Distributed Generation ‘Important, Efficient and Economical’ for Reliable Operation of Electric Grid
A new white paper from Generac explains why distributed generation is “important, efficient and economical” for the safe and reliable operation of the electric grid. The paper also looks at technologies that are best positioned to support the grid, including rich burn generation.
Get the full report.
This report aims to paint a clear picture of the different types of generation on the electric grid today.
“Distributed generation is the spider silk that holds together the sophisticated web of system balancing, and can provide a resilient, reliable and environmentally friendly basis for continuing to build out the electric grid of tomorrow.” — Nash Whitney, director of sales, Generac Industrial Power.
The report starts by comparing power production on an electric grid to building a stone wall on a hill.
The author, Nash Whitney, director of sales at Generac Industrial Power, explains that the hill represents the collective demand for power, and the stone wall represents the generation required to meet that demand.
“The goal is to build a stone wall that as closely follows the contour of the hill as possible,” Whitney says.
The report concludes that the quality and quantity of power on the grid today indicates a substantial need for distributed generation.
Whitney acknowledges that the examples outlined in the report paint a limited picture of electric grid operation.
There are increasing downward pressures on our grid, he warns, including new conventional base-load fossil fuel generation, barriers against new nuclear base load, and the combination of incentives and pressure for cleaner renewables.
“Together, the trend of our electric grid’s supply stack and the signals that price and policy are providing paint a landscape that only distributed generation, but, specifically, rich burn combustion engines, can satisfy,” he says.
The report goes on to note that this is not a direct rebuke of the current trend of the electric ecosystem. Instead, it should be viewed as a chance to highlight technology that can provide safe, efficient power at rates that are not susceptible to renewable intermittency or the costs of sophisticated electronics.
Download the full report, “Rich Burn Generation in Today’s Power Grid,” courtesy of Generac.
