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Smart-grid testing facility near UI campus now open [The News-Gazette, Champaign-Urbana, Ill.](News-Gazette (Champaign-Urbana, IL) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Aug. 22--CHAMPAIGN _ Ameren Illinois has opened a $3.3 million testing facility near the University of Illinois campus that companies can use to try out smart-grid technologies on a live grid. The utility's new Technology Applications Center, at 2001 Griffith Drive, C, is equipped with a substation and two distribution circuit feeders. Those will help developers test smart-grid equipment by connecting to 69,000- and 12,000-volt systems on the utility's energy distribution network. Using a live-scale lab, researchers can test anything from household appliances to industrial capacitor banks, said Ameren Illinois President and CEO Richard Mark, who was in town Wednesday for the grand opening. "Smart grid" refers to an electrical grid that uses information and communications technologies to improve electrical production and distribution. For example, the grid could take information on consumer and supplier behavior and use that to operate more efficiently. The Technology Applications Center can accommodate both utility-scale testing and residential products testing. The center is equipped with a simulated working kitchen with smart-grid-enabled appliances, as well as advanced meters that can be used to test smart-grid-related devices. Ameren Illinois is seeking small businesses and entrepreneurs interested in using the center. The facility also gives the utility and the UI the opportunity to do joint research on smart-grid-related technologies and to work together on testing and validation procedures. Fiber optics will connect the center and a UI power lab that supports several grid research projects. UI Chancellor Phyllis Wise said power reliability will continue to be important in the years ahead. She noted ongoing initiatives on campus, including the Center for Trustworthy Scientific Cyberinfrastructure and the Illinois Center for A Smarter Electric Grid. Smart-grid research on campus focuses on advanced technology to enhance the security, reliability and resiliency of the power grid. The Technology Applications Center was developed as a result of the Energy Infrastructure Modernization Act passed by the General Assembly in 2011. In accordance with that act, Ameren Illinois is providing $7.5 million in seed money for Illinois business startups. The money will be administered by the Energy Foundry, a nonprofit organization underwritten by shareholder investments from Ameren Illinois and Commonwealth Edison. The Energy Foundry was created to increase understanding of Illinois' smart grid and invest in startups with high-growth potential in the energy field. Jason Blumberg, chief executive of the Energy Foundry, called the new center "an excellent platform that will open the door for great innovations to turn into great businesses." ___ (c)2013 The News-Gazette (Champaign, Ill.) Visit The News-Gazette (Champaign, Ill.) at www.news-gazette.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |