Energy Systems Integration Facility Open House

The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy established the Energy Systems Integration Facility (ESIF) at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado, in 2012. The ESIF is a unique new national asset that has the capability to catalyze the public- and private-sector research and development (R&D) necessary to accelerate commercialization and adoption of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies into today’s energy systems where they can operate synergistically with other energy resources and technologies. This 182,500-sq. ft. research facility, along with supporting capabilities across the NREL campus, provides a contained and controlled integrated energy system platform upon which the research community and commercial partners can develop and evaluate both individual technologies as well as integrated systems approaches.

The ESIF is the nation’s first research facility that can conduct integrated megawatt-scale research, development and demonstration (RD&D) of the components and strategies needed to safely integrate clean energy technologies seamlessly into electrical grid infrastructure and utility operations at the speed and scale required to meet national goals. Through a combination of RD&D tools and approaches, the ESIF allows researchers, entrepreneurs, utilities and other stakeholders the ability to identify and resolve the technical, operational, and financial risks of large-scale integration of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies in today’s environment.

For more information on the ESIF, visit: http://www.nrel.gov/esif/

NREL will be hosting an Open House of the ESIF from 1-3 p.m. on July 30, 2015. To attend the ESIF Open House, you must pre-register here by July 17. If you are a U.S. citizen, you just need to register and bring a driver's license. If you are a foreign national, additional information is needed prior to arriving; see the registration confirmation email.

ESIF Open House Tour Highlights

• High Performance Computer (HPC) and Visualization Room – See 3D visualizations of wind farms and electrical systems based on simulations run on the HPC.
• Advanced Distribution Management System Simulator – See a demonstration of an advanced distribution management system that is helping manage the impact of high penetrations of renewable energy.
• Smart Power Laboratory – See how home energy management systems, appliances, and electric vehicles are integrated into smart home applications.
• Power Systems Integration Lab – See how utility-scale testing is conducted including microgrids applications and power hardware-in-the-loop (PHIL) testing at megawatt scale.