Microgrids are often built as customized, one-off projects. Concern exists that the industry cannot scale under this model, and prices will remain out of reach for many smaller facilities, such as farms. At Microgrid 2018 in Chicago, Craig Wooster, project manager and general contractor for the Stone Edge Farm Microgrid Project, unveiled a new … [Read more...]
During a presentation at Microgrid 2018, Bob Wengel, vice president of facilities at Shedd Aquarium, which is home to 32,500 animals and 1,500 different species, described the aquarium's developing microgrid and energy plant. With a sophisticated energy management and building automation system managed by Schneider Electric and other technology … [Read more...]
Fundamentally, microgrids provide energy reliability for critical operations. Military installations and hospitals, for example, don’t have the option of shutting down if the power goes out. Therefore, for decades they have mitigated this with on-site backup generation capability. However, continuously improving technologies and unit cost … [Read more...]
Energy decentralization is a major development that could help tackle the energy challenges of the 21st century. Major technical and economic improvements have allowed substantial progress in decentralized energy resources, such as solar energy and storage and the Internet of Things (IoT), driving new cooperation and optimization capabilities. Also … [Read more...]
Distribution management systems (DMSs) are increasingly used by distribution systems operators (DSOs) to manage the distribution grid and to monitor the status of both power imported from the transmission grid and power generated locally by a distributed energy resource (DER), to ensure that power flows and voltages along the feeders are maintained … [Read more...]
This report presents the results of the first phase of a multi-phased project to develop an Integrated Modeling Tool for Regulators (IMT) that supports decision-making for regulatory proceedings on integrated resource planning, grid modernization proceedings, rate cases and other state and federal dockets involving the integration of distributed … [Read more...]
Smarter energy management delivers reliability, efficiency and cost savings. From the time when our alarm goes off in the morning to when we turn the lights off at night, we use electrical power. In terms of magnitude, each person in the U.S. spends around $3,052 on electricity (2012 figures). With a population of about 314 million people at the … [Read more...]
According to a recent Microgrid Knowledge study power resiliency is one of the top 3 reasons organizations and communities install a microgrid. Factors such as increasing occurrences of natural disasters, the ongoing threat of cyber attacks and growing awareness of inadequate, outdated or failing grid infrastructure all drive microgrid adoption. … [Read more...]
This paper describes how to design and operate a microgrid by examining a microgrid installed for the US Department of Defense at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. The microgrid is composed of two natural gas generators, a battery energy storage inverter, renewables, and a static switch. Design considerations for this retrofit application with a high … [Read more...]
Increase your facility's resiliency, efficiently, and sustainability with the latest microgrid technology. Microgrids seamlessly combine Distributed Energy Resources (DER) with your existing operation to achieve resiliency, optimize energy costs, enhance security and reduce CO2 emissions. When connecting on-site generation and storage assets … [Read more...]
Ameresco’s vice president of microgrid services, Will Agate, describes the process of getting started on your microgrid project — the very first step of which is to carefully consider and define the needs of your organization and its community.
North America was pummeled this year with Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria. As devastating as these events were, none compare to the threat of a major cyber attack on the American electrical utility grid. Download the new report from Microgrid Knowledge, courtesy of S&C Electric Co., that explores the threat of cyber attacks and why microgrid cybersecurity is crucial to the grid of the future.
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