As mentioned above, my broader research interests fall in the areas of renewable energy, micro grids, hybrid electric systems, electrical machines and drives, digital control, estimation and identification, non-linear control, instrumentation, and automation, .

With my research grant successes and postgraduate supervision,  renewable energy and micro grids, instrumentation leading to conditioning monitoring, can be highlighted as the thrust areas going forward.

My both industry and community focused research agenda is fully aligned with the strategic plan 2024-2028 of CQUniversity, which identifies engagement with our communities, industries, stakeholders, and students as one of our core values. All externally funded research projects are addressing various aspects of United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG) and hence, align with the strategic pillar of Planet in the CQUniversity strategic plan. Some projects and ongoing initiatives also address first nations and regional communities and businesses.
Over the past two and a half years alone, I have actively contributed to attract A$3.92 million worth of research income through 11 externally funded projects out of which 7 projects totalling A$1.28 million were with me as the lead investigator. 
External funding came through 9 external funding bodies. They are, Gladstone Ports Corporation Limited, Queensland Resilience and Risk Reduction Fund (QRRRF) administered by Queensland Reconstruction Authority, Advance Queensland Industry Research Project, Queensland Microgrid Pilot Fund administered by the Department of Energy and Climate, National Industry PhD Program (Industry Researcher), CSIRO Industry PhD Program, Innovation Connection Grant, Advance Queensland Industry Research Fellowships, and Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) Queensland – Rural Economic Development.
The grants involved 10 industries and governmental organisations as partners. They are, Gladstone Ports Corporation, Energy Queensland, Linked Group Services, Department of Transport and Main Roads, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Australian Prawn Farms, Australian Prawn Farmers Association, eleXsys Energy Pty Ltd, CSIRO, and REA Global Pty Ltd.

This demonstrates the level of engagement I have been maintaining with external funding organisations and industry partners in attracting external funding to carry out applied research that helps economic development of Australia.

Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Sweden

Doctor of Philosophy, Electrical and Electronics Engineering - Dec 1995 – Jun 2000, Specializing in Sensorless Control of Electrical Machines completed from the School of Electrical Engineering, The Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Stockholm, SWEDEN.

University of Peradeniya, SRI LANKA

B.Sc. Eng. in Electrical & Electronic Engineering with First Class Honours, Electrical & Electronic Engineering - Jan 1985 – Dec 1994, Grade: First Class Honours

CQUniversity, Australia

University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka

1. Senior Fellow – Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) (2020)

I have been able to achieve a strong track record of quality teaching and my efforts have been internationally benchmarked with the achieving of Senior Fellow – Higher Education Academy (SFHEA), which is in recognition of attainment against the UK Professional Standards Framework for teaching and learning support in higher education in 2020.

2. Gledden Visiting Fellowships - The University of Western Australia 27^th January to 23^rd April 2008.

I was involved in advanced research within the Systems Engineering group of the School of EECE mainly in the area of Sliding Mode Observers. I have shown a lot of dedication and commitment in producing the maximum possible outcome from my stay here and within the period of 12 weeks, I was able to finalize and submit 10 research publications (5 publications for peer reviewed journals and 5 publications for peer reviewed conferences) detailed in my list of publications.

3. Graduate School of life Science and Systems Engineering, Kyushu Institute of Technology, Japan (September 2006)

I was awarded this postdoctoral research fellowship by the Graduate School of life Science and Systems Engineering of Kyushu Institute of Technology in order to initiate research on soft actuators and sensors using ionic polymer-metal composite technology. The visit yielded several recent publications and also active research collaboration between the two institutes.

“Hybrid Power Will Energise the Future”, Gladstone Observer, 14^th December, 2010, Page 15

“Industrial Growth Has Gladstone Playing Host”,Gladstone Observer, 09^th February, 2011, Page 17

“CQU Arm Trains Workforce”, CQ Industry Bi-Monthly Edition – February 2011, Page 09

“Symposium on Hybrid Electric Systems for Heavy Machinery”, Gladstone News, February 19^th, 2011, Page 8

“CQUniversity Gladstone Hosts the Symposium on Hybrid Electric Systems for Heavy Machinery”, Gladstone News, February 26^th, 2011, Front Page and Page 8

“Hybrid Tech Opens Eyes”, Gladstone Observer, 01^st March, 2011, Page 5

 http://uninews.cqu.edu.au/UniNews/viewStory.do?story=7682

Teaching at University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka:

1.      Currently working as an Associate Professor – electrical engineering in the Central Queensland University Gladstone Campus attached to the School of Engineering and Technology of the Division of Higher Education - Since 02^nd July 2009.

2.      Worked as Head of Department and a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Peradeniya, SRI LANKA

(http://www.pdn.ac.lk/eng/pages/departmentHome/EE/index_elec.html) - Since May 2000 till 28^th June 2009.

3.      Worked as a probationary lecturer in the Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Peradeniya, SRI LANKA

(http://www.pdn.ac.lk/eng/pages/departmentHome/EE/index_elec.html) - Three & a half years since October 1996.

4.      Worked as a temporary instructor in the Department of Engineering Mathematics, Faculty of Engineering, University of Peradeniya, SRI LANKA

(http://www.pdn.ac.lk/eng/pages/departmentHome/EM/index_maths.html) - Four months in 1995.

5.      Industrial training at the Arthur C. Clark Centre for Modern Technologies, Moratuwa, SRI LANKA (http://www.accimt.ac.lk) - Six months - 1993

6.      Industrial training in the Buildings Department, Kegalle, SRI LANKA

(http://www.buildings.gov.lk/index.asp) - Three months - 1985

1.      Member of Institute of Electrical & Electronic Engineers (IEEE).

Leads the Renewables Theme of the Centre for Hydrogen and Renewable Energies.

SMART-Grid Research Group of the School of Engineering and Technology is also lead by Sanath.

Renewable energy & Micro grids 
Electrical machines and drives & Hybrid electric systems and 
Condition monitoring, Instrumentation, and Control
Estimation and Identification

Leader, SMART Grid Research Group (SGRG) since mid-2021
Attracted A$3.92 million research income (past two and a half years
Contributed to 11 externally funded projects
Principal supervisor of 8 PhD students
39 journal articles and 75 conference papers

Details of the grants are presented below:

[1]      Dr Sanath Alahakoon (CQU), Dr Lam Bui (CQU), “Green Shore Power”, Gladstone Ports Corporation Limited, A$48,350.24.

Ø  A techno-economic screening study will be undertaken to establish the best practical options for GPC and develop recommendations and a preliminary roadmap for deployment

[2]      Prof. Jamshid Aghaei (CQU), Dr. Kianoush Emami (CQU), Dr Sanath Alahakoon (CQU), Dr Hassan Baji (CQU), Dr Piet Janse Van Rensburg (CQU), Dr Terese Milford (EQ), Linked Group Services, Chrsitopher Russel (Department of Transport and Main Roads), “Driving Resilience: Harnessing Green Mobile Energy Hubs for Electrical Distribution Network and Displaced Communities Resilience”, Queensland Resilience and Risk Reduction Fund (QRRRF) administered by Queensland Reconstruction Authority, A$1,097,444.60.

Ø  This project seeks to address the industry-wide problem of enhancing the resilience of electrical distribution networks in the face of high-impact natural disasters.

[3]      Angela Capper, Sanath Alahakoon, Ashfaque Chowdhury, Diogo Costa, Simon Quigley, David Mann, “Solving the aquaculture bottleneck – reducing nutrients and repurposing waste to produce energy and bioproducts”, Advance Queensland Industry Research Project, A$799,038.00.

Ø  The project will develop a faster nutrient extraction method using electro flocculation and repurpose the waste material into an energy source and a novel protein bio-product. The outcome will create a circular economy for the aquaculture industry enhancing further expansions and profitability in the sector.

[4]      Dr. Sanath Alahakoon, Umme Mumtahina, eleXsys Energy Pty Ltd, “Feasibility Study of An Islandable Microgrid for Woorabinda Community”, Queensland Microgrid Pilot Fund administered by the Department of Energy and Climate, A$609,996.

Ø  The project will deliver a shovel-ready microgrid design for the first nations community of Woorabinda and it will also carry out several community awareness programs on renewable energy technology and its applicability in regional communities.

[5]      Dr. Sanath Alahakoon, Dr. Bevan Holcolmb (eleXsys), “Analytical decision support tool for deployment of dSTATCOMs and Battery Energy Storages in future power grids”, National Industry PhD Program (Industry Researcher), A$66,240.

Ø  This research focus on an enabling approach of grid integration of renewable energy and battery energy storages by defining some tools that enable the maximum generation and use of energy within the distribution network improving efficiency by locating new generation closest to where it is used.     

[6]      Dr. Sanath Alahakoon, Dr. Thomas Brinsmead (CSIRO - Energy, Newcastle), Dr. Bevan Holcolmb (eleXsys), “Globally Optimised Control Algorithms for Wide Area Microgrids”, A$232,000.

Ø  This research addresses the integration of several such clusters to form wide area microgrids, investigating the ability of eleXsys dSTATCOMs to manage larger, community-scale, battery storages. 

[7]      Sanath Alahakoon, Murray Shearer, Sujeewa Hettiwatte, “Test of Concave Solar Panels and AC Module Controls (ICG002307)”, Innovation Connection Program with REA Global Pty Ltd, A$77,318.

Ø  In this project, the performance of an AC solar array (micro-inverter solar systems) is assessed by comparing it to the conventional string inverter solar array.

[8]      Dr. Sanath Alahakoon, “Input Range and Performance Enhancement of dSTATCOMs Equipped with 1000 V DC Bus”, eleXsys Energy Pty Ltd T//A Planet Ark Power, A$187,319.49.

Ø  The project conducts a feasibility study that can be used to enhance the performance of dSTATCOMs operating on a utility coupled, 3-phase, low voltage (400 V) microgrid structure.

[9]      Dr. Umme Mumtahina, Dr. Sanath Alahakoon, partnered with eleXsys Energy Pty Ltd, “Shaping Queensland’s Grid for Sustainable Growth of Renewables in Rural Communities”, Advance Queensland Industry Research Fellowships, A$639,132.00.

Ø  Research conducted in this fellowship will greatly increase the opportunities to use renewable energy in rural communities reducing the reliance on aging long-distance existing power lines.

[10]  Dr Sanath Alahakoon, Dr Angela Capper, Prof. Steve Moore, “Microalgal removal from aquaculture wastewater using electro-flocculation”, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) Queensland – Rural Economic Development, A$63,231.

Ø  This pilot study aims to establish the feasibility of electro-flocculation (where particles are bound together and float to the surface) for the removal of microalgae from prawn farm discharge water by developing an electro-flocculation system for field testing of microalgal removal.

[11]  Dr. Umme Mumtahina, Dr. Sanath Alahakoon, Prof. Peter Wolfs, partnered with eleXsys Energy Pty Ltd, “Grid of the Future”, Innovation Connection Program with eleXsys Energy Pty Ltd, A$100,000.

Ø  This project seeks to develop approaches that provide distribution network operators a far greater range of alternatives to solve existing network problems or to design new networks that are fundamentally different to the traditional solutions.