Master Thesis - AI Optimized Service Stacking & Scheduling for BESS Fleets

Job description

Transport is at the core of modern society. Imagine using your expertise to shape sustainable transport and infrastructure solutions for the future. If you seek to make a difference on a global scale, working with next-gen technologies and the sharpest collaborative teams, then we could be a perfect match. 

 

We shape the world we want to live in!   
 Volvo Energy is our newest business area with the overarching purpose of accelerating electrification and driving circularity for a better tomorrow. With an agile approach and a can-do mindset, we actively work to ensure the acceleration of the electrification transformation every day in all that we do. As the Volvo Group, we are driving circularity in our industry forward in these important areas.  

 

We are now seeking thesis students to explore distributed control strategies for Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). This thesis offers a unique opportunity to apply data science, AI, and optimization in a real-world context, contributing to grid stability and revenue optimization. 

 

Volvo Energy Digital & IT   

Digital & IT is a function within Volvo Energy. We support our customers transition to a carbon-free world through great Digital solutions and experiences that enables customers to shift to fossil-free transport operations. We truly care about the customer’s business in terms of up-time, safety and productivity.   

 
The work 

Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) play a crucial role in modern energy management by reducing costs, generating revenue, and providing essential services like fast charging in grid-constrained locations. BESS can lower power-based grid tariffs through peak shaving by supplying power during high-demand periods and recharging during off-peak times. It can also minimize energy costs through arbitrage, either by shifting consumption to low-price periods or by selling stored energy at a profit. Beyond local benefits, BESS offer grid services such as frequency regulation, voltage support, spinning reserves, demand response, and capacity market participation. These create multiple revenue streams while enhancing grid reliability. To maximize net revenue, combining services is key, utilizing idle times in peak shaving and arbitrage for infrequently activated grid services like Frequency Containment Reserve for Disturbances (FCR-D). 

 

This thesis builds on the Services of Volvo Energy, focusing on our BESS units across customer sites to optimize performance and reliability. 

 

The aim of this thesis is to develop and evaluate a distributed, data-driven control system for managing a fleet of BESS units. The system should ensure reliable delivery of both local services (such as peak shaving) and grid-level services (such as FCR-D), while also maximizing total revenue. The purpose is to create algorithms that use forecasts, real-time data, and constraints to schedule services, reducing conflicts. By centralizing control across the fleet, the system can compensate for local shortfalls using flexibility from other units, improving dependability and scalability. The work addresses challenges like communication delays, partial failures, and data inconsistencies, applying data science, AI, and high-performance computing in distributed energy systems. 

 

Expected Result 

The thesis will deliver a prototype distributed control system for BESS fleet scheduling, including algorithms for forecast-based decision-making and real-time optimization. Expected outcomes include: 

·  Improved coordination to minimize service conflicts and enhance revenue. 
·  Evaluation of system performance in simulated scenarios, demonstrating reliability during peaks and activations. 
·  Insights into scaling for multiple sites, handling real-time data streams and uncertainties. 
·  Contributions to research in distributed energy management, with potential for practical deployment at Volvo Energy. 

 

Results will advance efficient, resilient energy systems with societal and commercial impact. 

 

Qualifications likely required to be successful 

·  Finishing a master’s program with programming focus in 2026, likely in Electrical Engineering, Machine Learning/AI, Computer science or similar. 
·  Programming skills (e.g., Python, C) for high-level algorithm development and simulation as well as “low-level” machine-oriented code. 
·  Interest in data-driven methods, real-time systems, and sustainable energy. 
·  Prior experience with energy storage, grid services, or distributed systems is a plus. 
·  Ability to work closely with international teams in a diverse environment. 
·  A “boots on the ground, get the job done” attitude. 
·  Fluency in English, written and spoken. 

 

We can promise you great colleagues and some truly exciting opportunities for both professional and personal growth, and we are eager to receive your CV in English. 

 
Feel free to contact us if you have further questions: 

Axel Kullander, Head of Digital Products BMOT 

e-mail: axel.kullander@volvo.com 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/axelkullander/  

 

Last application date: 5th October

 

We value your data privacy and therefore do not accept applications via mail. 

 

Who we are and what we believe in 
We are committed to shaping the future landscape of efficient, safe, and sustainable transport solutions. Fulfilling our mission creates countless career opportunities for talents across the group’s leading brands and entities.

 

Applying to this job offers you the opportunity to join Volvo Group . Every day, you will be working with some of the sharpest and most creative brains in our field to be able to leave our society in better shape for the next generation. ​We are passionate about what we do, and we thrive on teamwork. ​We are almost 100,000 people united around the world by a culture of care, inclusiveness, and empowerment. 

 

Volvo Energy lives and leads the change in accelerating Volvo Group’s electrification journey and driving circularity for a better tomorrow. We bring together people with who will work in a highly diverse, equal and inclusive global context with an entrepreneurial spirit where everyone is key and directly contributes to achieving our ambitions for wanted position: better for people – better for planet – better for business. Together – from individual success to collective significance!

Job Category:  Information Technology

Organization:  Volvo Energy

Travel Required:  No Travel Required

Requisition ID:  24881