Connecting to the Grid
IREC "Connecting to the Grid" Newsletter
N.C. Solar Center, N.C. State University
By Rusty Haynes
August 2006
COLORADO – New Grid-Simulation Lab to Test DG Integration
A new research laboratory in Colorado will demonstrate how to integrate developing technologies, including renewable energy, into the grid to maximize the efficiency and reliability of the electrical grid in large, complex distributed power systems. According to the Colorado Governor's Office of Energy Management & Conservation (OEMC), the Colorado Grid Simulation Laboratory will be one of the largest grid-simulation labs in the world.
The Grid Simulation Laboratory is a collaborative effort between Colorado State University and Spirae Inc., a privately held company based in Fort Collins. The partnership, which is largely funded by the Danish utility company Energynet.dk., will develop grid stabilization techniques that ultimately will allow higher usage of wind energy in Denmark, which already uses the highest percentage of wind power of any country in the world.
This technology transfer opportunity is an effort of the Northern Colorado Clean Energy Cluster, led by the Northern Colorado Economic Development Corporation (NCEDC). The cluster hopes to position Northern Colorado as a "go-to" region for distributed power, renewable energy and energy efficiency, power management and intelligent grid technologies.
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