The University of Pittsburgh’s Energy GRID Institute, newly established to leverage public and private partnerships with state-of-the-art laboratories and facilities, is a comprehensive international solution center for the entire electric power industry, located in downtown Pittsburgh at the Energy Innovation Center. The laboratory was nationally benchmarked to create academia's most advanced electric power utility scale research entity. The lab focuses on advancing modern power systems, integrating distributed generation sources into AC (13.8 kV, 4.16 kV, 480 V, 208 V) and DC (1.5 kV, 380 V) microgrids in order to demonstrate and study novel power products, as well as monitoring, control and protection systems.

Research at GRID encompasses AC and DC system studies, real-time digital simulation, performance analysis, forensic investigations and power electronic design, rapid prototyping, and testing up to 13.8 kV. The configurability of the system allows it to be fluidly changed to reflect a wide variety of grid layouts and conditions. The result is a facility that is uniquely capable of integrating education, training, demonstration, and testing, as well as research and development at the cutting edge of the power systems and power electronics industries, thus providing a drive towards greater collaboration with utilities, equipment vendors, and other universities. 

Collaborative partnerships are integral to GRID’s success. We believe that the solutions needed for a modern sustainable and reliable grid demand research that has been developed and tested against the needs of both industry and society. The 20,000 square-foot buildout of laboratories and facilities signifies Pitt’s commitment to provide a flexible, large-scale space for electric power and energy research, and to encourage partnerships with industry and the community.