ABB étend son centre d'excellence Smart Grid de Raleigh en Caroline du Nord

 
ABB is investing $10 million to expand its Raleigh, North Carolina, facility to include a technology center called the Smart Grid Center of Excellence (COE). ABB will temporarily locate the Smart Grid COE in its existing Centennial Campus facilities at North Carolina State University in Raleigh until it can build and lease out space on the Centennial Campus for a permanent facility. The site is already home to the North America headquarters of ABB’s Power Products and Power Systems divisions as well as one of eight global corporate research centers that is focused on advanced power system technology. ABB region manager for North America, Enrique Santacana, says, “As the world’s largest supplier of power transmission and distribution systems, ABB has always been on the leading edge of power technology. This initiative reaffirms ABB’s commitment to the smart grid and positions us to play an even larger leadership role in its development and implementation.” ABB’s long history with the state played a key factor in Raleigh’s selection, Santacana says. “The combination of North Carolina’s support for technology innovation, our great partnership with N.C. State University, the abundance of engineering talent, support from state officials, and the Triangle’s growing reputation as a hotbed of smart-grid activity make Raleigh the right place to make this investment.”

The Smart Grid Center of Excellence will include a testing and development laboratory, a center to certify customer solutions before deployment, and a demonstration center to showcase ABB’s smart grid technologies and collaborative partnerships. ABB will work closely with their strategic partner, the FREEDM Systems Center which develops smart grid technology based on advanced power electronics and information technology. Dr. Alex Huang, Progress Energy Distinguished Professor of Electrical Engineering, FREEDM Systems Center, calls the COE an important development. “This new initiative by ABB will further enhance our collaboration. We are excited that ABB has initiated this new