POTSDAM -- The National Science Foundation (NSF) is giving Clarkson University $999,720 to develop advanced, resilient microgrid technology to improve disaster response capability.

A microgrid is a small electrical grid which relies on locally-generated electricity combined with advanced technology, to barricade itself from the larger, surrounding power grid in the event of an emergency.

The Clarkson project team will develop a “smart scheduler” application as a part of the NSF's Partnership for Innovation: Building Innovation Capacity program. This smart scheduler will coordinate with the microgrid operator and the local disaster response team to maximize the microgrid’s performance during the time of disaster recovery.

"The microgrid must operate successfully disconnected from the grid for two weeks or more in catastrophic situations where the level of damage is unanticipated and the microgrid itself has experienced reduced capability," said Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Tom Ortmeyer, the project's principal investigator. “The smart scheduler must become an integral part of the team that responds rapidly and effectively to ever-changing capability and demands.”

Clarkson University is leading the project. The primary industrial partner is National Grid. That company would own the underground distribution network that is the backbone of the microgrid.

The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Knoxville, Tenn., is the teams’ primary research and development collaborator and will provide assistance with project design, data collection and expert analysis.

The project will complement ongoing projects to plan and design a resilient underground microgrid in Potsdam. The Potsdam microgrid features a unique partnership of generator owners, local government, regulated utility, and critical load entities.

Clarkson University, SUNY Potsdam, the Village of Potsdam, and Canton-Potsdam Hospital would sll participate in the microgrid and are potential generation owners.