Academic Staff Profile

Mr. Hastings Banda

MSc (Eng)-Electrical Engineering, BEng (Hons)-Electrical Engineering, MEI, MERA Class C, ADDA (Drone Science)

School of Engineering Electrical Engineering Department

Office: E314

Email: hbanda@mubas.ac.mw

Research Interests

AI-Enabled Operation and Observability of Active Distribution Systems, Distribution-System Flexibility under Uncertainty and Incomplete Information, Machine Learning for Power-System Monitoring and Decision Support, Distributed Energy Resource Coordination, Solar Microgrids and Smart Grids, Power System Protection and Fault Diagnosis, Power-Flow Analysis and Congestion Management, and Renewable and Hybrid Energy Systems.

Publication Areas

Engineering, Energy & Fuels

Biography & Background

Electrical engineer, university lecturer, and a power-systems researcher with an MSc (Eng) in Electrical Engineering with distinction from the University of Cape Town and a First-Class BSc (Hons) in Electrical and Electronics Engineering. My research experience combines machine learning, on-grid solar microgrids, and power system fault analysis, including the development and comparative evaluation of CNN, LSTM, SVM, and Random Forest models using a multivariable dataset. Experienced in power transmission and distribution, photovoltaic power systems, electrical network analysis, engineering simulation, and industrial monitoring. Published researcher with university teaching, technical leadership, and multidisciplinary project experience. As an entrepreneur, I operate as the CEO of Comfort Home Innovations Limited, a start-up focused on delivering solar, smart security, and electrical engineering solutions across Malawi.

My core competencies are as follows:
• Power-Flow Analysis for Transmission and Distribution Systems
• Photovoltaic Systems
• Power-System Protection and Grid Integration
• Python and Machine Learning
• CNN, LSTM, SVM, and Random Forest
• Data Preprocessing and Model Evaluation
• MATLAB/Simulink and DIgSILENT PowerFactory
• PLC Programming and Industrial Automation
• IoT-Based Remote Monitoring
• Scientific Writing and Technical Project Leadership.