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Smart Grid Energy Resource Center

The UCLA Smart Grid Energy Research Center (SMERC), located on the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) campus, is an organization focused on developing the next generation of technologies and innovation for the SmartGrid. SMERC’s critical research demonstrates advanced wireless communications, Internet, and sense-and-control technologies. Partnerships with government, technology providers, DOE research labs and universities, utilities policy makers, and electric vehicle and electric appliance manufacturers provide SMERC with diverse capabilities and exceptional, matured leadership. The organizations ever-growing developments are created with the intention to satisfy the Smart Grid by allowing. An increase grid flexibility, integration of renewable energy sources, reduce losses, allow for competitive energy pricing, allow for integration of electric vehicles, improve efficiencies, and reduce power outages. Overall this will provide a service by being more responsive to the market, the consumer and society in general. Currently, SMERC is performing research on Microgrids, Automated Demand Response, Electric Vehicle Integration (G2V and V2g), Cybersecurity, and Distributed and renewable integration.

1.	Background 2.	Projects (each project to have a description if available & then link to own page if sufficient content is available) 2.1	UCLA WINSmart Grid 2.2	Automated Demand Response (ADR) 2.3	Electric Vehicle Integration into the Grid 2.4	Other Projects 3.	References 4.	External Links

Background The current electrical grid in the United States is very reliable. Unfortunately, this reliability will not be maintained if systems stay the same as populations and electricity demands rise. This demand rise calls for an innovative technology and systems to provide and manage demand response, sensory/monitor repair, and self-repair to help stabilize the grid. SMERC has been building these technologies since the fall of 2004. The system also calls for better efficiently among energy generators and savers. Today, the current grid in North America very old and in many areas is up to 100 years old. Although it is efficient, the grid is inflexible and must be modernized to handle the intermittency of renewable energy sources (solar power, wind turbines, etc.). These energy sources, if resourced efficiently will prove to be extremely valuable to the grid, providing it with energy that is currently incapable of using. With this notable demand for electricity, there is a tremendous opportunity in the United States for innovation between the current electric grid and the next generations of systems using RFID and Integrated Sensors, Information, and Wireless technologies. The major starting point for investment into modernizing the current grid was the U.S. Department of energy’s stimulus package (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, i.e. AARP). The AART invested approximately $4.4 billion for Smart Grid research. (http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-111hr1enr/pdf/BILLS-111hr1enr.pdf) The Waxman – Markley comprehensive energy bill (American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009) (http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/111/hr2454/text) increased the awareness and impact on the electric transmission grid. The act was designed with the intention to reduce greenhouse emissions by 17 percent by 2020. This reduction would require there to be a concentration on energy consumption and production. This bill directly and indirectly stimulates universities and private industries into being innovators in new technologies for the grid. Collaborations among, utilities, government, technology providers, and universities are made to provide information and technologies for the new generation of Smart Grid and Smart Energy Technology. The increase of activity in solving this reduction in greenhouse emissions has the potential to alter the United States views on energy. Discussion on this reduction and other energy resources can be viewed through the SMERC Thought Leadership forum and at semi-annual discussions that bring relevant elements such as public policy, economics, business management, and technology. With awareness in Smart Grid building, questions about what the new modernized grid will be like are being asked. Unfortunately there is no clear answer, in effect, predicting what an apple computer would be capable of accomplishing in 1976 (36 years ago) when apple released its first apple computer. (http://www.atariarchives.org/deli/homebrew_and_how_the_apple.php). There is now enormous opportunity for experimentation, creativity, and research in Smart Grid technology. Entrepreneurs, universities, and other innovators are in the process of creating indescribable possibilities for the future Smart Grid. With this demand of energy, the utility community is trying to determine what the grid will look like in the future, but its outcome is undoubtedly unpredictable. It is important for the entire community to understand that those who are experimenting with these solutions will require resources, incentives, and incentives to accomplish such innovation. Projects The Smart Grid Energy Research Center or SMERC consists of several key projects as follows UCLA WINSmart Grid™ (http://winmec.ucla.edu/smartgrid/) The UCLA WINSmartGrid™ is a network platform technology that allows electricity operated appliances such as plug-in automobile, washer, dryer, or, air conditioner to be wirelessly monitored, connected and controlled via a Smart Wireless hub. The WINSmartGridTM technology uses a three layered Serviceware architecture along with ReWINS technology. The three layers of Serviceware are composed of the Edgeware, Middleware, and Centralware. The Edgeware is used for controlling and utilizing the wireless technology networks that connect with the WINSmartGridTM hub. The Edgeware allows the ability for creation, management, setup, and low-powered network. The edgeware is part software and part firmware that connect and control various devices, such as RFID tags, motion detectors, temperature monitors, or 10X controllers on refrigerators. Within the WINSmartGridTM hub, a variety of monitors/sensors are supported including humidity, current, voltage, power, shock, motion, chemicals, etc. This hub is capable of supporting wireless protocols (e.g. WiFi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, GPRS, and RFID). The most efficient protocols seems to be the low-power protocols such as Zigbee. The Middleware serves as the “middle man” between the Edgeware and the Centralware. The Middleware has the capability of providing functions such as data filtration, extraction of meaningful information, aggregation and messaging of data from the Edgeware, and distribution of the information to the proper destination/ web service accordingly. The Centralware is the decision making web service. This receives all information and determines what the best decisions are based on rules and carries out the execution of these decisions. Currently the WINSmartGridTM Centralware is running on a basic set of rules, whereas, it will eventually work with external intelligent services as they begin to come online. A simple explination of the process is that the Centralware makes a decision, the Middleware reads that decision, then maps and routes these decisions to the Edgeware, where the decisions are then sent through the low-level control signals (e.g. Zigbee). Characteristics of the technology include (http://winmec.ucla.edu/smartgrid/technology.html): •	Low Power technology •	Standards-based hardware adapted to fit the problem resulting in lower overall cost •	Wireless infrastructure for monitoring •	Wireless infrastructure for control •	Service architecture with three layers – Edgeware, Middleware and Centralware •	Open architecture for easy integration •	Plug-and-Play approach to the network installation. •	Reconfigurability – The capability of the technology to be reconfigurable allows OTA (over the air) upgrade of the firmware to be able to handle different and devices, applications, sensors, controllers, thermostats, etc. Automated Demand Response (ADR) (http://smartgrid.ucla.edu/projects_adr.html) The Automated Demand-Response (ADR) technology research program aims to showcase different levels and modalities of automation in load curtailment, leveraging multiple communication technologies, control models and secure messaging schemes, and maintaining interoperability between the Smart Grid automation architecture layers. SMERC is in the process of leveraging test beds that would provide the demographic distribution and consumption behavior of the partnering utility’s service area. The test beds are located within the UCLA campus which will serve as a living lab for demonstration of ADR concepts. Since UCLA produces 75% of its own energy through its natural gas power plant, the campus is an easy and desirable place for conducting such ADR research and demonstration. ADR will require control technology components and subsystems that will work with security, network standards, messaging, protocols, etc. in culmination with operational parameters. Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) will also be checked for proper ability in terms of data volume and networking aspects. Further requirements such as rate design models, system-wide data and metadata modeling, etc. will be used to guide though system architecture The Demand-Response system will provide an efficient service to utility systems and consumers. It would be based on a service-oriented architecture (SOA) that would use information from the utlity systems technical evaluations and requirement analysis to help assist intergration modalities for backend utility systems. Through this architecture, real-time collaboration among the entire network involving billing, metering, distribution, etc., can be accomplished. Consumers will be able to make requests and a supervisory control can monitor the demands of the consumer manage to most efficient and demanding way to use the equipment. This Demand-Response system will also can be represented by various types of energy customers (e.g. commercial, residential, industrial). This will create unique load profiles and pricing that will be unlike those within a different category. With this diversity in consumers, the system must provide instantaneous information and communication capabilities for consumers. With the WINSmartGridTM technology transactions can be communicated through wireless technologies to convey common data payloads. Currently, SOA in conjunction with open embedded system can provide support for plug-and-play and secure-demand-response. Also, an application programming interface (API) provides customizability and extensibility to the system. Research will be conducted in living lab test beds at UCLA. Certain automation technologies will be used and developed to provide demonstration of the systems functionality, communication fidelity and reliability, testing of data, protocols, etc. These technologies are AMI-DR models, hardware and software interfaces, software architecture, access control policies, recommended security schemes and algorithms, and desired set of optimizations. The testing phase would provide differently developed, detailed performance on the demand- response processes and technology components or sub-systems. These results will be sent to the system where the information gathered will be used to modify to mitigate the differences..The test-beds would capture the evaluation requirements allowing for efficient changes and predictions to fulfill a targeted load curtailment and consumer demands. The test beds for the current research will show its capability by covering diverse varying electric load classes. These load classes can be small like lighting, sprinklers, entertainment, controls, appliances, etc. and larger like pool pumps, HVAC units, motors, etc. and others like EVs/PHEVs. These test bed arrangements will provide vital research on the demand-response systems. Electric Vehicle Integration into the Grid (http://smartgrid.ucla.edu/projects_evgrid.html)

The automotive market in California is unlike any other. It is home to wealthy members and stars of today’s society and a culture that prides itself of setting new trends. With an immense population and energy consumption, the state calls for creative ways to conserve energy in the most energy-conscious and cost efficient ways. It comes to no surprise then that California would be the base for most significant EV (electric vehicle) innovators such Tesla and Fisker. As these changes and innovations to the EV culture continue to grow, the next step is to supply this innovation with the capability to communicate and integrate into the smart grid of tomorrow. Currently, technology is being built in WINSmartEVTM, focusing on this integration using an architecture which consists of wireless and RF-monitoring and control technologies. The EV technology currently developing will provide a more energy efficient, economical and user friendly smart technology for charging an EV. As a long-term project it is important to research and demonstration to visually provide evidence on this developing project. Currently research and demonstration is being done in parking lots and charging stations located on the UCLA campus. These stations are monitored by our software systems in the Engineering Department with the all of the EVs integration within our local utility’s managed grid. The objective of this project is to reduce energy cost and usage and to increase the stability of local power system by managing the charging operations of the EVs in WINSmartEV™. The most recent implementation developed allows for several vehicles to charge at one charging station while receiving different, yet controllable current. This type of charging system will provide the user with the flexibility desired in that charging a vehicle using our currently developing technology will provide the user with conveniences pertaining to parking, price, time limits, and power consumption. Information from the electric grid and EV can be gathered wirelessly to determine more efficient charging capabilities for the EV. With the proper management of EV’s charging and backfill operations can be used to lower electricity rates and flatten the load curve. User interface allows the EV owner to have the capability of controlling where, when, why, and how to charge their vehicle. A EV user may use a handheld device to view a map of charging stations, schedule exact time charge, start and stop her charge at any convenience, and this all could be done from a single touch on a Smartphone or other handheld devices. Also, if necessary or requested, an alert can be issued to the driver when the battery capacity is need of charging. Current EVs and charging stations patterns are evaluated in order to determine the appropriate wireless technologies and sensor modules are needed. Currently this EV project has various ways developing in which communication can occur with the system. Thus by, integrating the EVs with WINSmardGridTM the local AMI and the Demand-Response will help provide for better communication and alerting systems. Existing EVs and charging stations usage patterns will be studied to determine the appropriate sensors and wireless communication modules to be installed. Communication and alerting systems will be implemented by integrating WINSmartGridTM with our local utility's Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) and the Demand Response project. The current grid right now is not designed to handle the amount of EVs that will be on line in the future. Due to different grid stability/reliability, geographical location of the EVs and driving patterns of the EVs, effective management of charging and backfill operations may be used to lower electricity rates and lower electric load curve. Currently most EVs charge at a single charging station (EVSE) with a single connector. This is very expensive (e.g. a single station may cost anywhere from $15,000 to $20,000) and lacks the ability for the user to be flexible. Also, each charging station must designate a parking spot and have a time limit in which they must move their vehicle (e.g. three or four hour time limit to charge an EV before receiving an $80 parking fine). This, again, is expensive and difficult to do in highly populated areas such as Los Angeles. A more economical and user friendly system needs to be implemented to provide EV users the flexibility to lower the concern for EV users, especially in areas of higher density of EVs, and any vehicles that make parking difficult. When designing a more economical way to provide EV charging, a design that provides the user the ability to charge an EV with his or her own preference during an average eight hour work day seems most reasonable. The need to move a vehicle during work hours is unproductive and provides an EV user with an unnecessary task. Thus a way to solve EV charging and parking issues is desirable. This can be done using a charging box with up to several connectors for several EVs; with no designated parking spot (e.g. charge your vehicle in any parking spot for a whole day). In addition, these charging boxes will have the ability to monitor and control the power received by each individual EV (i.e. current control), giving the EV user an array of options when charging his or her EV. With the ability to control the current received by each EV, comes the ability to satisfy the local grid (e.g. a building is connected with a parking lot. This building, at times, needs to consume large amounts of energy. This consumption is closely monitored by the system and when it gets close to a point where there is danger or the demand charge will be increased, the system can begin to lower the energy consumption by the EVs. The system can predict when this energy peak is coming due to demand cycles. This can help provide energy back to the grid and can help the building avoid extra charges or shortages). The variable power control scheme is also used for demand response in order to to shed loads per request by a utility or market price condition. Other Projects Other projects in beginning stages or current development in the SMERC are, Battery storage integration and Aggregation, Renewable Integration, Cyber Security, Wireless Sense and Control, Microgrid Technologies, and Consumer Response References http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-111hr1enr/pdf/BILLS-111hr1enr.pdf http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/111/hr2454/text http://www.atariarchives.org/deli/homebrew_and_how_the_apple.php External Websites UCLA Smart Grid Energy Resource Center http://smartgrid.ucla.edu/

WINSmartGridTM WINMEC UCLAhttp://winmec.ucla.edu/smartgrid/index.html