Younicos, which is part of a consortium in Greece working on a global blueprint for smart microgrids, says that the Greek Island of Tilos could use renewables for more than 80 percent of its power with battery energy storage.
The battery would dramatically cut use — and therefore cost — of fossil fuel-based power transmitted to Tilos from a neighboring island. Tilos would be able to export excess wind and solar power, reduce load on a strained undersea cable, and reduce the risk of blackouts.
“Our results clearly show how an intelligent grid-forming battery system would allow the island to form a renewables-based microgrid,” said Robert Manasse, chief consulting officer of the Younicos Group.
The project can serve as an example of how other Greek islands could reduce fossils fuel use and rely on local energy, according to Younicos, which has offices in Berlin and Texas.
Younicos is part of TILOS (“Technology Innovation for the Local Scale, Optimum Integration of Battery Energy Storage”), a consortium which aims to create the first global blueprint for smart microgrids.
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Cities are getting smarter and part of that intelligence comes from microgrids, distributed energy and related energy technology. In a new report, Navigant Research pegs the global market for smart city-related energy at $7.3 billion this year. The report forecasts growth to $20.9 billion in 2024.
“Energy is the lifeblood of a city,” says Lauren Callaway, research analyst with Navigant. “Developing an integrated and sustainable energy strategy within the smart city framework is one of the most effective ways cities can contribute to their larger goals of addressing climate change, supporting citizen well-being, and fostering economic development.”
Who are the key players in smart cities energy tech? Navigant names ABB, Accenture, AT&T, Cisco Systems, Hitachi, Huawei, Itron, Oracle, S&C Electric Company, SAP, Schneider Electric, Siemens, SSN, and Toshiba. Among utilities, it names ComEd (Exelon), Duke Energy, Electric Power Board of Chattanooga, E.ON, Tennessee Valley Authority and TEPCO.
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The California Independent System Operator has issued the final draft proposal for its Energy Storage and Distributed Energy Resources Stakeholder Initiative. The ISO is looking at ways to enhance the ability of transmission grid-connected storage and distributed energy to participate in the ISO markets. The ISO has been attempting to put non-generation resources (NGR) on more equal footing with generation in the markets. The NGR model can benefit energy constrained resources, such as microgrids that have limited ability to generate or consume energy continuously and can be directly metered, according to the report.
On a related note, GTM Research has published a new report on regulatory and market changes surrounding the integration of distributed energy into three wholesale markets: California, Texas and New York.
All three system operators have recently proposed changes to market rules and regulations to reduce market barriers, more accurately compensate resource participation, and allow for increased third-party aggregation for DER participation in wholesale markets, says GTM Research.
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San Diego-based CleanSpark and San Francisco-based Webcor Builders have partnered to offer advanced microgrid systems. The partnership is focusing on domestic projects and will offer guaranteed performance for a minimum of ten years, and 100 percent system financing options for terms of up to 25 years. CleanSpark brings to the partnership its advanced energy monitoring and management technology. Webcor Builders is a green construction company.
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People in Microgrid News…David Chiesa is now Senior Director – Business Development at S&C Electric Company. Chiesa previously served as S&C Electric’s Director of Commercial & Industrial and Microgrid Market Segment Sales. Before joining S&C in 2011, Chiesa worked for GE Energy…Eguana Technologies has appointed Vishwas Ganesan as Director of Business Development USA based in the Bay Area of California and Keith Johnston as Manager of Product Design based in Calgary Alberta. Vattenfall executive Mats Fagerlund has been appointed to head the supervisory board of energy storage company Younicos. In addition, technology industry veteran King Lee has been named as an Independent Director for Younicos.
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