Contact:                                   Alex Domijan           (alexd@eng.usf.edu)
                                                Arif Islam                 (arifi@eng.usf.edu)
                                                George Gurlaskie     (George.Gurlaskie@pgnmail.com)
     
Contact Address:                      Power Center for Utility Explorations (PCUE)          
                                                Department of Electrical Engineering
                                                University of South Florida
                                                Bldg 3720, Spectrum Blvd, Suite 123
                                                Tampa, Florida – 33612
                                                Office: (813) 974-4873
                                                Fax: (813) 974-9244
                                                Email: arifi@eng.usf.edu
                                                http://pcue.eng.usf.edu/Webpages/index.htm

Sponsor:                                   Progress Energy Florida (PEF) (http://www.progress-energy.com/), University of South Florida
                                                 (http://www.usf.edu/index.asp), Florida High Tech Corridor Council and USF Research Foundation
                                                 (http://www.research.usf.edu/rf/)

Sponsor Team:                         John Masiello, Christopher Gillman, George Gurlaskie (PEF)
                                                 Alex Domijan, Arif Islam, Jim Grant, John Dixon (USF)
                                                 Randolph E. Berridge President Florida High Tech Corridor Council
                                                 Rod Casto (USF Research Foundation)

Support:                                    City of St. Petersburg
Contacts:                                   Michael J. Connors, Jean Totti

Project Description:
                                        Renewable energy technologies are seen as the only sustainable energy source for the future. But, since many forms of renewable energy are intermittent in nature, an energy storage medium or energy carrier will be needed to effectively use this energy. Many renewable technologies, such as solar, wind, etc. are available over large areas, so installations of equipment to harvest this energy will likely be distributed at various locations on the power system. Also, efficient operation of the power system will require that power and energy to supply the power system peak demand must be available when needed.
In order to address these issues, Progress Energy Florida (PEF) and the Power Center for Utility Explorations (PCUE) at University of South Florida are conducting this demonstration project to combine renewable distributed generation and an advanced battery system to supply renewable energy during the power system peak.

This project will consist of a photovoltaic energy system, an advanced 5 KW energy storage battery system and appropriate control systems to make an integrated energy system that will supply clean renewable energy when it is needed.

This system will be interconnected with the power system of the host building. The system will store the solar energy in an advanced battery. The energy will then be used on-peak to reduce the maximum demand of the building. If the battery is not fully charged by the solar PV system, off-peak energy from the grid can also be used to charge the battery for peak operation.

This demonstration project models Demand Side Management using both renewable energy and off-peak grid energy. This system will demonstrate the viability of renewable and distributed facilities to operate current and future power systems more efficiently and reliably.

A rebate of $4/watt for photovoltaic installations is currently being offered by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

The project will be used to pass on information & benefits about renewable energy. Students would be involved in experiments on various aspects of electrical and renewable energy storage and usage. The public would also be informed of these renewable energy technologies and systems. This unique online grid project can be used for studies of the following topics:
•     Renewable energy usage and benefits
•     Demand Side Management (DSM)
•     Distributed Generation
•     Advanced storage systems
•     Peak Load Shaving
•     Energy Efficiency

Alex Domijan obtained his B.S.E.E. degree from the University of Miami, M.E.degree in electric power engineering from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, N.Y. and Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington. He was a member of the electrical engineering faculty at the University of Florida and director of the Florida Power Affiliates and Power Quality Laboratory since 1987. He joined the faculty of the University of South Florida as a Professor of Electrical Engineering in 2005. He is the Director of the Power Center for Utility Explorations and the Power and Energy Applied Research Laboratory. He serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Power and Energy Systems, and Chair of many international conferences on energy systems. His research areas are Power Quality, Electricity Metering, Flexible AC Transmission Systems, Demand Response, Power System Reliability, Custom Power, Power Electronics and Motor Drive Systems, and FRIENDS (Flexible, Reliable and Intelligent Electrical eNergy Delivery Systems). Alex can be contacted by telephone (813) 974 6854 or via email alexd@eng.usf.edu. PCUE website http://pcue.eng.usf.edu/

Arif Islam received his B.Tech. degree in Electronics Engineering from A.M.U., India in 1994, MBA from Novus University and M.S. degree in electrical and computer engineering from University of Florida, Gainesville. He joined Siemens in 1994 and has worked in the industry for more than a decade executing many multi-million dollars projects. He enjoys research and produces time bound results utilizing knowledge, experience and management tools. He is now at the University of South Florida as Assistant Director of the Power Center for Utility Explorations (PCUE) and the Power & Energy Applied Research Laboratory. His fields of interest include power reliability, power electronics, motors and drives systems, understanding natural and man made hazards and evaluation of alternative resources of energy.
Arif can be contacted by telephone by telephone (813) 974 4873 or via email arifi@eng.usf.edu. PCUE website http://pcue.eng.usf.edu/

Randolph E. Berridge has held the position of president of the Florida High Tech Corridor Council since its formation in 1996. He also currently serves as president of the Berridge Consulting Group, Inc, and as an advisory board member of SunTrust Bank, N.A.
Previously, Berridge held several positions with AT&T Corporation including chair of the Central Florida AT&T Management Council; district manager of public relations for the Florida Division; manager of legal divestiture planning; and coordinating supervisor of budgets, forecasts, planning, human resources and telephone manufacturing.
Berridge earned a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts and business from the University of Evansville in Indiana and completed several graduate courses in marketing and finance at Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana. He serves on the board of directors of the University of Central Florida Foundation, the Florida Chamber of Commerce, Kids House of Seminole County and the board of directors of the Foundation for Florida’s Community Colleges.

Rod Casto is the Associate Vice President for Research at the University of South Florida, where he is responsible for technology commercialization at the university, and the establishment and growth of high tech businesses in the Tampa Bay region. Significant responsibilities include development of the USF Research Park, the Tampa Bay Technology Incubator and the Division of Patents & Licensing.

Before coming to the University of South Florida, Dr. Casto was the President, CEO and founding partner of Hyperion Medical, a Florida-based pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturer. Dr. Casto has participated in more than five start-up companies with the medical field. Prior to Hyperion Medical, he held positions in several large pharmaceutical businesses including Schering AG (Berlin) and Anaquest/Ohmeda, a division of British Oxygen. Dr. Casto began his professional career as a research faculty member in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of California, San Diego.

Dr. Casto is the Executive Director of the USF Research Foundation and serves on the Board of Directors of the Tampa Bay Technology Forum, BioFlorida, and other technology organizations. Dr. Casto received a Bachelor of Science, cum laude and a Doctorate of Philosophy from the University of Florida. He is a veteran of the U.S. Navy and lives with his wife, Janet, in Temple Terrace.