Green - growing a reliably efficient electrical nanogrid: load sensing power conditioning of adaptively managed renewable power systems incorporating energy storage and generation

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The University of Ottawa's SUNLAB Solar Research Group is joining forces with Solantro Semiconductor to tackle the development of clean energy systems that will bring affordable and smart electrical grid technology to market. The collaboration is developing a "nanogrid" architecture, which is a residential-sized power system that includes solar power, batteries and energy management to create a complete yet small grid that can be operated as a stand-alone power system, be interconnected with other nanogrids, or be connected to a main electricity grid. Present day small grids are more expensive to build and operate, and yet provide poorer and less reliable power to remote communities. Our research will implement a nanogrid architecture using Solantro's integrated circuit chipsets to provide a low-cost solution that innovatively establishes a stable self-forming grid; combined with the small size, the result is a plug-n-play scalable offering that can also learn and adapt to power needs and available resources. This research proposal will undertake a full system implementation of the technology with a 10 kW rooftop solar system located at the University of Ottawa. Researchers will study in-depth the performance against a wide range of system configurations and environmental conditions. Outcomes will lead to chipsets available for commercialization into next generation power conditioning equipment sold by numerous vendors. The markets for this technology are vast and growing quickly, including remote Canadian communities, developing villages around the globe, urban residential and commercial buildings, and government agencies requiring energy security. The research will also train a wave of new engineering students into the burgeoning smart grid and renewable energy power sector.