The electric grid is not the kind of place you want to run risky experiments. If something goes wrong, the consequences could spread fast, with darkened homes, shuttered schools and internet outages, just to start.
That’s why Clemson University’s grid emulator is so important.
The Duke Energy eGRID gives utilities, manufacturers and researchers a place to test new grid equipment and technologies under real-world conditions without putting the real grid at risk.
Testing new equipment for the grid is growing in importance as data centers and electrification drive up demand for energy. At the same time, extreme weather and aging infrastructure are stressing the system.
New equipment can help make the grid stronger and more reliable, but utilities need to know it can operate safely before they put it into service. That means meeting standards and, in many cases, going through certification.
“That’s something the eGRID can help with,” said Kevin Tomsovic, the Duke Energy Chair in Smart Grid Technology. “The reason we have those standards is that the power grid is critical for everything, and it will be even more so in the future. It’s critical to keep it up and running.”
“You can have great engineers, great professors and great students, but if you don’t have facilities, you’re not going to be competitive. It’s important to have facilities that are well maintained and well funded and we can use in bigger plans.”
Johan Enslin
Ramtin Hadidi, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, said utilities often take a conservative approach to integrating new technologies and equipment into the grid.
The eGRID allows researchers to go beyond low-power, lab-based testing and show how equipment will respond to an actual grid, he said. The goal is to reduce the risk of misoperation and failure to as close to zero as possible, Hadidi said.
“Creating those odd situations that utilities don’t often see in a repeatable fashion is what the eGRID can do and what I like to see as a researcher,” he said. “You reduce the chance of failure and increase the resiliency of the system as well.”
Johan Enslin, a professor of electrical and computer engineering, said the eGRID shows how initial investment can help the University compete for research grants. The eGRID has helped Clemson build partnerships and research teams that lead to large, impactful projects.
“You can have great engineers, great professors and great students, but if you don’t have facilities, you’re not going to be competitive,” Enslin said. “It’s important to have facilities that are well maintained and well funded and we can use in bigger plans.”
And that’s exactly what the eGRID has done.
Coming Thursday: Learn how Clemson University is preparing the next-generation workforce to ensure grid resilience far into the future.
