The California Energy Commission yesterday approved about $10 million in grants, one for a college microgrid in Sonoma County and the second for an airport microgrid in Humboldt County. The commission vote is the final stage in a competitive process underway to distribute about $50 million in microgrid funds to various projects throughout the … [Read more...]
Direct current (DC) microgrids offer a lot of advantages in today's digitally networked, electrified world. Yet they face challenges gaining acceptance on the US grid where alternating current (AC) dominates. That's not to say DC isn't used. Much of the high-power electrical equipment and machinery used in industry, buildings and … [Read more...]
Microgrids for social justice in Massachusetts The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center has awarded two $75,000 grants for social justice microgrids planned in Boston's Chinatown and Chelsea neighborhoods. The microgrids are the brainchild of an energy democracy collaborative called RUN-GJC, which intends to use the funds to conduct technical … [Read more...]
Pittsburgh, which hopes to eventually develop a grid of microgrids, continues to evolve as a center of energy innovation with about 20 distributed energy, nanogrid and microgrid projects now emerging in the Pennsylvania city. "We identified promising sites in different parts of the city -- neighborhoods, college campuses, commercial and … [Read more...]
Juhl Energy has built its business around developing, owning and operating utility-scale wind. But market conditions have changed, and now the Minnesota company is expanding its reach, including into microgrid finance. Unregulated subsidiaries of large utilities have come to dominate utility-scale wind power in the US. That prompted Juhl … [Read more...]
If you think of microgrids as mere backup power, think again. That was the message from panelists at Microgrid 2018 who described how microgrids serve the greater good in the U.S and abroad. Their projects include electrifying parts of Somalia, helping prevent brain drain in Africa and India, cost-effectively solving a utility’s peak problems in … [Read more...]
How important to the growth of the microgrid industry are storms and disasters? That was one of the questions panelists addressed at Microgrid 2018, a conference that drew about 400 participants to Chicago. The panelists also identified cost as a barrier to growth, but some offered innovative solutions to cost challenges. Another presentation … [Read more...]
The microgrid market is growing — at different paces in different segments — but the industry needs to educate others about its benefits, according to leading industry members. “I would consider the current microgrid market to be highly diverse. There are opportunities to be involved in utility, building, campus, government, and industrial … [Read more...]
Denver continues to forge ahead with sustainable energy projects, this time with release of a solicitation seeking microgrid developers for the $1 billion National Western Center (NWC). The city and county have issued a request for qualifications (RFQ) for energy developers to help design, build, operate and maintain the microgrid, which … [Read more...]
Engie North America and Axium Infrastructure have completed the acquisition of a microgrid and district energy system serving six Harvard-affiliated medical institutions in Massachusetts. Operating jointly as Longwood Energy Partners, the companies purchased the energy system from Mayflower Energy Partners, a joint venture of Morgan Stanley … [Read more...]
As government officials and policy stakeholders grapple with how to respond to unprecedented economic and environmental impact, voices have emerged in support of a strategy that emphasizes proactive investments in resilience over reactionary response.
Microgrids represent a relatively new concept that requires adapting existing frameworks. Because of that, projects must involve careful coordination between the developer, utility and the developer’s energy consultant to ensure a successful outcome. Download the new white paper from Velioa that explores how to navigate local utility requirements for microgrids.
Copyright © 2018
