Many customers install microgrids for financial benefits and as a safety net to ensure a reliable, resilient power supply in the event of a utility failure. The traditional grid in the U.S., in service for the past 140 years, provides electricity 99.9 percent of the time. This leaves about eight hours per year when equipment issues in the power grid or extreme weather conditions lead to major power outages.
Many customers install microgrids for financial benefits and as a safety net to ensure a reliable, resilient power supply in the event of a utility failure. The traditional grid in the U.S., in service for the past 140 years, provides electricity 99.9 percent of the time. This leaves about eight hours per year when equipment issues in the power grid or extreme weather conditions lead to major power outages.
For example, the University of California, San Diego, operates a microgrid which supplies most of the energy need on campus that includes a 30-megawatt cogeneration plant a 2.8 MW renewable energy fuel cell and 2.4 MW of solar arrays. Other commercial facilities with microgrids might generate some of the power they use but rely on grid electricity for most of their needs.
As mentioned above, most microgrids are connected to a healthy utility grid 99.9% of the time. They rarely operate independently in island mode, presenting an opportunity. There is potential value in intelligently sharing the microgrid’s resources with the utility or other power consumers in the network, outside of the facility in which it is installed.
The utilities are responsible for keeping the grid system running, and they are willing to pay to ensure stability. Amongst other criteria, they must balance supply with demand, keep the voltage and reactive power within specified parameters, and maintain power quality within set limits. Connected microgrids could add value by providing these services.
Today, most microgrid solutions are planned and built with a focus on the customer’s internal power requirements and benefits. Alongside this important function, the system could be designed to maximize asset value by utilizing the energy resources intelligently according to the changing energy needs internally and externally. This ability to continuously optimize internal energy savings and external energy revenue opportunities can provide facility owners with maximum benefits. PXiSE Energy Solutions’ software-based Active Control Technology (ACT) is designed for such purpose.
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