Fluke, a division of Danaher, was chosen to create a new calibration technology that is a catalyst for creating a standard with which electricity flowing into the smart grid will be evaluated. The standard will enable consistent measurement of electricity from all sources, including renewable resources such as wind and solar.

The grant was awarded by the US Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the area of Measurement Science and Engineering Research to support research in areas deemed of national importance.

Fluke’s new calibration technology will be used to calibrate Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs), a gating technology that measures the health of the electrical power grid. PMUs play a vital role in the deployment of the smart grid, by measuring and evaluating power flowing into the grid from increasingly diverse sources.

Grid distribution centers use this critical information to determine where and when to send power across transmission lines, leading to more efficient use of energy and lessening the risk of power interruptions and outages. PMUs identify the preconditions that lead to power interruptions.

According to a recent study at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, power interruptions cost the US economy about $79bn annually, or about one third of what the nation spends on electricity.

Warren Wong, director of engineering at Fluke Calibration, said: “Modernizing the electric grid and improving power system reliability requires very precise electrical measurements. PMUs provide those. They also allow the grid to utilize energy from renewable resources and increase transmission throughput.

At present, the testing and verification method for PMUs is unclear. That’s why the Smart Grid needs one measurement standard. With a PMU calibrator, we’ll have a standard that can be used to uniformly evaluate the proper operation of these devices. That could really minimize the risk of power conditions that lead to blackouts.”

Fluke will develop the calibrator over the next 26 months, and as part of the grant, will invest $390,000 of its own money in the development effort.