News Release
CRANE, Ind. – On March 30, 2015, Battery Innovation Center announced that it has been selected as the recipient of a grant from Duke Energy through the Indiana OUCC to establish a microgrid lab at our facility in Westgate @ Crane Tech Park. The purpose of the project is to “address the lack of development of algorithms and controls to aggregate distributed energy storage with distributed generation.”
The general use will be directed to purchasing a number of different pieces of grid hardware and for development of a BMS.
We are now looking for interested and qualified vendors for the battery and inverter hardware along with control software items needed to make this micro-grid lab a reality. Specifically, we have been tasked with:
1. 200kW AC grid simulator
Ideal simulator will be/have:
Capable of single/split, and three phase operation
UL 1741 certified
Programmable to 50-120% of rated line voltage
Programmable for 57-60.5 Hz operation
Both Voltage and Frequency programmable for ramp and step function
Independent phase control for each line
Regenerative capability
RS-232/LAN communication (CAN is a plus)
2. Two (2) – 10kWh+ Energy Storage Systems (ESS) (2 x Residential Systems
Example System:
~2.5-5kW Inverter
220V Single Phase
UL Certified/Compliant
Battery Type is open
Renewable compatible (Solar/Wind)
3. Three (3) – 25-50kWh+ ESS (1x Community System and 2x School Systems)
Example System:
~10-25kW Inverter
480V Three Phase
UL Certified/Compliant
Battery Type is open
Renewable compatible (Solar/Wind)
We are also interested in talking to vendors of renewable energy equipment suitable for supporting a microgrid, such as wind, solar, and biomass vendors.
This is a large showcase opportunity, with projects in multiple applications and we hope you will join Duke Energy and the BIC in making this high-profile project a success.
Please contact Ben Wrightsman at [email protected] or by phone 
317-331-1197 to indicate your interest with a short description of your proposed involvement.
Source: The Battery Innovation Center
