Project ID:
RFP-2010-061
Title:
Smart Energy Grids
Summary:
Energy generation and distribution is going through a major revolution. Renewable micro energy sources (e.g. residential solar panels) and HEVs are creating the need for more efficient and effective energy generation and distribution. Thus, there is a need for new infrastructure for the energy grids. A Smart Grid is a system that combines diverse technologies ranging from communication networks to power electronics to renewable energy to create energy infrastructures that are self healing, predictive/adaptive, efficient and secure. Some key elements of a smart grid include a fusing of communication and computing architectures with legacy control systems in power generation, transmission, and distribution networks.
Full Description:
Some broad research areas in Smart Energy Grids:
- Scalable robust network architecture
- Sensing algorithms for the smart grid
- Protocols for interfacing computer and legacy control systems
- Security systems of smart grids
- Grid economics, markets and monetization
- Distributed grid monitoring and analytics
- Microgrids
- Complex network models for smart grids, and their applications
Smart Buildings:
Buildings have increasingly turned into very complex control systems of sensors and actuators including those in HVAC systems, lighting systems, structural health monitoring systems. In addition to the above problem areas (for smart grid), some other research areas include:
- Sensor design and sensing algorithms for smart buildings
- Smart building architectures and their interaction with the Smart grid
- Smart lighting and energy saving architecture and models
- Detection of anomaly in terms of events, predicting disasters etc.
- Structural health monitoring of buildings
Constraints and other information:
IPR will stay with the University or Research institution. Cisco expects customary scholarly dissemination of results, and hopes that promising results would be made available to the community without limiting licenses, royalties, or other encumbrances.
Proposal submission:
Please use the link below to submit a proposal for research responding to this RFP. After a preliminary review, we may ask you to revise and resubmit your proposal.
Create/submit a proposal for this RFP 
RFPs may be withdrawn as research proposals are funded, or interest in the specific topic is satisfied. Researchers should plan to submit their proposals as soon as possible. The deadline for Submissions is the Friday of the first week of each calendar quarter (the months of January, April, July, October). Funding decisions and communication will occur within 90 days from the quarterly submission deadline. The usage of funding is expected within 12 months of funding decision. Please plan your requests accordingly.
Questions? Contact: research@cisco.com
