On October 9th, CLEANcarolinas' partners UNC Charlotte, Clemson University, the Coastal Studies Institute, and the South Carolina Research Institute (SCRA) met at the Dominion Energy Innovation Center (EIC), on Clemson University Restoration Institute's (CURI) campus, located on the former U.S. Naval Base in North Charleston, South Carolina. The research and teaching facility forges public/private partnerships in a unique industrial port environment.

The EIC houses the Duke Energy eGRID, an electrical grid simulator that can simulate the electrical grid of any country in the world, and an advanced wind-turbine drivetrain testing facility - one of three in the world - capable of full-scale, highly accelerated mechanical and electrical testing of advanced drivetrain systems for wind turbines. The two labs are linked and allow researchers to work on technical challenges that need to be overcome to widen the use of renewable energy, such as wind and solar power.

Clemson partners Drs. Sez Russcher, Ramtin Hadidi, and Chen Wan conducted the tour, including a visit to the 70,000-square-foot Zucker Family Graduate Education Center, housing high-tech classrooms equipped with the latest technology, collaboration spaces, and conference rooms, laboratory, and studio spaces.