Many tend to think of a microgrid as an enclosed campus with generation, energy storage and a resource management system, all islandable from the grid. But that thinking is limited. Microgrids also can involve small commercial communities, as planned by Canadian company Stantec, projects that right-size distributed energy resources so that an … [Read more...]
A team at the University of Calgary plans to build a mobile microgrid that promises to improve the simultaneous distribution and management of both alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) electricity. Three university professors are leveraging proprietary AC-DC power conversion and energy management technology to build and operate a … [Read more...]
Nigeria plans to seek contractors for $350M minigrid project The Nigerian government plans to secure competitive bids for minigrid projects that it intends to finance through $350 million it is seeking from the World Bank. In a general procurement notice, the federal government said that it will need goods, works, related services and … [Read more...]
'Air gap microgrids' -- DC microgrids electrically separated from the utility -- open up the opportunity for installing and adapting microgrids with fewer permitting requirements and less strain on the utility’s grid system. North American microgrids are normally connected to the grid with AC coupling. Each item of equipment in the … [Read more...]
Tesla plans to acquire ultracapacitor company Maxwell Technologies in a deal announced Monday by the two companies. The San Diego, California manufacturer would become a wholly owned subsidiary of Tesla in the all-stock acquisition. The offer values Maxwell common stock at $4.75/share, a 54.7% premium to its closing price Friday of … [Read more...]
WorleyParsons to install microgrid at University of Toronto WorleyParsons, a global professional services firm for the energy sector, plans to install a direct current (DC) microgrid system at the University of Toronto in Ontario, Canada. Installed in collaboration with ARDA Power, the 150-kW system will be used in conjunction with the … [Read more...]
Microgrids can protect public health during power outages by keeping the water clean, ensuring medical facilities are running, and keeping people cool during dangerous heat waves. But a number of challenges must be overcome, especially at the policy level, in order to realize these benefits. Both public-health and electricity industry … [Read more...]
Maxwell Technologies' Jessica Baris explores the ins and outs of the innovative ultracapacitors on UC San Diego’s microgrid and how the energy storage system works. For a smattering of days this year, Mike Wilk’s office space was a grove of eucalyptus trees on UC San Diego’s coastal campus. Wilk, a senior systems engineer at Maxwell … [Read more...]
Pace Energy & Climate Center's Joseph O'Brien-Applegate and Tom Bourgeois explore the resiliency lessons learned following Hurricane Sandy, and insight that can be garnered from Japan's experience with the superstorm. As we mark the sixth anniversary of Superstorm Sandy, its impact is still fresh in the mind of many in the Northeast. … [Read more...]
Cloud computing giant VMware is joining forces with one of the world’s tech capitals, Palo Alto, California, to explore the potential of community microgrid projects. The partners announced on Thursday that they will develop a proof-of-concept microgrid at VMware’s headquarters in Palo Alto. The project will test the resiliency offered by … [Read more...]
As new technologies become available and new conditions emerge, proactive adaptation can cost much less than reacting, particularly when some costs are intangible. Advisian’s Tristan Jackson and Andrea Ruotolo stress the importance of climate change adaptation in designing the more sustainable, distributed, resilient grid of the future.
Microgrid benefits include energy reliability, energy accessibility, energy independence, and energy cost optimization. Download the new white paper from Schneider Electric that explores the benefits microgrids can provide and supplies examples of relevant microgrid projects.
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