Hardware platform for testing battery energy storage systems in the presence of renewables

With continued demand for “smart” technologies, implementation of hardware such as batteries and renewable energy sources (e.g. solar panels) has become a huge economic undertaking. In order to better utilize these resources and thus maximize the lifetime of the elements, control schemes looking to both maximize the economic/financial gains while also preventing over usage have become even more important. The work presented examines hardware configurations. The hardware provides a platform to validate previous work while also allowing for learning of new problems. In particular, improvement in the models and testing of the theories from the software can be completed. This ranges from implementing control signals to checking the effects of intermittency in supply. The hardware platform also provides a flexible environment for understanding various issues associated with renewable energy management. Resources for hardware testing are housed within Drexel´s Center for Electric Power Engineering (CEPE).