The General Services Administration (GSA) has issued a request for information (RFI) for grid-interactive technologies and services that provide energy savings and load flexibility for buildings. The RFI, issued in coordination with the Department of Energy (DOE), is part of the Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings (GEB) research being done … [Read more...]
This guest post is adapted from a new white paper from the DOE's Rima Kasia Oueid that outlines the three microgrid development phases for public critical infrastructure microgrids. This entry explores Phase 3: Implementation. Implementing a microgrid requires significant time, effort and investment. There are many cost variables that must … [Read more...]
This guest post is adapted from a new white paper on microgrid development by the DOE's Rima Kasia Oueid that outlines three development phases for public critical infrastructure microgrids. This entry explores Phase 2: planning. The planning phase involves significant preparation work for the project that begins with broader stakeholder … [Read more...]
Local governments, military officials, university heads, utilities, water and waste facilities, as well as executives overseeing hospitals, transit, airports, and port authorities are exploring the feasibility of microgrids for their operations and seeking relevant examples to emulate. This microgrid guide, developed by Rima Oueid, a senior adviser … [Read more...]
Microgrids offer a classic example of government policy chasing technology. While microgrids are being developed worldwide, few jurisdictions offer much-needed policy guidance and certainty. At Microgrid 2018, Edward Yim, associate director at the DC Department of Energy and Environment, shared how scalable resilience and a focus on climate … [Read more...]
The U.S. Department of Energy has identified 200 potential microgrid sites in Puerto Rico, as part of an effort to rebuild and modernize the island’s devastated electricity system. Bruce Walker, assistant secretary for DOE’s Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, described the microgrid sites in a blog he posted last week on … [Read more...]
NRDC's Elizabeth Noll says that the Department of Energy is heading down the wrong path when it comes to energy reliability. Most power outages occur because of transmission and distribution failure. They are not due to lack of power supply. So more coal and nuclear generation will not make the U.S. grid more reliable. There are three key … [Read more...]
DOE funds $20M for power electronics, a key part of a microgrid Now that utility-scale solar costs only 6 cents/kWh on average, U.S. energy policymakers will no longer focus as heavily on driving down prices. Instead, they are turning an eye toward using solar to improve grid reliability and resilience -- a key microgrid feature. As part of the … [Read more...]
The potential for cyber attacks on the power grid is very real, especially with the advent of electronic devices that send information about assets that supply energy to the grid. In fact, in the first half of 2015, the federal government responded to more than 100 cyber incidents that affected infrastructure in the US. And the energy sector had … [Read more...]
The U.S. Department Energy sees “enormous” benefits to fully integrating microgrids into the grid nationwide on multiple levels, a DOE official told a group of energy insiders in Boston Thursday. Dan Ton, a DOE program manager, was the keynote speaker at a microgrid controller symposium, which drew about 150 people to Boston’s District … [Read more...]
A California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) proposal may not the most efficient way for the state to attain a zero-carbon electric sector by 2045, which is required by state law, say NRDC’s Mohit Chhabra and Sergio Sanchez Lopez.
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.
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