International Cleantech NetworkCopenhagen, Denmark

Ewan Pritchard, PhD, PE

FREEDM Systems Center

What does FREEDM stand for?

Future

Renewable

Electric

Energy

Delivery and

Management

Industry Guided Research

Cutting Edge Education Programs

Educated Workforce

ResearchIndustry

Education

What is an ERC?

A Global Partnership

Pre-College

Middle & High Schools

Industry

International Universities

US Universities

49 Industry Members

Full (10):

Associate (22):

Affiliate (17):

Education Program

Pipeline of FUTURE ENGINEERS

for a GREEN ENERGY

ECONOMY

• Middle & High School programs• M.S. in Renewable Energy

Systems• M.S. in Electric Power Systems

Engineering• RES undergrad concentration

• Industry Training• Research Experiences• Integrated findings into courses• Portfolio Program

Developing Creative, Innovative, Knowledgeable, and Global 

Engineers

Mentoring

Seminars and 

workshops

Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Domestic and international 

collaboration withindustry & academia

Knowledge & Skill

PORTFOLIO

Outreach

Graduate Student Portfolio Program

Industry & Innovation

Webinar Series

Innovation Bootcamps

Working Groups Industry

Champions

Innovation in Electric Distribution

We need a major paradigm shift in the industry

1930s ‐ Today

Paradigm Shift: Computer Industry

Pre-1980s

Centralized Mainframes

InternetDistributed ComputingUbiquitous Ownership,

Use, and SharingInnovation &

Industry Transformation

Paradigm Shift: Power Industry

Today

Centralized Generation

FREEDM

Distributed Renewable Energy Resources

Ubiquitous Ownership, Use, Sharing and

Sales

Innovation &Industry Transformation

• New technologies for distributed renewable energy

• New energy companies based on IT and power electronics technologies 

Research Plan

The FREEDM System

DRER: Distributed Renewable Energy Resource DESD: Distributed Energy Storage Device

A Closer Look at the Future Home

SST: Solid State Transformer DGI: Distributed Grid Intelligence

Bi-directional flow

Plug & play interfaceEnergy Router

Plug & play interface

380VDC Bus

1 MW FREEDM Green Energy Hub

• 20,000 square foot building• Houses distributed

generation, storage & renewable energy technologies

• 5,000 sf. high bay space to house the 12 kV FREEDM system

• Test-bed for ERC and industry technologies

• Third-party renewable energy resources

• Plug-in vehicles connected to FREEDM System

Real-world demonstration

of the FREEDM System

THANK YOUwww.freedm.ncsu.edu