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UBJ ENERGY
What will power the grid of tomorrow? Clemson researchers are using renewable energy and smart grid technology to find the answer at its Charleston facility JOE TOPPE | STAFF
FEEDING THE GRID
jtoppe@communityjournals.com Researchers at Clemson University are playing a significant role in updating the nation’s power grid while working with industry leaders to revolutionize the generation and distribution of electricity. The university is currently developing several initiatives, including the testing and evaluation of next-generation large wind turbines, at the Clemson University Restoration Institute (CURI) in Charleston, said Randy Collins, professor of electrical and computer engineering. The test facility will be the largest in the world and enable the industry to hasten technological advancements for large wind turbines, he said. In addition, the electric grid simulator at CURI – also the largest facility of its type in the world – will support testing of renewable energy converters. The current electrical grid has seen few changes over the past century due to a scarcity of alternatives and the massive investments required. But scholars are working closely with the industry on projects and technologies that are modernizing the electrical grid. The U.S. electrical grid is some-
Artist’s model of the wind turbine testing facility at the SCE&G Innovation Center.
times referred to as the world’s most complex machine, Collins said. Making changes to this infrastructure would be incredibly expensive and alter the very nature of the way the energy is controlled, he said. “Until recently, there were not any economically viable alternatives.”
Enter the smart grid Updating the grid could revolutionize how energy is controlled, stored, transmitted, distributed and utilized – which is where smart grid
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technologies could provide an answer. “Smart grid” is the term experts use for a class of technology designed to bring utility electricity delivery systems into the 21st century using computer-based remote control and automation. The systems are made possible through two-way communication technology and computer processing that have been used for decades in other industries, according to the US Department of Energy. The smart grid enables devices connected to the grid to communicate
Currently, significant quantities of the nation’s electrical energy is generated for the power grid through thermal, nuclear, hydro, solar and wind, while nuclear energy remains an important source of power in the U.S., and particularly in the Carolinas. Per capita, the Palmetto State has the second highest amount of nuclear energy in the country, said Clemson professor Randy Collins. Although the Japanese tsunami and its impact on the Fukushima nuclear facility was a setback to the industry, “we are still proceeding forward with new nuclear,” he said. Researchers are attempting to resolve issues involving nuclear fuel and waste while efficiently delivering electrical energy with the existing infrastructure.
with each other while allowing the energy flow to be controlled in ways that were previously not attainable, Collins said. As a result, the existing network of wires and transformers can be used ENERGY continued on PAGE 12
Greg McKinney 4-7 P Sturg 7-10 P July 11, 2014
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