“Educating Power Engineers for a Future Distribution Grid”
Goal
Development of curriculum for the next generation of power engineers at the undergraduate, graduate, and as working professionals. This includes traditional academic classroom, short courses, and various electronic means. The primary objective is to extend the experience to a wide university audience, placing much of the power engineering education at regional and perhaps local levels.
Extended University participation
The core universities forming GridEd are those that participated in the DOE proposal – Georgia Institute of Technology, Clarkson University, University of North Carolina Charlotte, and University Puerto Rico, Mayaguez. The intent is to extend the participation in GridEd to a much larger university audience. The first step of the process is to bring additional universities into GridEd through our participating utility membership. Each participating utility or other corporate partner can sponsor two (2) universities. NC State and Clemson are affiliate universities.
Access to EPRI R&D Portfolio
EPRI’s original goal was to avail its R&D portfolio thru a combination of public releases and/or ease of access to critical reports for a wide university audience. Any EPRI report can be purchased by a university for educational and research purposes for $250 and $400 for software. A webcast will be held with university participants to explain the EPRI process and introduce engagement with GridEd.
Tech Transfer Events and Seminars
EPRI will provide special technology transfer seminars with all new universities to the GridEd Consortium to share the materials developed under the GEARED program of DOE.
Core Curriculum Courses
GridEd is developing courses for all levels – undergraduate, graduate, and professional development that will be made available through “GridEd Shared”. Participating universities will have access to featured course materials.
All Participating Universities
As a part of GridEd Shared, participating universities would be expected to share their improvements and/or additions to the “core curriculum” materials. All universities are invited to share potential core course additions as a new topic area.
Student Engagement
As a part of GridEd, participating universities can send students to student activities as part of the larger DOE effort called Grid Engineering for Accelerated Renewable Energy Deployment (GEARED). These activities include a Student Centered Conference where students from GEARED universities can present their research, compete in GEARED sponsored competitions, engage with employers, etc. The conference is centered on renewable energy deployment. A second benefit is the ability for students to participate in the GAERED Student Innovation Board. This involves leading and directing the activities of the Student Centered Conference, engaging with universities to make sure GEARED activities are meeting student needs, etc. The structure and guidelines of this Innovation Board are still being developed by the GEARED National Network Administrator.