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$1.5 million awarded for Clarkson, GE, National Grid partnership to develop key controls for Potsdam microgrid project

Posted 12/11/14

POTSDAM -- The Potsdam “microgrid” project announced this summer has spawned a partnership to develop controls for the system. Clarkson University, GE Global Research and GE Energy Consulting, …

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$1.5 million awarded for Clarkson, GE, National Grid partnership to develop key controls for Potsdam microgrid project

Posted

POTSDAM -- The Potsdam “microgrid” project announced this summer has spawned a partnership to develop controls for the system.

Clarkson University, GE Global Research and GE Energy Consulting, National Grid, and the Department of Energy (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) are working on a microgrid that will use local electric supplies, such as from the Potsdam hydropower dams, to supply power to vital local services, such as the hospital, if a general power outage occurs.

This system would connect about 12 entities, including emergency service providers, utilities, power generation sources, and staging areas, along with housing, fuel, and food providers.

"New York State's North Country is a region where we have first-hand knowledge of the tremendous impact that weather can have on our utilities' infrastructure,” Clarkson University President Tony Collins said.

Collins said the research “will have an impact not only on Clarkson's neighbors, but also on communities like Potsdam around our state and nation, where severe weather can be disruptive to lives and commerce."

“Most microgrids have been implemented to serve large single customers; this project will address the needs of a community,” Clarkson Vice Provost for Research William Jemison said.

Jemison said the project “will require the team to think through a different set of questions. Addressing the societal issues will be just as important as addressing the technical issues.”

The North Country, which is prone to ice storms that could damage utility lines and other above-ground power infrastructure, can benefit from this research.

Fueled by a $1.2 million grant from the DOE’s Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability (OE) and a $300,000 investment from GE, this project will allow for the development of an Enhanced Microgrid Control System (eMCS) designed to be the key element in keeping Potsdam’s electricity system up and running for several days should it become disconnected from the main power station.

The project will also help utilities, like National Grid, handle distributed energy resources (DER), such as solar, hydropower, and thermal in a microgrid scenario.

“The microgrid control system that my team will be developing will bring these renewable power sources online and effectively manage them, along with other traditional generation resources, to improve the reliability and efficiency of the main power grid while helping ensure stable backup power in the event of a blackout,” said Sumit Bose, principal investigator on the project and microgrid technology leader at GE Global Research. “It’s a vital component and critical to the system’s resiliency and overall performance.”

Ken Daly, National Grid’s New York president, said the project is “is a perfect extension to the modeling and design work we are performing right now. This is exactly the type of project that allows us to modernize the grid, while embracing innovation and efficiency to provide customers with the service they demand in the 21st century."

GE researchers will develop the eMCS with two main goals in mind: to provide resilient, high-quality power delivery to the local community and efficient, reliable grid services to the local utility. The program will be closely aligned with the specific energy needs and power resources available in and around Potsdam, with the option to include resources like 3 megawatts (MW) of combined heat and power generators, 2MW of solar photovoltaic, 2MW of energy storage and 900kW or more of hydro-electric generation.

Additionally, the system will feature specially-designed control algorithms with a graphical user interface for the operator. The control system will be flexible, scalable and secure, and will have a hierarchical structure of three controllers operating on different timescales to maximize efficiencies and ensure all assets function as needed to maintain a constant, steady flow of electricity.

“Together, GE’s control system, and the underground microgrid envisioned for the Potsdam community, could serve as a model for towns and cities across the country that are susceptible to weather disasters and blackouts,” added Bose.

GE’s Energy Consulting business will be conducting a feasibility study for the demonstration of the controller, reporting on the potential benefits for the Village of Potsdam and National Grid of deploying the new technology and determining operating procedures to ensure the control system functions properly.

Earlier this year, the Potsdam underground microgrid design project was announced, where GE will work with partners to plan and design a resilient underground microgrid for the Village of Potsdam. This Clarkson University-led effort is being funded by National Grid, and through a $381,000 grant from NYSERDA, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, as part of a larger, $3.3M state allocation for projects aimed at improving the resiliency and efficiency of the state’s electric grid.