Knoxville, Tenn. - June 17, 2002 - EPRI PEAC today dedicated a unique facility for testing and evaluating newly developed energy technologies. Located in Knoxville, EPRI PEAC's Power Quality and Distributed Resources Test Center (PQ and DR Center) was designed to provide a controlled environment for unbiased assessments of promising technologies.
Dedication of the PQ and DR Center was held in conjunction with the dedication of two nearby energy technology facilities at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory. On hand for the ceremony was Hank", "Courtright, VP of EPRI PEAC's parent company, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI).
"The evolution of a deregulated energy market has brought a surge of interest in distributed resources for use in power generation, energy storage, and power quality applications," Courtright said. "Before these technologies enter into service, they must be evaluated for the utility industry and for the electricity consumers who will be using this equipment in their homes and businesses."
The electrical design of the PQ and DR Center facilitates testing of complete distributed generation, energy storage, and end-use systems. "We look at how the new technologies interact with similar technologies, with end use equipment and with the power grid, says Tom Key, EPRI PEAC's V.P. for technology. "Our distributed generation center features a variety of innovative technologies for generating electricity, on or off the grid, with a wide array of residential, commercial, and industrial loads."
A power panel provides a three-phase ac bus for connecting generation equipment and loads as well as a dc bus for testing energy storage devices. An energy storage center features technologies for storing electricity. A load center houses the types of equipment commonly found in industrial environments such as motors, drives, and programmable logic controllers.
"The ability to operate these interconnected elements in various combinations creates a unique platform for exploring distributed generation and power quality issues critical for a society that increasingly depends on
digital-quality power," EPRI's Courtright concluded.
For more information on the new facility, contact Tom Key at 865-218-8082 or tkey@epri-peac.com
Located in Knoxville, Tenn., EPRI PEAC was established in 1999 and provides high-value, proactive solutions to enhance the reliability and quality of electric power for companies who depend on digital-quality power for global
commerce.
EPRI, headquartered in Palo Alto, Calif., was established in 1973 as a center for public interest energy and environmental research. EPRI's collaborative science and technology development program now spans nearly every area of power generation, delivery and use. More than 1,000 energy organizations and public institutions in 40 countries draw on EPRI's global network of technical and business expertise.
