Pittsburgh-based Duquesne Light Co. (DLC), which serves 600,000 customers in southwest Pennsylvania, continues an ongoing partnership with Lehigh University to turn advanced academic research into real-world solutions to improve the electrical grid and has new projects planned this year.
The collaboration, which launched in 2023 through the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Technology Alliance, specifically aims to improve grid reliability, efficiency, and long-term sustainability.
“At DLC, innovation is driven by collaboration,” said Sabrina Nguyen, advanced grid engineer at DLC, in a July 30 statement. “By working alongside leading researchers, we’re able to explore new technologies, test solutions, and accelerate advancements that directly support a more reliable and resilient grid for our customers.”
At the center of the work is Lehigh University’s INTEGRITY Lab, where researchers and DLC engineers are working to tackle a variety of energy challenges.
Current and upcoming projects focus on improving how the electric grid performs under a variety of conditions, including modeling how direct current microgrids interact with the traditional alternating current grid to better understand and manage disturbances; developing a small-scale inverter testing platform to improve device connectivity and performance insights; and expanding inverter research to evaluate how different configurations impact grid protection systems and overall reliability.
“This partnership allows us to bridge the gap between research and real-world application,” said Javad Khazaei, the assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at Lehigh University who is leading the research team with DLC’s Advanced Grid Solutions group.
“Together, we’re developing solutions that not only advance academic knowledge but also strengthen the electric grid and support the transition to a cleaner energy future,” Khazaei added.