of the Smart Energy and Mobility Research Group, and Ahmet Kağızman received utility model registration for their invention entitled “A Mechanical System for Solar Tracking Systems” (Güneş Takip Sistemleri İçin Mekanik Bir Sistem).

The developed system enables dual-axis solar tracking using a single drive element, allowing photovoltaic panels to follow the changing position of the sun throughout the day with a simplified mechanical configuration. The system is designed to improve the energy generation performance of solar PV systems through more effective solar tracking.

The utility model was registered by the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office in 2024 under registration number TR 2021 002497 Y.