8 Projects that Signal the Future of Microgrids

Source: | · MICROGRID KNOWLEDGE · | March 27, 2023

Microgrids are becoming more complex by incorporating new fuels and combinations of resources that will allow them to better serve current and future customers, and it's reflected in some upcoming projects.

Source: Microgrid Knowledge

Just when you thought you knew what microgrids are, they are changing.

Not the basics. A microgrid is still at its core a self-sufficient energy system that serves a discrete geographic footprint and uses one or more distributed energy resources. If it’s connected to the central grid, it can disconnect during a power outage and reconnect when the grid comes back up.

So how are microgrids changing? As you’ll see from the projects below, they are becoming more complex — incorporating new types of fuels and different combinations of resources that allow them to better serve a broader range of customers.

Here are eight microgrid projects that signal new directions for the technology:

1. Schneider Explores New Resource for Microgrids — River Currents

A selling point for microgrids is that they can use just about any form of generation, making them able to reap the benefits of local resources. Mostly, however, they use solar, batteries and fossil fuel generators. But Schneider Electric has begun incorporating an unusual resource into microgrids built in remote areas — river currents. The first project is being built in Igiugig, Alaska.