EPFL is Europe’s most cosmopolitan technical university. It receives students, professors and staff from over 120 nationalities. With both a Swiss and international calling, it is therefore guided by a constant wish to open up; its missions of teaching, research and partnership impact various circles: universities and engineering schools, developing and emerging countries, secondary schools and gymnasiums, industry and economy, political circles and the general public.
The STI faculty of the EPFL, to which the Distributed Electrical Systems laboratory belongs, is characterized by a high quality of the scientific publications and a large number of successful patent applications that emanate from the laboratories. These results attest to the recognition of international academic community and the interest of industrial partners in its work. With its 1275 employees, 1020 undergraduates, 547 Masters students and 657 doctoral candidates, and with an annual budget of 80 MCHF, the EPFL School of Engineering possesses the competence and the means to bring a broad range of multidisciplinary projects to a successful conclusion. The joint research activities of the Distributed Electrical Systems Laboratory (DESL) and the Power Systems group (PWRS) refer to the development of smart grid concept solutions in order to efficiently deliver sustainable, economic and secure electricity supply. These solutions aim to integrate intelligently the actions of all users connected to the electrical network whatever they are generators or consumers. They rely on innovative products and services together with intelligent monitoring, control, communication and self-healing technologies to:
- facilitate the connection and operation of generators of all sizes and technologies;
- allow consumers to play a part in optimizing the operation of the system;
- provide consumers with greater information and choice of supply;
- significantly reduce the environmental impact of the whole electricity supply system;
- deliver enhanced levels of reliability and security of supply while accounting for the uncertainty of renewable energy sources, the increase of dispersed generation and storage facilities and the rules inherent to the liberalization of electricity market.
MAIN TASK ATTRIBUTED IN THE PROJECT
WP 3 partner involved in Tasks 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7.
WP 7 partner involved in task 7.4.