Short Circuit Study

The Student Success Building is the first structure in the Metro State “neighborhood” on the Auraria Higher Education Campus, designated exclusively for use by Metro State students and faculty. Metro State shares the Auraria campus with two other institutions: the University of Colorado Denver and the Community College of Denver. This new facility encompasses approximately 145,000 square feet and includes functional spaces for classrooms, offices, critical support services, the Office of the President, as well as special programs and departments.

Metro State is dedicated to reducing carbon emissions associated with campus operations; therefore, sustainability was a key requirement for this building. As the mechanical and electrical design engineer for the project, RMH implemented high-performance building systems, which feature efficient heating and cooling systems, low-water-use fixtures, and reliable power supplies.

This project advances high-power electric vehicle (EV) charging by developing a megawatt-scale battery emulation framework at the Flatirons Campus. The system enables real-time testing of EV charging scenarios, focusing on integration with renewable energy and grid infrastructure.

At its core is a custom-designed MWh-scale lithium-ion battery emulator that replicates the dynamic behavior of various battery chemistries used in heavy-duty vehicles and stationary storage. Using Digital Real-Time Simulators, hardware-in-the-loop techniques, and grid simulators, the team built a robust platform for evaluating charge/discharge cycles and system-level interactions.

This infrastructure supports research in Vehicle Grid Integration, Behind-the-Meter assets, and Distributed Energy Resource applications, paving the way for more innovative and resilient EV-grid ecosystems.