The Institute of Flexible AC Transmission & Distribution System in Department of Electrical Engineering of Tsinghua University was established in 1999. It is mainly specialized in the applications of flexible AC transmission and distribution technology in power systems, the research of new theory and application of power system stability control based on global positioning system (GPS), phase measurement unit (PMU) and modern communication technology, and the training of talents and scientific researches in real-time simulation and digital dynamic model of power system, which are important parts of power system and its automation. In 2001, the Tsinghua-Sifang Institute of Stability Control Technology was established and attached to the Institute of Flexible AC Transmission & Distribution System.

Over the past five years, in order to better develop independent and innovative high technology and cultivate relevant technical personnel, the Institute has undergone new developments and changes in two aspects: work out the technical taskes on the basis of past application practices, and do regular theoretical researches in major projects of the Major State Basic Research Development Program of China (973 Program) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC); considering the major technical problems currently occurring in China's power industry, continue to find innovative solutions in practice, such as the weak damping analysis and control of South China Power Grid; the sub-synchronous oscillation analysis and control, transient voltage stability of power grid and development of large capacity STATCOM, analysis and control of power quality (voltage sag, reactive power, flicker, harmonic wave and unbalance) at the user side in the North China Power System. In the process:

1. It built a well-structured research team of 12 teachers in the relevant fields, including 1 academician, 4 professors, 2 doctoral tutors, 3 associate professors, 4 engineers, 2 senior consultants and 5 employees. There are more than 40 doctoral and master students. Nine teachers have received doctoral degrees and have foreign cooperative research experience.

2. It established a world-class hardware and software environment for this discipline, and self-developed STATCOM and TCSC physical simulation devices, DVR, GTO/IGCT test bench, Uni-Con and various digital simulation software (PSASP, PSS/E, NETOMAC, MATLAB, EMTDC, etc.).

3. It successfully developed 50Mvar STATCOM device based on IGCT, which passed the acceptance of the State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC) in April 2006. It is the largest self-commutating converter in China at present. A series of power quality control products developed in cooperation with Sifang Company have been successfully applied to industrial production, such as 16MDSTATCOM in Angang and DVR in Hangzhou.

4. It cultivated a group of high-quality talents, including 22 doctoral graduates and 22 master's degree students.

5. It won one national second prize for scientific and technological progress and one provincial and ministerial first prize for scientific and technological progress.

6.It carried out more extensive international scientific cooperation: Established cooperative researches and personnel exchanges with Siemens Corporation of Germany, Mitsubishi Corporation of Japan, National University of Singapore, Nanyang University of Technology, Brunel University of Britain, etc.