This guide serves energy users, campuses and others who are contemplating microgrid installations - or already participate in a microgrid - and want to understand how policy can enhance microgrid capabilities. What might upcoming decisions mean to these colleges and universities, data centers, municipalities, pharmaceu- tical companies, research … [Read more...]
To begin building a new energy consumer strategy, it is important to plan carefully to ensure return on investment is maximized and risks are reduced. 1. Consult with an expert to help determine the local regulatory situation, electricity tariff structure, smart grid programs availability, and all available government incentives. 2. Calculate … [Read more...]
Governments, utility companies, and many businesses today agree we are in the midst of a shift toward a low-carbon economy. Many utilities are transitioning toward more renewable energy generation models and utilizing new energy storage solutions like specialized microgrids. Much of the focus has been on clean generation sources such as wind and … [Read more...]
The Advanced Energy Centre, Carleton Sustainable Energy Research Centre (CSERC), and New Energy Community Inc. convened a seminar and workshop on November 2nd, tasked with examining frameworks for advancing technology, business value, and public policy for clean energy microgrids. The event featured industry and utility leaders, multidis- ciplinary … [Read more...]
Economic, technology and environmental incentives are changing the face of electricity generation and transmission. Centralized generating facilities are giving way to smaller, more distributed generation partially due to the loss of traditional economies of scale. Distributed generation encompasses a wide range of prime mover technologies, such as … [Read more...]
As power utilities strive to improve the reliability of electricity delivery and become eco-sustainable, microgrids are gaining in popularity. However, there are challenges in extending network to microgrid communications. In order to enhance microgrid communications, the technology SDN is being used as a new way to communicate with microgrids. … [Read more...]
The traditional electrical grids deployed on remote islands and microgrids includes a single centralized diesel generating station with distribution lines connected to the rest of the island. This configuration is proving to be expensive and unsustainable. Progressive utilities across the World (with support from organizations such as the World … [Read more...]
Community microgrids empower local leaders to serve community energy needs in a more economical, reliable, and environmentally friendly manner than the existing centralized electricity grid. A community microgrid can bring together whole-building energy efficiency improvements, clean distributed generation, renewable energy, and smart energy … [Read more...]
As a cornerstone of one of the youngest, largest, and most prestigious planned communities in the country (the City of Irvine), UCI was established on sprawling undeveloped acreage on the bluffs bounding the Pacific Ocean. This allowed the campus to be methodically and systematically designed from scratch with a large, circular central park … [Read more...]
Mark Martyak, chief sales officer of PowerSecure-Distributed Infrastructure, explains in an interview with Kevin Normandeau, publisher, Microgrid Knowledge, how microgrids can become a “non-spinning substitute for spinning reserves,” which is crucial as we add more renewable resources to the grid.
Technology innovations are changing the game, while public policies and regulations are shifting to allow new business models to gain traction. Combined, the regulatory and policy framework in California has bolstered the outlook of microgrids in the state. Download the new white paper from Concentric Power that points to a not-too-distant future where microgrids and DERs play an increasingly important role in the state’s energy mix.
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