Tuesday, 02 May 2023
As part of the continued drive towards net zero, researchers in the University of Nottingham’s Faculty of Engineering have received two million pounds in funding to create a one-of-a-kind smart energy grid.
When complete, the DC microgrid, which will be installed in between the Power Electronics, Machines and Control (PEMC) and Research Acceleration and Demonstration (RAD) buildings on Jubilee Campus, will utilise multiple energy storage technologies that will reduce the site’s energy bill and enable many of its testing activities to achieve Net Zero.
Funded by Research England through the UKRPIF: Net Zero pilot initiative, the Future Energy Efficiency with DC Microgrid Technologies (FEED-MT) project aims to feed energy to the PEMC building to use renewable energy sources and flatten energy demand spikes when high load testing is taking place, store hydrogen for use by the RAD building, and act as a self-contained, low-carbon power network.
The grid will be made up of multiple photovoltaic (PV) solar panels stored either in batteries or via an electrolyser and converted to hydrogen that is stored. When extra demand is required, the battery will be able to feed the PEMC or convert hydrogen to electricity via a fuel cell that forms part of the microgrid. In addition, stored hydrogen will be fed directly for use by the RAD building as well.
Professor Pat Wheeler, Head of the PEMC Research Group at the University of Nottingham, said: “We’re thrilled to have been awarded this funding to help make both buildings greener, a goal that sits at the heart of the faculty’s strategy and is also incredibly important to many of our customers and partners in the industry."
As one of the first institutions to bring these different elements of energy storage together in this way, we’re keen to educate others in the sector as to how they can embrace this technology to suit their own needs as well.
Installation of the grid is already underway with some of the new technologies already on site, including the PV solar panels that will be installed on the roof of the PEMC and an industrial sized battery system.
Professor David Grant, Director of the University of Nottingham Energy Institute, said: “Researchers based in both the PEMC and RAD buildings are undertaking significant research in power electronics machines and control, and hydrogen storage and its utilisation."
To be able to put an integrated system in place that enables this research to continue in an even more environmentally friendly way is a huge step forwards for our green credentials and has been a fantastic opportunity for both groups to collaborate as well.
An industry day, with demonstrations and the opportunity to speak to the groups and the project’s industry partner, Cummins, is being held at the PEMC building on 22 June 2023. For more information, or to register interest, please contact rebecca.burns@nottingham.ac.uk.
Story credits
More information is available from Pat Wheeler, PEMC Research Group, at pat.wheeler@nottingham.ac.uk, or; Danielle Hall, Media Relations Manager at the University of Nottingham, at danielle.hall@nottingham.ac.uk or 0115 846 7156.
About the Faculty of Engineering:
Made up of six departments – Architecture and Built Environment, Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Mechanical, Materials and Manufacturing Engineering and Foundation Engineering and Physical Sciences – the university’s Faculty of Engineering is home to more than 5,600 students and 800 staff.
The faculty, which has educated engineers and architects for more than 140 years, was the first in the country to be accredited with an Athena SWAN Gold Award for excellence in advancing gender equality across higher education and research and is home to multiple state-of-the-art facilities, including the recently opened £40m Power Electronics and Machines Centre (PEMC).
With research at its heart, 21 research groups are undertaking pioneering projects for a sustainable future across several themes – including net zero transport, sustainable energies and the built environment, advanced manufacturing, and healthcare technologies – and has delivered a positive impact in more than 20 countries. Within those countries, the faculty’s research has supported 500 companies and three governments – that have changed their strategies as a result of its research – and has also directly created jobs for around 3,000 people across the world.
Notes to editors:
About the University of Nottingham
Ranked 32 in Europe and 16th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings: Europe 2024, the University of Nottingham is a founding member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 – the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 – and by the Daily Mail University Guide 2024.
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the second most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2022 report by High Fliers Research.
We lead the Universities for Nottingham initiative, in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, a pioneering collaboration between the city’s two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.
More news…