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A professor at the University of Canterbury received $ 13 million over seven years to develop a more efficient and sustainable electrical grid.
Professor Neville Watson’s project is one of three that the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) will finance with $ 40.7 million from the Strategic Science Investment Fund.
Watson will lead a team investigating how high levels of direct current (DC) from renewable electricity sources, such as solar and wind power, can be integrated into the power grid, which is powered by alternating current (AC).
The goal of the research is to ensure that modern renewable energy can be integrated into New Zealand’s centuries-old power grid.
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“A partial transition of our electrical grid to DC has many technological benefits, including more flexible and efficient systems,” said Watson.
Canterbury University / Supplied
Professor Neville Watson will receive $ 13 million over seven years to fund his research on a more efficient hybrid power grid.
Previous industrial technology was always based on AC, which has led to the electrical grid in our homes being AC. However, newer devices such as phones and laptops are DC powered.
“Because of this, many converters are needed to connect generation and loads to the AC grid, leading to inefficiency and causing compatibility issues,” said Watson.
Having a power grid that was an “AC / DC hybrid” was unavoidable to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, he said.
“The electricity grid is a fundamental actor in reducing greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change and other pollutants.”
Watson’s research would also look at which parts of the electrical grid would be best for using direct current.
JOHN KIRK-ANDERSON / Stuff
Research, Science and Innovation Minister Megan Woods says that all three MBIE-funded projects, including that of Professor Neville Watson, are “ambitious and cutting-edge.” (File photo)
Watson’s team is comprised of researchers from the University of Auckland, AUT, Victoria University, the University of Waikato and the University of Canterbury.
The Minister for Research, Science and Innovation, Megan Woods, described Watson’s project, as well as the other two funded by MBIE, as “ambitious and cutting-edge.”
“To reap the benefits of clean energy technology, we must be at the forefront of research and development of emerging technologies.”
Woods said the projects would significantly boost New Zealand’s ability to provide new ideas to support advanced energy technology research.
“Greater use of advanced energy technology will create new ways of working, helping to position New Zealand for a cleaner and more sustainable future.”
