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UC San Diego Receives $150,000 in Software Licenses from Power Analytics

• By Joshua Bolkan
• 08/23/11

The University of California, San Diego's Jacobs School of Engineering has received a software donation, worth $150,000, from Power Analytics.

The software, Paladin DesignBase, is used for the design, simulation, and optimization of electrical power infrastructure. UCSD will use Paladin DesignBase for instruction and research into how power networks can be made more reliable, resilient, efficient, and smarter.

Paladin DesignBase is a computer aided drafting and design platform that allows power system professionals to create "a detailed knowledge base of all the components, processes, and performance specifications of their entire electrical distribution system," according to information released by the company. Features include:

• A customizable 800-component intelligent symbols catalog with more than 100,000 device-specific specifications;
• More than a dozen core programs and more than 30 optional programs;
• A master model-based architecture for integrated design and analysis; and
• Personal and design team-based productivity features and data management tools.

Jan Kleissl, a professor of environmental engineering at the Jacobs School, has been researching solar radiation and solar panel power production. He says that DesignBase will help him to understand what happens when solar power gets into the general grid. "We can bridge that gap to the power grid," Kleissl said. "We were not able to do that before this donation."

Power Analytics is also a technology partner in UCSD's plan to build a master controller for optimization of the university's 45 MW microgrid. The master controller will plan and schedule generation, imports, storage, building management systems, and demand load "as an integrated system in the wholesale power market based upon real-time locational marginal prices from the California Independent System Operator Corporation and the host utilities," according to information released by the university.

"Power Analytics is very pleased to be an active supporter of UC San Diego, and have a first-hand look at the groundbreaking work being done by the university community," said Mark Ascolese, chairman and CEO of Power Analytics. "I’ve been on campus and have seen the reactions visitors from around the world have when they see the magnitude of work being done at UC San Diego; from a research perspective, it truly is an international jewel--and one that we are proud to help shine."

More information about Paladin DesignBase is available at poweranalytics.com.