New Photovoltaic Power Plant

The smart micro grid lab has the major aim to provide the capability to pursue research and to teach students. To meet these requirements the lab is designed to establish a virtual common house with renewable energy sources and the ability to perform energy management tasks.

PV modules on the roof of the
 Lakeside Science and Technology Park, Klagenfurt, Austria

In detail, the lab finished the first construction phase and is now equipped with a photovoltaic power (PV) plant built up by the company Energetica. The PV has a capacity of 4.8kW and has the ability to act in the grid-connected mode, where energy can be produced, consumed and be fed into the grid and the island-mode, where the lab can be disconnected from the grid and be powered by the PV power plant and a battery buffering systems. To be able to simulate the lab in the grid-connected and the island-mode, the lab has the ability to switch from one mode to the next mode by demand. The concrete technical equipment is based on a Backup System of SMA, which delivers all necessary hardware to switch from island to grid-connected mode and to operate the PV power plant with the PV modules and the batteries.

PV performance over 3 days for cloudy and sunny days

In future, the smart micro grid lab will also be equipped with common household appliances which can be controlled and measured according to the consumed power.  With the ability to store and to generate energy, to connect the lab to and off the grid and to measure and to control appliances, the lab will have the ability to test and to develop algorithms and techniques to improve energy management systems of the future.

Links:

Energetica - energetica Energietechnik GmbH

SMA - SMA Solar Technology AG

Smart Microgrid Laboratory