Media

HKU research team to develop “Smart Grid”

28 Feb 2011

 

The University of Hong Kong (HKU) has been granted $5.58 million by the Research Grants Council (RGC) to work in collaboration with researchers from fellow universities on a smart grid project which seeks to integrate renewable energy to the power grid for more efficient use of energy. The research team at HKU is led by Prof. Victor O. K. Li, Associate Dean (Research Programs) of the Faculty of Engineering, other members include Dr. Jin Zhong and Dr. Yang Guanghua of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. They will work in collaboration with researchers from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and the City University of Hong Kong.

"This will make HKU one of the institutes in the world that has started research on smart grid. The existing smart grid lab integrates renewable energy generation simulation, power network and communication network.  It is one of the first few smart grid test beds to be set up in a university," said Professor Li.

Concerns with global warming have prompted governments throughout the world to pursue policies aiming at increasing renewable energy generation so as to reduce greenhouse gases due to electricity generation with fossil fuels.

However, due to the intermittent characteristics of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, it is a challenge for a system with large renewable generation capacities to implement real-time power balance.  Recently, many countries have announced smart grid research programs to re-vitalize their electricity generation and distribution infrastructures using modern technologies such as communication network, sensor network, power electronics, and control technologies to manage the power grid more effectively, and to cope with such complexities as fluctuating energy sources and consumption.

The key objective of the project is the integration of information technologies and electric energy generation and distribution technologies to design innovative means to manage and control the electricity generation and distribution network. A novel hybrid simulation laboratory will be built to test research results in innovative designs for efficient communication, computing and control of smart grids.

For media enquiries, please contact: Ms Trinni Choy (Assistant Director (Media), Communications and Public Affairs Office) tel: 2859 2606 email: pychoy@hku.hk,  Ms Melanie Wan (Manager (Media), Communications and Public Affairs Office) tel: 2859 2600 email: melwkwan@hku.hk, or Ms Veronica Leung, Faculty of Engineering, tel: 2219 4707 e-mail: veronica.leung@hku.hk.

From left: Dr. Yang Guanghua and Dr. Jin Zhong of HKU Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Prof. Victor O. K. Li, Faculty of Engineering Associate Dean (Research Programs) and Prof. Ron S. Y. Hui, Professor (Chair) of Electronic Engineering, City University of Hong Kong

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