Perfect Power
Jeffrey D. Bierig
Phone: 312.567.5057
Fax: 312.567.3243
Email: bierig@iit.edu
Principal Investigator
Mohammad Shahidehpour, Ph.D.
THE ISSUE
Built largely in the 1960s or before, our electric power system cannot reliably run the kinds of digital devices on which today’s economy depends. The effects of this inefficient, unreliable, and outdated electricity system are acutely felt each year at Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT). 
THE SOLUTION
The Perfect Power System at IIT will be the first energy distribution system of its kind in the United States.
INVESTING IN PERFECT POWER
The Perfect Power System will allow IIT to avoid costly system upgrades and realize efficiency savings well into the future. It is estimated that the system will pay for itself as it’s built, over the next five years. The project is funded by IIT and the DOE.
THE BENEFITS
Perfect Power means not only a cheaper energy bill for iit, but also a safer, more productive campus and the opportunity for iit to set the standard for electricpower delivery.
IIT to implement first-of-its-kind power grid. Watch the Channel 7 News Clip
Perfect Power News
Download a Perfect Power fact sheet containing much of the information displayed on this site.The Winter 2010 issue of Energy Today discusses the Illinois Smart Grid Collaboration and highlights Perfect Power at IIT, with information from Principal Investigator Mohammad Shahidehpour. Full Article
In related news, over the next decade, IIT will embark on its Smart Grid Initiative to expand the Perfect Power System and create a national academic and research-focused Smart Grid Center.
The center will focus on the key technology advances needed for the effective development of the smart grid. The following news sources featured the project:
Reuters.com (PDF)
SmartGridNews.com (PDF)
IIT's collaboration with the University of Illinois, State of Illinois, and Oak Park on smart grid technology was also featured in the Chicago Sun-Times. Full Article
IIT's Perfect Power project, which implements smart grid technology, was featured in "In Search of Perfect Power" the cover story of Power Magazine's April edition. Full Article
The Perfect Power project at IIT was featured in the May 19 Economist article, "Smart Move: The push for a more intelligent grid." Full Article
The IIT/Galvin Electricity Initiative project to bring Perfect Power smart microgrid technology to IIT's Main Campus was discussed in the February 14 Chicago Sun-Times. Full Article
Resources
Get educated on smart grid technology with this Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) online video.More information can be found in The Smart Grid: An Introduction, a publication sponsored by DOE's Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability. It is the first publication of its kind to explore -- in layman's terms -- the nature, challenges, opportunities and necessity of Smart Grid implementation. See mention of the Perfect Power project at IIT on page 37.