What is a microgrid design?

Microgrid designs that consider heating, cooling, transportation, resilience, interconnected systems, and high contributions from renewable energy. DOE’s microgrids for critical infrastructure research has centered on microgrid design and analysis tools. These design resources provide reliable cost and resilience estimates of

Why do we need microgrids?

Microgrids serve as an effective platform for integrating distributed energy resources (DERs) and achieving optimal performance in reduced costs and emissions while bolstering the resilience of the nation’s electricity system.

Are microgrids a key component of the smart grid?

Microgrids have been identified as a key component of the Smart Grid for improving power reliability and quality, increasing system energy efficiency, and providing the possibility of grid-independence to individual end-user sites.

What is microgrid planning & deployment?

Microgrid planning and deployment are programmatic focus areas executed between communities and national lab technical experts, under the recently established Energy Transitions Initiative Partnership Project (ETIPP).

How does decarbonization impact microgrids?

Decarbonization efforts have created a focus on microgrids that leverage renewable energy generation plus energy storage with a fossil fuel backup generator, all managed by a localized control system capable of operating the assets in concert with or islanded from the utility grid.

Does the US have a role in developing remote microgrids?

The United States Agency for International Development has also taken advantage of DOE-developed expertise in their remote microgrid work in Africa1, Haiti2, and other rural and remote communities, which has provided valuable insight on technical, regulatory, and procedural rollout of microgrids in the United States.