iCREDITS: interdisciplinary Center of Research Excellence in Design of Intelligent Technologies for Smartgrids

New Mexico State University, Las Cruces NM

Investigators

Abstract

With National Science Foundation support, New Mexico State University will establish the interdisciplinary Center of Research Excellence in Design of Intelligent Technologies for Smartgrids (iCREDITS). The vision of iCREDITS is to obtain sustainable generation capacity by shifting the paradigm from power delivery to energy delivery, using smartgrid concepts. In an energy delivery system, energy is viewed as a commodity, which can be produced, stored, and exchanged. This paradigm will lead to better economic sustainability due to more efficient generation, transmission and usage. This vision accommodates the creation of small microgrids, larger customer-driven microgrids in a distribution feeder and, ultimately, the smartgrid,which includes the generation, transmission, and distribution of the entire power system. The research focus of iCREDITS is to develop the fundamental science and engineering necessary for the energy delivery paradigm. The realization of the smartgrid vision requires addressing a second fundamental problem: the dramatic shortage of smartgrids workforce, exacerbated by the lack of diversity. Intellectual Merit: The proposed research will articulate four research strands, addressing the core components of a modern smartgrid architecture; iCREDITS will strive to combine the innovations within the research strands to advance the broad science and engineering of smartgrids. The challenge addressed by iCREDITS is to investigate the fundamental science in power systems, communication systems, disturbance modeling, and agent-based coordination mechanisms and their interactions to enable the energy-delivery paradigm. The iCREDITS educational initiatives effort will provide comprehensive pathways, starting in the K-12 system and continuing to the doctoral level. The center's educational models are interdisciplinary and designed to serve a student population that is diverse in academic and cultural backgrounds. Broader Impacts: The research agenda is transformative and focused on making deep contributions to the general field of smartgrids - a field that has profound impact on the U.S. economy and the sustainability of the nation's energy infrastructure. Project activities are designed with strong components of outreach and education, to enhance the participation of women and other underrepresented groups in smartgrids. iCREDITS will address the issues of underrepresentation by expanding the research and training pipeline and introducing specialized mentoring and retention mechanisms. iCREDITS will infuse smartgrids expertise in a range of academic programs, enhancing the competency of New Mexico State University.