With the help from student researchers at the California Smart Grid Center, another energy conscious installation for the Sacramento State campus has arrived on top of Riverside Hall.

The California Smart Grid Center at Sac State is the only program of its kind in the CSU system. Funded by the California Energy Commission, the program was brought here due to the electrical engineering program, excellence in cyber security and long standing tradition in renewable energy research.

Engineering students in the program engage in product testing to create practical field solutions of smart grid technologies. The center aims to impact consumer choice by providing real-time pricing and looking at how electricity flows from the generating plant and into a home.

Having this research center on campus has connected the knowledge of the utilities industry and the faculty of the University with students who are preparing themselves to be the next generation of innovators in power generation, distribution and consumption.

Riverside Hall, home to the College of Engineering and Computer Science, was selected for these panels because it allows them to be unobstructed by direct sunlight and it’s also located next to the weather station that monitors meteorological conditions.

Recently the university made agreements with privately owned and maintained companies to purchase the efficient energy provided by their systems. These systems include the solar panels installed on top of the campus library and the Well. This purchase is predicted to increase the clean energy usage on campus, which has already received several awards due to its commitment to efficiency.

According to Russ Tatro, an electrical engineering professor at Sac State, the new addition of solar panels to the Riverside Hall unlike those located on the rooftops of the Well and the library buildings, will be solely for student research.

Tatro said these panels are “extremely small” at 35 watts each. In fact, these panels are so small they wouldn’t even be able to quickly charge the battery on a laptop computer.

The purpose of these new, petite panels is to convert solar power to be able to run a system that charges a small battery called the load.

“The ‘load’ is a small computer chip cooler that we can turn on and off to simulate heating/cooling at the tiniest scale,” said Tatro.

“The energy storage is a small battery similar to what uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) use. So my team calls this project ‘energy flow at the nanoscale.’”

Dean and professor for the College of Engineering and Computer Science, Dr. Emir Jose Macari, said engineering students involved with the Smart Grid Center are interested in the development of new technologies, especially those that can provide power to small devices. This includes the mobile devices students use daily while moving about.

“I think the opportunity of having this program on campus is pretty amazing for the engineering students at Sac State,” Danielle Lara, junior mechanical engineering major said. “Being a part of something that gives us hands on experience, but also impacts the way our campus receives energy is very rewarding.”

The Smart Grid Center for Sac State engineering student is a cherished resource for students, as well as instructors.

“I am very proud of our students who undertake research projects of this magnitude because at the same time that they are learning by doing,” said Macari. “They are contributing to a better future for California and the country as a whole.”