With the goals of increasing energy security, energy efficiency and promoting alternative energy at U.S. military bases, GE has announced that it has been awarded $2 million in federal stimulus funding from the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) for a smart micro-grid demonstration project at Twentynine Palms Base, Calif.
The base is the world's largest Marine Corps Base, and it is the premier training facility in the world for Marine operations. GE and the Environmental Security Technology Certification Program office at DOD are in the process of finalizing a contract for the project.
GE will design and demonstrate a smart energy management system that enables installations to more optimally manage on-site power generation and energy storage, while interacting with the regional electrical grid in a more intelligent and efficient way. Additionally, GE's system will provide enhanced capabilities for installations to integrate renewable resources, such as solar energy, to help meet their electricity needs and reduce carbon footprints.
To develop this new system, researchers at GE Global Research in upstate New York will develop and incorporate advanced algorithms and computational decision engines into a micro-grid controller built by GE Digital Energy.
This micro-grid controller will optimize the power generation and distribution within the micro-grid. GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms will also integrate many of these advanced technologies into a new supervisory control and software system that can span power generation and distribution, as well as major power consumers within the microgrid.
SOURCE: GE Global Research
