TORONTO — Schneider Electric, Ryerson University, and the Ontario Ministry of Energy have unveiled the Schneider Electric Smart Grid Laboratory (SESG Lab) at Ryerson’s Centre for Urban Energy (CUE) in Toronto. The facility, Canada’s first university-based smart grid laboratory, is now available to partners and collaborators seeking to test new products or operational strategies, validate grid solutions, conduct research, and train employees.
The Schneider Electric Smart Grid Laboratory was sponsored by the Ministry of Energy and funded in part through the Ontario Smart Grid Fund initiative.
“Building a smarter electricity grid is a key part of our government’s plan to modernize Ontario’s energy infrastructure and provide clean, reliable, affordable power to consumers,” said Bob Chiarelli, Ontario minister of energy. “Supporting Ryerson’s Centre for Urban Energy, and the development of the Schneider Electric Smart Grid Lab, we are setting the stage for innovations that will be the backbone for our energy system for future generations.”
The SESG Lab can replicate the operation of a substation and feeders of an electrical utility distribution system. It has core infrastructure that supports organizations in the research and development of leading edge solutions and systems pertaining to smart grid technology.
“Smart grids are the future of power in Canada,” said Léonce Fraser, vice president, projects execution centre, Schneider Electric Canada. “Pilot projects and testing will play a key role in building out the smart grid and we want to help companies with smart grid products, utilities, and educators build a better future for Canadian energy.”
In addition to acting as a facility for collaborative industrial research and testing, the SESG lab will give the next generation of smart grid engineers, scientists, planners, and operators hands-on experience in a utility environment. Colleges and universities can take advantage of the center to provide real-world training for students, research new solutions, and collaborate with industry.
“The Centre for Urban Energy is dedicated to solving urban energy problems and the Schneider Electric Smart Grid Lab provides an ideal opportunity for utilities and entrepreneurs to test new processes and products in a real-world environment,” said Sheldon Levy, president, Ryerson University. “It also provides a perfect setting for utilities to train their employees on new systems and for students to learn how the next-generation energy grid works.”
For more information about the Centre for Urban Energy at Ryerson University, visit www.ryerson.ca/cue.
For more information about Schneider Electric, visit www.schneider-electric.com.
Publication date: 3/16/2015
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