University Research Park Is Also Power Park

University Research Park, the 185-acre office complex west of UC Irvine, has laboratories aplenty for high-tech research and development.

But now the 185-acre park itself is being turned into both lab and lab rat.

Last week, the U.S. Department of Energy designated the facility as one of the nation’s first so-called Power Parks. The research park’s design allows it to run on on-site energy sources, such as fuel cells or microturbine generators.

As part of the Power Park initiative, the research park will try out cutting-edge energy technologies, some developed by UCI researchers, possibly in partnership with park tenants like Cisco Systems Inc. and ATL Products Inc.

“[The program] should serve as a catalyst for collaboration between the park and the university,” said Scott Samuelsen, director of UCI’s Advanced Power and Energy program.

Besides, it also may provide a way for park tenants to keep their engineers toiling away through all the predicted summer power outages.

Karen Alexander covers high technology for The Times. She can be reached at (714) 966-5637 or at karen.alexander@latimes.com.