Amateur astronomists donning their solar eclipse glasses Monday likely won’t be thinking about how a national demand response event, grid modernization, microgrids, energy storage, or other resources might provide the energy needed to make up for lost solar energy. In fact, they probably won’t be aware that nearly 9 GW of solar power is … [Read more...]
In an effort to help commercialize microgrids, the California Energy Commission is analyzing lessons learned from nine microgrid case studies about projects that total 21 MW of peak capacity, with an average size of 2.25 MW. The case studies are detailed in a new report being prepared for the commission by Navigant Research. The state hopes … [Read more...]
Who’s building microgrids, where and why? Please share your insights by taking the Microgrid Knowledge 2017 Survey, now live here. It will take just 10 minutes (or less) to answer the questions. And in return we’ll be sure you are among the first to receive the results. Just leave your email (optional) at the end of the survey, and we’ll … [Read more...]
Many energy technologies receive some sort of utility or government incentive -- especially those that are new and promising -- but need an early nudge to win the market's confidence. Microgrid incentives, however, remain scarce in the U.S. They do exist, but come mostly in the form of grants from a handful of states. Or some microgrids capture … [Read more...]
The “vulnerable” U.S. electric grid needs more microgrids for resilience, but outdated rules may get in the way, according to a new report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. The congressionally-mandated report listed microgrids and other distributed energy resources (DERs) as among 12 fixes to bolster a grid that … [Read more...]
California Microgrid Dream Getting Real The California microgrid market is expected to get a boost in July with two key events: release of a solicitation that will offer $44.7 million in microgrid grant money and the next meeting to map out a road forward on state policy. The fourth microgrid roadmap meeting is set for July 26 at the … [Read more...]
Massachusetts is coming up short in its five-year grid modernization effort, according to several stakeholder groups who recently filed comments on utility plans being reviewed by state regulators. At issue is the lack of innovation and vision by Massachusetts utilities, which some critics say will impede the state’s ability to accommodate … [Read more...]
It's not only the Russians who pose risks to power grid cybersecurity. While they do pose some risks, there are more serious threats, especially to unprotected small- to mid-size energy companies, says a new report from the Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology (ICIT). “There's a lot of hype surrounding the cybersecurity of the energy … [Read more...]
A new law opens the door for more fuel cell projects in Connecticut, with the state placing value on their ability to enhance electric reliability and resiliency. A hub of U.S. fuel cell manufacturing, the state already has several fuel cell microgrids, including projects for the town of Woodbridge, University of Bridgeport, and Hartford’s … [Read more...]
With hundreds of small-scale energy storage applications expected in response to California’s Self-Generation Incentive Program, a new bill aims to help confused cities, towns and counties permit energy storage systems efficiently. Sponsored by the California Energy Storage Alliance, AB 546 would create a handbook of best practices for … [Read more...]
Microgrid-as-a-Service (MaaS) is a new, industry-leading financing mechanism that enables organizations to deploy microgrids without any upfront investment. This financing model allows municipal, district, institutional, commercial campuses and large buildings to stabilize long-term energy costs and upgrade critical energy infrastructure without capital outlay.
Recent weather events have proven that a single storm can cause billions of dollars of damage to the electrical power grid as well as significant power outage-related costs. As a result, utilities across the United States are working to make their services more resilient. This alone is a challenge, but some utilities also face state-level pressure to improve the reliability of their systems. To Learn more about Implementing a Microgrid Using Standard Utility Control Equipment download this white paper.
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