Florida Power & Light (FPL) and GE Digital have opened a microgrid control laboratory at the University of Central Florida (UCF).

The lab will serve as a research facility and control room for engineering faculty and students.

FPL and GE Digital are co-sponsoring the lab at UCF, which will feature control centre equipment and software that students will use to simulate and test real-life grid control operations, including finding ways to optimise and keep the grid secure.

“The microgrid control lab provides unprecedented access to a modern grid control centre that enables some of the brightest young minds in the country to collaborate, learn and help reimagine the energy grid of tomorrow,” said Jim Walsh, general manager of GE Digital’s grid software business. “As renewable energy sources, like solar, continue to expand and evolve, the technology behind the grid has to keep up. It is critical that electrical and computer engineering talent have real-life experiences with the hardware and software than underpins the modern grid helping utilities securely deliver reliable clean energy.”

FPL and GE Digital together have approximately 400 UCF alumni in their workforces.

GE Digital also announced an internship programme that invests in the development of its team and future grid engineering leaders. The programme will offer UCF students an intensive experience in the utilities and power sectors and help them develop analytical and software skills using emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning.

More than 1400 undergraduate and graduate students at UCF are studying electrical or computer engineering, disciplines that support energy systems and electricity grids. Another 500-plus UCF students have indicated they plan to pursue an electrical or computer engineering major once prerequisite coursework is completed.

UCF’s College of Engineering & Computer Science offers a power and renewable energy track as part of its undergraduate programmes. In addition, a graduate certificate is offered in sustainable and resilient energy systems. Through a faculty collaboration called Rises – Resilient, Intelligent & Sustainable Energy Systems – UCF researchers across multiple disciplines are working to develop sustainable and resilient energy systems and storage.

“This new facility is exactly the kind of strategic partnership that makes UCF a premiere choice for students with future-focused career goals,” said UCF president Alexander Cartwright. “GE Digital and FPL have been both philanthropic investors and design collaborators in this lab, ensuring our students in this field will be industry-ready on day one of their careers. It’s a win-win. Our students get a leading education in a lab environment, and both companies open up a pipeline of incredible talent for their workforce.”

The lab at UCF is designed to simulate the control centre of a microgrid, a type of self-sufficient energy system that incorporates solar or other renewable energy sources and battery storage to power a small-scale area, independent of a large-scale grid.

“We are excited to bring this innovative research space to UCF engineering students,” said Ed De Varona, FPL vice president. “The lab is a terrific training ground for rising engineers to work directly with the latest technologies and help refine and innovate the way energy is transmitted and distributed across the grid now and in the future.”

The lab aims at safe, reliable, efficient and secure operation of large-scale distribution networks with extremely high penetration of renewables, a growing area in the energy industry.

• GE Renewable Energy, GE Power and GE Digital are to be combined into one business to lead the energy transition, and then pursue a tax-free spin-off of this business in early 2024.