Musaab Mohammed Ali
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Musaab Mohammed Ali
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
I am a Ph.D. student in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I am a research assistant in the Systems Towards Infrastructure Measurement & Analytics (STIMA) Lab, advised by Professor Jay Taneja.
My research focuses on electricity infrastructure, energy access, grid reliability, and data-driven energy planning, with a particular emphasis on energy systems in Africa. I am interested in developing practical and scalable approaches for understanding electricity demand, measuring infrastructure performance, and supporting reliable and equitable energy transitions.
Prior to my doctoral studies, I worked in the renewable energy industry, with experience in solar PV system design and utility-scale solar development.
Ph.D. Electrical and Computer Engineering (University of Massachusetts Amherst): September 2022 - today
M.Sc. Energy Engineering, Renewable (University of Massachusetts Lowell)
M.Sc. Electrical Engineering (North Carolina State University)
B.Sc. Electrical Engineering (North Carolina State University)
Dean’s Fellowship, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 2022
ELEVATE Fellowship, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 2022
Spaulding-Smith Fellowship, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 2022
My research lies at the intersection of power and energy systems, energy access, and data-driven infrastructure planning, with a particular focus on electricity systems in Africa. I am interested in understanding how emerging technologies, electrification, and changing patterns of electricity demand affect the planning and operation of power systems, particularly in data-constrained environments.
My research interests include electricity reliability and resilience, distribution-grid planning, demand-side modeling and electrification, electric cooking (eCooking), clean energy transitions, and energy access. I am also interested in applying satellite observations, geospatial analysis, machine learning, and unconventional data sources to measure electricity infrastructure performance and support energy planning.
Electric Cooking and Distribution Grid Planning — Nairobi, Kenya: Developing transformer-level models to assess how large-scale household and commercial–institutional electric cooking (eCooking) adoption affects electricity demand, peak load, and distribution-grid capacity. The work incorporates socioeconomic differences in adoption and cooking intensity, fuel stacking, and time-of-use demand flexibility to support reliable and equitable clean-cooking transitions.
Satellite-Based Electricity Reliability Measurement — Sub-Saharan Africa: Developing scalable approaches to estimate electricity reliability across African cities using nighttime-light observations from the VIIRS satellite, statistical modeling, and machine learning, with validation against ground-based sensor networks and household survey data.
Remote Sensing of Electricity Outages: Investigating the use of satellite thermal infrared observations as indicators of electricity outages and infrastructure disruptions, with the goal of developing scalable methods for identifying spatial patterns of electricity reliability and vulnerability in data-constrained regions.
Ultra-Short-Term Forecasting of Large Distributed Solar PV Fleets Using Sparse Smart Inverter Data IEEE Transactions on sustainable energy, pp. 1-13
Han Yue; Musaab Mohammed Ali; Yuzhang Lin; Hongfu Liu
04/16/2024
EDF Climate Corps Fellow | Washoe County, Nevada
June 2025 - August 2025
Conducted energy and sustainability analysis to support energy-management and decarbonization initiatives across county facilities.
Analyzed building energy-use data to identify opportunities for energy efficiency, cost savings, and emissions reductions.
Developed data-driven recommendations to support long-term energy planning and sustainability decision-making.
Solar Development Engineer | Borrego Solar
October 2021 - September 2022
Supported the development of utility-scale and commercial solar PV projects through technical analysis, system design, and project evaluation.
Conducted site assessments and analyzed technical constraints affecting project feasibility and system performance.
Collaborated with engineering, development, and project teams to advance solar projects from early-stage evaluation through development.
Solar Design Intern | ACE Sola
September 2020 - December 2020
Designed and evaluated residential and commercial solar PV systems using industry-standard solar design and modeling tools.
Prepared system layouts, electrical designs, and production estimates for more than 50 solar projects totaling over 1 MW of capacity.
Supported project development by evaluating site conditions, system configurations, and expected energy production.
Programming: Python, MATLAB
Energy Modeling: PVWatts, PVSyst, PVcase, HelioScope
Geospatial and Remote Sensing: Goofle Earth Engine (GEE), NASA Earth Data
Methods: Machine Learning, Statistical Modeling, Energy Demand Modeling, Techno-Economic Analysis