Powering Potential

The new Microgrid Control Lab in the College of Engineering and Computer Science is preparing the next generation of engineers to operate the modern grid and meet the rapidly increasing need for sustainable, affordable and reliable energy. The lab, which is co-sponsored by Florida Power & Light (FPL) and GE Digital, is a state-of-the-art research facility for faculty and students. Located on the first floor of Research 1 on the main campus, it features control center equipment and software that students can use to simulate and test real-life grid control operations, including finding ways to optimize and secure the grid of the future.

“This new facility is exactly the kind of strategic partnership that makes UCF a premier choice for students with future-focused career goals.”

1,400+
Current undergraduate and graduate electrical and computer engineering students at UCF

400
Approximate number of UCF alumni employed
by FPL and GE Digital

6
Faculty members involved with the lab — Associate Professor Aleksandar Dimitrovski, Assistant Professor Qifeng Li, Assistant Professor Junjian Qi, Pegasus Professor and Lab Director Zhihua Qu, Associate Professor Wei Sun and Assistant Professor Qun Zhou

In the new lab, students will have access to software to simulate and test real-life grid control operations, including finding ways to optimize and secure the grid of the future. (Photo by Paul Waide, Florida Power & Light)

The lab provides capabilities of both software modeling and hardware-in-the-loop testing for microgrid modeling and control.