The DERConnect headquarters has batteries that can store electricity generated by solar panels for later use on the grid — enough to power several buildings on campus. One room is dedicated to servers and computers that can simulate city-wide or state-wide power grids. Another room is dedicated to tiny Raspberry Pi computers that control individual devices at UC San Diego's microphones.The rogrid has a variety of amenities, including an electric car charging station, printers, a TV, smart plugs, etc. In another room, there is a giant breaker box-like device that switches all these amenities on and off.
Connecting these facilities is the DERConnect team, which is hard at work completing a power grid technology sandbox of hardware and software that will be made available to both on-site and remote researchers.
Indeed, engineers from both industry and academia can use DERConnect to ask a range of important questions that need to be investigated in real-world environments to create a resilient, decarbonized grid of the future.
Questions like:: When a heatwave puts stress on the power grid, what's the best algorithm to balance the fluctuating energy input from solar panels with the energy output demands from people charging their electric cars?
orIf demand for energy surges and then the wind suddenly stops, what autonomous control system can be deployed to keep the grid stable and meet all the needs of those who rely on it?
A preliminary study using DERConnect's campus device control capabilities showed that turning off devices that control airflow in rooms within a building during off-hours could cut energy costs in half. Researchers estimate that similar savings could be achieved by turning off unused printers and televisions.
The creation of the DERConnect testbed addresses a significant national need for large-scale testing capabilities across universities, national laboratories, industry, utilities, and independent system operators to validate future technologies for autonomous energy grids in real-world scenarios. Indeed, a major obstacle to deploying many advanced technologies in real-world energy system operations is the development of realistic test cases at an appropriate scale.
