UCLA Smart Grid Energy Research Center (SMERC)

The UCLA Smart Grid Energy Research Center or SMERC performs research, creates innovations, and, demonstrates advanced wireless/communications, internet and sense-and-control technologies to enable the development of the next generation of the electric utility grid - The Smart Grid. SMERC also provides thought leadership via partnership between utilities, government, policy makers, technology providers, electric vehicle and electric appliance manufacturers, DOE research labs and universities, so as to collectively work on vision, planning and execution towards a smart grid of the future. The Smart Grid of the future would allow integration of renewable energy sources, reduce losses, improve efficiencies, increase grid flexibility, reduce power outages, allow for competitive electricity pricing, allow for integration of electric vehicles and overall become more responsive to market, consumer and societal needs. SMERC is currently working on the topics of Automated Demand Response, Electric Vehicle Integration (G2V and V2G), Microgrids, Distributed renewable integration, Microgrids, and Cybsersecurity.

Background

While the current electric grid in the United States has an impressive 99.97% reliability, it is somewhat limited in its ability to handle renewable energy sources, to effectively manage demand response, to self-repair, or to sense/monitor its own problems. Convergence of communications, sensors and information technology has resulted in phenomenal advances such as the iPhone, but such convergence has been slow to reach the utility industry. With rise in the US population and increase in demand for electricity, there is tremendous opportunity for the United States to lead on the path of a new genre of convergence between the existing electric grid and the next generation of Wireless, Information Technology, RFID and Integrated Sensors technologies. The U.S. Department of Energy’s stimulus package (called the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, or ARRA) with approximately $4.4 billion for Smart Grid represents perhaps a starting point for investment to modernize the grid.

Coupled to the stimulus package from Washington is the significant change in the national agenda on carbon emissions. The Carbon Cap-and-trade legislation in the form the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (also known as Waxman - Markley comprehensive energy bill) designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 17 percent by 2020, would have a profound impact on energy production and consumption - it is a game-changer. This in turn would further impact the electric transmission grid - for example if a greater proportion of energy comes from solar, then the grid would have to be modified appropriately to handle solar input in a scalable fashion. This bill would directly and indirectly stimulate private industry and universities into creating new technologies and innovations, resulting in opportunities and growth of new areas. Universities, technology providers, utilities, and governments would need to collaborate to come up with the next generation of Smart Grid and Smart Energy Technology. This would also affect training of new students in universities as well as the research agendas at universities. It would have the potential to radically alter how the United States of America thinks about energy. Bringing public policy, economics, business management and technology into the discussion as an inter-disciplinary thought leadership process would be become critical for a meaningful discussion. SMERC Thought Leadership forum organizes a semi-annual discussion bringing together the relevant constituents.

While every major media source today is talking about the Smart Grid due to its importance to the national energy policy agenda, it is still unclear to many as to what this grid of the future will look like. In-fact, it is like trying to predict what an iPhone would have looked like in the year 1984 (25 years ago), when a cell phone was simply a mobile telephone. There is tremendous opportunity for creativity, experimentation and research in the defining of the Future Smart Grid. Throwing open this opportunity to students in universities or entrepreneurs in industry could result in new and currently unimaginable possibilities for the grid of the future. Therefore, while the utility community is trying to determine this singular vision of the grid of the future, the eventual outcome is impossible to predict, but the community at large needs to ensure that those who want to experiment with meritorious ideas get the appropriate resources, opportunities and incentives to do so.

UCLA - SMERC, 44-116S Engr. IV, 420 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA. 90095

info@smartgrid.ucla.edu