Grid Modernization and Energy Storage Domain

About Grid Modernization and Energy Storage

America’s economy, national security, and health and safety of our citizens depends on the reliable delivery of electricity. The United States’ electric infrastructure is aging and being pushed to do more than what it was originally designed to do. Modernizing the grid to make it ‘smarter’ and more resilient through use of cutting-edge technologies, equipment, and controls that communicate and work together to deliver electricity more reliably and efficiently can greatly reduce the frequency of outages, reduce environmental impacts, and efficient energy allocation and usage.

Emerging Technologies

Emerging grid modernization technologies are being made possible by two-way communications technologies, control systems, and computer processing. Advanced emerging grid modernization technology categories include:

Advanced Sensor Technologies
Grid Scale Energy Storage
Power Electronics: Smart Solid-State Transformers and Power Flow Controllers
Complex Interactive Capabilities

Intelligent Communications and Control Systems
Advanced Data Analytics and Modeling
Vehicle-Grid Integration and Vehicle-to-Grid Technology
Smart Distribution
Intelligent Appliances

Intellectual Property

26

IP available for licensing

Grid Modernization and Energy Storage Test Bed Facilities

Smart Energy Plaza

Location: Argonne National Lab

Home to the laboratory’s Interoperability Center, a fully renovated and repurposed gas station designed to conduct research on the integration and management of EV charging, renewables, building systems, and energy storage.

Electrical Distribution Lab

Location: Argonne National Lab

A real-time simulation lab to transition from software-based modeling and simulation towards real-time Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) and field demonstration-based capabilities.

Cell Analysis, Modeling, and Prototyping (CAMP) Facility

Location: Argonne National Lab

Enables the design, fabrication, and characterization of high-quality prototype electrodes and cells based on the latest discoveries in battery materials.

Electrochemical Analysis and Diagnostics Laboratory Facility

Location: Argonne National Lab

Provides reliable, independent, and unbiased evaluations of battery performance and life, which serve as progress measures for DOE and U.S. Advanced Battery Consortium projects

Post-Test Facility

Location: Argonne National Lab

Enables the identification of physical and chemical changes in aged batteries that reduce performance

Battery Research and Testing Facility

Location: Lawrence Berkeley National Lab

A complete set of capabilities for the fabrication of cathodes and anodes and for producing hermetically sealed coin cells and pouch cells under inert atmospheric conditions.

Microgrid Testbed

Location: Idaho National Lab

The microgrid test bed at INL includes solar panels, energy storage devices, load banks, smart inverters, a power distribution system and multiple switchgear sets. The system’s load control capabilities and grid interaction algorithms allow researchers to study demand response, peak shaving and ancillary services, and to test component interactions, performance, controls and integration challenges.

Molecular Foundry

Location: Lawrence Berkeley National Lab

A National User Facility supported by the Department of Energy Office of Basic Energy Sciences through their Nanoscale Science Research Center program. Foundational in helping small businesses and early stage companies develop materials and devices for Distributed Energy Resources (DER) advancement.

Demand to Grid Lab

Location: Lawrence Berkeley National Lab

The Demand to Grid lab tests demand response (DR) signaling to devices. We have a simulated OpenADR2.0a/b server and client (VTN and VEN) and equipment like Communicating Thermostat for benchtop or FLEXLAB testing, OpenADR embedded devices and DR Suitcase.

MIT Department of Chemistry Instrumentation Facility (DCIF)

Location: Massachusetts Institue of Technology

Facilities for Mass Spectroscopy, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy, and Other Spectroscopy Instrumentation

Northeastern University Kostas Center

Location: Northeastern University

Facilities for Micro/Nanofabrication, Nanoelectronics, Nanodevices, Sensors, Energy Storage, and NEM

Materials Engineering Research Facility (MERF)

Location: Argonne National Lab

Facilities for:
- Combining in situ measurements, real-time analysis, AI, and modeling to accelerate innovation and scale-up for complex materials.
- Generating insights into materials synthesis through feedback to discovery science.
- Enhancing the scientific basis for the next generation of American manufacturing technologies.

Leading Grid Modernization and Energy Storage Innovation

Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) is the domain chair for Grid Modernization and Energy Storage in the Cradle to Commerce program.

ANL is a multidisciplinary science and engineering research center. Argonne’s scientific researchers unveil new discoveries and technologies that secure our nation and transform how we generate, distribute, and use energy. Argonne’s research pushes the boundaries of fundamental science, applied science, and engineering to solve complex challenges and develop useful technologies that can transform the marketplace and change the world.