Electricity Infrastructure
The Electricity Infrastructure group develops integrated systems to monitor and diagnose the operating state of complex engineered processes. These processes range from electrical and thermal power generation and distribution to the end use of energy in industrial and residential facilities. The goals of our research are to reduce energy consumption, improve the stability and reliability of our nation's energy infrastructures, and improve the general quality of life. Our systems may be as small as a heat pump that can fit into the palm of your hand, or as large in scale as real-time monitoring of the electrical grid that provides power to the western United States.
Our group consists of more than 70 highly qualified researchers performing contract funded R&D for both the U.S. Government and commercial clients. The scope of our offerings ranges from consulting services and technical assessments to the development and deployment of complex control and diagnostic systems.
The Electricity Infrastructure group is part of the Energy and Environment Directorate of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
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Workshop Pursues Framework for Building Better Grid Tools
A recent gathering of industry and research experts at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory took important steps toward creating advanced computational tools to analyze and support power grid operation and planning, which ultimately will help ensure the grid’s reliability and efficiency.
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Yousu Chen Receives IEEE Leadership Award
PNNL engineer Yousu Chen received the 2016 IEEE Member and Geographic Activities Leadership Award for his contributions to high-performance computing applications, power system operations and decision support, and power system simulations, as well as his leadership efforts that have resulted in increased IEEE member engagement and collaboration.
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New PNNL Computing Project to Tackle Grid Modernization at Warp Speed
To solve our nation's most complex problems—such as clean energy, cyber security, and climate change—the ability to quickly and accurately connect and evaluate numerous variables is vital. With funding from DOE's Exascale Computing Project, researchers at PNNL are enabling super-fast calculations to help support grid operators. How fast? One quintillion calculations per second.
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Xiaoliang Wei Wins Early Career Achievement Award
Energy Processes and Materials Scientist Xiaoliang Wei receives Ronald L. Brodzinski Early Career Exceptional Achievement Award for work on redox flow batteries for grid energy storage applications.
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Guide for Documentation and Validation of Energy Storage System Safety
Many energy storage technologies coming to market are relatively new and, as such, are not specifically covered by safety-related codes and standards. The newly released Energy Storage System Guide for Compliance with Safety Codes and Standards helps fill the gap by facilitating the documentation and validation of safety until current codes and standards can ‘catch up’ with the technology by providing the specific criteria applicable to newer energy storage systems.
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Emissions Calculator for Modern Grid Investments
The use of "smart grid" technologies can impact carbon emissions—but by how much? A new Emissions Quantification Tool, developed at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, can estimate the answer to that question. The free, web-based tool enables utilities and industry to not only evaluate the environmental impact, but also the operational data to justify the investment.
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PNNL Research Sparks Discussions at 2016 IEEE PES General Meeting
With strong national support for cleaner and more reliable electricity, attendees at this year’s 2016 IEEE Power & Energy Society (PES) General Meeting are rallying around the theme “Paving the Way for Grid Modernization.” This week, dozens of PNNL researchers discuss advances from their investigations into transmission system reliability and advanced computing, to transactive controls, smart grid, energy storage, and more.