Smart Grid Deployment Consortium (SGDC)

The Smart Grid Deployment Consortium (SGDC) is a partnership of leading Appalachian research institutions dedicated to strengthening grid resilience and driving economic growth through advanced energy innovation.

Through our state-of-the-art modeling and simulation platform, HILLTOP+, we help utilities, electric cooperatives, municipalities, engineering firms, and energy startups evaluate technologies, reduce risk, and make informed investment decisions before deployment.

With HILLTOP+, organizations can:

Simulate grid performance during outages, extreme weather events, and other operational scenarios.
Assess the impacts of Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) on grid stability and reliability.
Validate technology performance and identify system vulnerabilities through real-time modeling.
Strengthen grant and RFP applications with data-driven technical analyses.

Whether you are modernizing infrastructure, developing new technologies, or planning future investments, SGDC is here to help build a more resilient and innovative energy future.

Electrical engineer planning smart grid projects as an alternative for future electricity generation and to support the increasing urbanization while using clean energy efficiently.

What is HILLTOP+?

In short, HILLTOP+ is Tennessee Tech's power systems modeling and simulation platform for testing, analyzing, and optimizing electric grid technologies. It helps utilities, communities, and energy innovators improve grid resilience, integrate renewable energy resources, reduce project risk, and make data-driven planning decisions through advanced simulation, engineering expertise, and real-time testing capabilities.

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