Stories are just beginning to emerge about microgrids and distributed energy systems that are keeping critical services up and running despite Hurricane Harvey’s best efforts to do them in.
Twenty-one convenience stores and gas stations in the Houston area remained open thanks to an unusual microgrid system designed by Enchanted Rock (ERock). The Texas-based company installs natural gas generators at commercial sites, which it aggregates into virtual power plant microgrids.
During normal operations, the virtual power plant provides support services to the central grid. When an outage occurs, the generators island from the grid and provide back-up power for their host sites. Buc-ee’s and H-E-B stores are participating in the program.
“We placed a lot of our operational sites in island mode Friday evening and Saturday morning, disconnecting our customers from the grid to ensure power stability and continuity,” Thomas McAndrew, ERock president and CEO told Microgrid Knowledge.
The stores and fuel stations are providing essential products and services — including water, food and fuel — that are helping residents survive and cope with the hardship. McAndrew added that one store is being used as a National Guard home base.
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