+1 - 868 - 6622002 Ext: 83105
+1 - 868 - 6622002 Ext: 83105
Full information on Smart Grid Project is available at www.rndrepository.com/smartgriduwi
RDI Funded TTD 550000.00 Project on “Capacity Building and Research on Smart Grid Technology in the Caribbean Region”
I lead this interdisciplinary project funded by the UWI T&T RDI Fund. Team members include Prof. Patrick Hosein (Department of Computing & Information Technology), Dr. Ajay Joshi (Sr. Lecturer, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering), Dr. Sanjay Bahadoorsingh (Sr. Lecturer, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering) and Mr. Miguel Andrews (Caribbean Industrial Research Institute (CARIRI)). Our Stakeholders include the Ministry of Energy & Energy Affairs (MOEEA), the Ministry of Education (MOE), T&T Electricity Commission (T&TEC), Telecommunication Authority of T&T (TATT), BG T&T, National Institute of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (NIHERST), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) T&T and Regulated Industries Commission (RIC) T&T.
Summary: Today world’s 80.6% of energy needs are dependent on fossil fuels, which are depleting at a very faster rate, so countries all over the world are charting new ways to produce, distribute, deliver and use electricity. Most of the developed countries are now looking at enhancement to their 20th century grids and a new concept called Smart Grid (SG) is emerging. Due to abundant fossil fuel resources and strong oil based economy, islands like Trinidad and Tobago has become one of the highest greenhouse gases emitting countries in the world on per capita basis. Hence there is a need of developing Smart Grid Technology within the Caribbean region to improve energy efficiency of existing power grids, to reduce the energy cost, to allow a much greater utilisation of renewables in the grid, to decrease greenhouse gases emission and to provide reliable supply of energy throughout the region. By this project we aimed at evaluating the suitability of our power grid for deployment of smart grid technology, capacity building in this area through Workshops and a Training Program, public awareness through Public Lectures and electronic media, research on smart infrastructure development and establishing network of policy makers, field professional, researcher and teacher within the Caribbean region.
T & T Smart Grid network with 50 active members has been established. Members include representatives from Ministry of Energy & Energy Affairs, Ministry of Education, Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission (T&TEC), Telecommunication Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (TATT), Caribbean Industrial Research Institute (CARIRI), National Institute of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (NIHERST), BG Trinidad & Tobago, Regulated Industries Commission (RIC), RDI Fund Secretariat and concerned researchers from the UWI and University of Trinidad & Tobago (UTT). We conducted following:
A Smart Grid Research Laboratory has been established at 2nd Floor, Natural Science Building (old wing), Department of Physics. A micro-grid of De Lorenzo, USA has been setup that can mimic electrical grid and is first in the Caribbean region to provide training in the area of Smart Grid Technology. This Micro-grid is being used to carry out research in the area of Smart Grid Technology and understanding integration challenges of renewable energy sources with our local electric grid. Laboratory is equipped with state of art test & measurement equipment, high-power computing facility, power system analysis tools and smart sensors / hardware. Smart Grid lab. is being used for research projects / lab. experiments of M.Sc. Renewable Energy Technology, Major / Minor in Electronics, MA Sc. and B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering students.