Cutting-edge equipment installed in Alfred University’s Advanced Power Grid Lab

Alfred University's GE Vernova Advanced Power Grid Laboratory reached a significant milestone last week with the installation of state-of-the-art smart grid simulation equipment. The installation marks a bold step forward in Alfred University's mission to lead the future of renewable energy education and research.

The grid control and distributed energy system developed by Spanish company EDIBON empowers students and researchers to simulate, control, and optimize a wide range of distributed energy resources (DERs) under real-world conditions.

EDIBON engineers Frank Guzman and Andres Casas were on campus to lead the installation of the equipment in the Power Grid Lab, located on the second floor of McMahon Engineering Building. Guzman and Casas worked closely with faculty and lab staff to integrate the system into ongoing educational and research programs.

"This equipment gives our students a direct line into the technologies shaping tomorrow's power grid," said John Simmins '84, PhD '90, executive director of the GE Vernova Advanced Power Grid Lab. "We're not just talking about renewable energy anymore-we're building and testing the next generation of systems that will run it."

Frank Guzman (left), an engineer with EDIBON, talks about a piece of equipment his company installed in the GE Vernova Advanced Power Grid Lab in Alfred University's McMahon Engineering Building. Looking on are, from left: Jordan Annlee, a junior glass science engineering and mechanical engineering major from Rochester, NY; Chevy Adriaans, a sophomore electrical engineering major from Suriname, Africa; Andres Casas, EDIBON engineer; and Junpeng Zhan, assistant professor of renewable energy engineering.

The EDIBON system features modules for traditional steam generation, solar, wind, and hydro. Other modules simulate advanced energy storage such thermal and flywheel and a spectrum of battery and non-battery energy storage technologies. The lab also supports existing University research in fuel cells, syngas generation, and hydrogen separation. These capabilities enable full simulation of both grid-connected and islanded microgrids, offering a rare, immersive opportunity for students to engage with virtual power plant (VPP) models, demand response algorithms, and grid interoperability protocols.

Housed in Alfred University's Inamori School of Engineering, the system will be used immediately in upper-level courses on distributed energy resources, microgrids, virtual power plants, and advanced energy storage systems. In Fall 2025, engineering students will conduct live experiments on DER control strategies, battery management, and renewable energy forecasting using the EDIBON platform. Custom lab modules and undergraduate capstone project opportunities will be offered to students in Renewable Energy Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering tracks.

"Alfred University is one of the few institutions in the nation with an ABET-accredited Renewable Energy Engineering program, said Gabrielle Gaustad '04, dean of the Inamori School of Engineering. "The energy sector today spans a wide range of sources-from traditional gas-fired and nuclear power plants to wind, solar, hydroelectric power, and emerging technologies that impact grid stability, such as batteries and electric vehicles. Our investment in the GE Vernova Advanced Power Grid Lab sets Alfred University apart through enhanced experiential learning and research capacity and ensures our students are best prepared to enter the workforce upon graduation."

"Alfred University's mission is to Help Students Realize Their Purpose," Mark Zupan, Alfred University president, commented. "We do so through providing our students impactful experiential learning opportunities such as those afforded to them through the GE Vernova Advanced Power Grid Lab."

The GE Vernova Advanced Power Grid Lab, which officially opened in Spring 2024, is a cornerstone of a workforce development initiative supported by a $466,853 grant from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and $2.8 million in software contributions from GE Vernova. The lab's mission is to prepare the next generation of engineers and technologists for careers in clean energy, grid resilience, and power system innovation.

The EDIBON installation also serves as a key step in Alfred University's broader plan to create an Advanced Integration Laboratory for Distributed Generation and Storage. This expanded facility will support interdisciplinary research into grid edge technologies, including protocol testing, DER aggregation, artificial intelligence-based control logic, and system-level interoperability between smart devices and SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) systems.

Selia Matthews, a sophomore ceramic engineering student from Syracuse, NY, and John Simmins, director of the GE Vernova Advanced Power Grid Lab, during the recent equipment installation at the lab.

"Students are no longer learning about the power grid from textbooks alone," Simmins said. "They are developing and testing the very systems that will transform how we generate, store, and use energy in the decades to come."

For more information about Alfred University's energy programs and lab facilities, please visit the Inamori School of Engineering website.