Africa Microgrids – The Africa microgrid market has both island and bottom up community microgrids. Africa has many home solar systems that are in the early stages of being linked together and traded using mobile platforms. Africa is the leading continent for mobile payments, and could leap-frog the utility grid in some places. Efficient DC appliances are coming down in price to compliment home solar homes.
California Microgrid Market – California has an active microgrid market due to a large military presence and renewable energy targets. Currently, microgrids are serving as demonstration projects for how California can shift to high levels of renewable energy using distributed energy resources (DERs). California has leading institutions (UCSD) and trade groups (CalCharge) for energy storage. Additionally, California is a leading market for grid integration with electric, and autonomous vehicles.
DC Microgrids – Direct current microgrids are combining inherently DC energy resources such as solar PV, energy storage/batteries, electric vehicles, and LED lighting to build an efficient network without converting to AC. As more grid resources, especially Distributed Energy Resources go DC, the war of the currents has being revived.
India Microgrids – Microgrids in India are addressing areas that lack a grid connection, as well as areas that have inadequate utility grid performance. It is not uncommon for electric grids in India to operate only a few hours each day. India is already dependent on distributed generators to meet critical loads such as water pumping, and the cost of solar solutions is becoming cheaper.
Military Microgrid Market – As the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, the US military branches have each embraced renewable microgrids. Remote military bases have always required autonomous power, which typically came from diesel fuel. As solar-storage can increasingly be relied on to provide redundant, secure power the military is beginning to transition.
There are over five notable California Microgrids, powering some of the nations most iconic locations like Alcatraz. Listed California Microgrid Projects include R&D projects like the UCSD Microgrid. Also near San Diego is the Borrego Springs Microgrid and the Camp Pendleton Microgrid. The Camp Pendleton Microgrid is one of many military microgrids working to incorporate renewable energy for increased resilience. Renewable energy microgrids do not need to rely on shipments of fuel during emergencies. The military also operates a microgrid at Fort Hunter Liggett.
Further north, the Santa Rita Jail Microgrid is a notable partnership between the California Energy Comission and Chevron. It is a good example of fossil fuel companies looking at renewable energy microgrids as the way of the future.
As wine country seeks to become more efficient with water and energy resources, the Stone Edge Farm near Sonoma leads the way in sustainable winery with their solar microgrid.
UC Davis and Bosch recently teamed up on an innovative DC Microgrid at a Honda facility.
California, along with New York are leading the way in innovative microgrid deployments. California also has boasts a robust network of energy storage companies, which, along with Microgrids will help the state meet its renewable energy targets.
If we’re missing any microgrids in California, please help us out by contacting editors@microgridmedia.com. We also provide custom reports and in-depth market analysis.
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The Maxwell AFB Microgrid is a research and development project to validate the basic functionality of autonomous engine controls based on the CERTS droop control concept. It does this by modifying the controls of existing diesel gensets and operating those with new generation that are located some distance away from the existing gensets but on the same distribution feeder. The goal is to determine if these generators can share the loads and maintain stability in an islanded mode.
The specifics of the project include two 600 kW diesel backup gensets that are located in one building and installing a new, CERTS-based 100 kW genset in a different building some distance from the first. The existing feeder connecting these two buildings will be sectionalized from the other loads by installing switchgear in the appropriate locations. This switchgear will isolate these two buildings from other loads on the feeder and create an experimental microgrid with two building loads and three generators.
Successfully demonstrating the stability of the controls will allow expansion of this microgrid to include more loads and additional generators that will maintain a stable microgrid, even in the absence of a central command and control architecture common to most microgrids today.
The ability to modify existing generators while adding new gensets with the CERTS droop functionality is an important milestone in the future deployment of microgrids, because a vast majority of existing buildings with mission critical functions already have legacy backup gensets that still have ample operational left life in them. Also, integration of new gensets with CERTS controls and renewable generation sources with inverters that have similar functionality can be readily integrated into such microgrids.
