With world-class equipment and research spaces — including the Tyree Energy Technology Building — the UNSW Digital Grid Futures Institute is well positioned to help NSW lead the world in transitioning to cleaner power.
Headed by the School of Chemical Engineering’s Professor Rose Amal, the PARTCAT Laboratory applies a holistic approach to the design, discovery and characterisation of new particulate materials, with many applications including clean energy production and utilisation.
PARTICLE AND CATALYSIS LAB
Tyree Energy Technology Building
UNSWs School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering (SPREE) collaborates with cell manufacturers to develop new technologies, incorporating them into industrial cell production lines, providing ready-made demand for the new products.
SOLAR INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH FACILITY (SIRF)
Tyree Energy Technology Building
A digital replica of our entire electricity grid, the ‘digital twin’ lets us try out new technologies, functions and operations in real time. Without it trials would occur on the actual grid causing delays, shutdowns and other unforeseen issues. The only one of its kind in Australia, it will help us transition to a new grid much faster.
REAL-TIME DIGITAL SIMULATION (RTS) LABORATORY
Tyree Energy Technology Building
A world leading facility for research flow battery technologies, including vanadium redox flow batteries — an economically attractive and low-maintenance technology, borne from UNSW research.
FLOW BATTERY RESEARCH LABORATORY
Tyree Energy Technology Building
Lab 339 houses domestic and industry load monitoring research, equipped with typical household appliances, smart meters, analytical tools and Real-time Digital Simulators. Lab 339 is also home to the Virtual synchronous controller (wind farm controller donated by Goldwind), wind converter controller and static variance compensators.
Lab 339 / Virtual Synchronous Generators for wind farm control
Electrical Engineering Building
UNSW's electric vehicle capability includes fast chargers, a Tesla and two BMW i3s, used to investigate the challenges faced when integrating large amounts of renewable energy and EVs into the grid.