Smart microgrids to help data centers, farm communities use locally produced power
Strategic use of locally produced, renewable energy through smart microgrids can reduce power costs and help prevent outages, according to assistant professors Wei Sun and Reinaldo Tonkoski of the electrical engineering and computer science department.
They are developing the smart power management technologies that will make it possible for communities and businesses to use locally produced wind and solar energy yet maintain a consistent, reliable power system. The automated system needed to integrate renewables will also facilitate development of an intelligent power restoration system called a self-healing smart grid that can help prevent power outages.
Tonkoski and Sun began developing a microgrid that will allow data centers to utilize locally available energy sources that can be operated as power plants through support from Microsoft Corp.