Smart Grid Lab

Our lab demonstrates and tests how smart grids work in real-time – avoiding the need for expensive, lengthy trials in actual networks.

The Smart Grid Lab visualises how smart grid schemes operate, making it possible to assess different scenarios, including contingencies and malfunctions.

Our lab is home to a supercomputer cluster (Real-Time Digital Simulators) that calculates power flows in a fraction of a second, realistically mimicking the real-time behaviour of electricity networks.

It also features a control room environment for live demonstrations and high-performance computing units to accelerate large volumes of simulations.

In the lab, we can:

• Safely assess different scenarios of distributed energy resources (DER) such as solar PV, batteries and electric vehicles
• Assess different control strategies for normal and abnormal conditions, from new standards to operating envelopes to smart grid schemes
• Create visual interfaces using SCADA platforms and show how smart grid schemes work in real-time.

We work with a range of industry partners. Our past clients include the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), AusNet Services, the Centre for New Energy Technologies (C4NET), CSIRO, Energy Networks Australia, and QinetiQ Australia.

Resources

The lab includes:

• Real-Time Digital Simulators (RTDS)
• Control room-style demonstration environment
• High-performance computing units
• A Renewable Energy Test Rig.

User information

The lab is used by researchers, University of Melbourne students and our industry partners. We work with a wide range of industry partners and funders to carry out state-of-the-art studies and develop novel techniques to facilitate the integration of distributed energy resources into Australian electricity networks.

To find out more about the work of our lab, please visit the  Smart Grid Lab website.

Contact us

Professor Nando Ochoa Pizzali
Phone: +61390354570
Email: luis.ochoa@unimelb.edu.au