By Liz Enbysk

SGN Managing Editor

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Back in 2006 SGN started talking about macro trends that would make microgrids inevitable – and highlighted some of the early real-world pilots and demonstrations  -- from Mad River Park in Vermont to Wal-Mart facilities in Colorado and Texas. (As Jesse noted at the time: “The fact that penny-pinching Wal-Mart thinks microgrids are cost efficient should tell you that this trend is for real.”)

So we weren’t surprised to hear microgrids being pitched to Congress last week as the best bet for bailing out our aging infrastructure by folks from Galvin Electricity Initiative, Pareto Energy and the Intel Open Energy Initiative. As the Senate starts debating the Kerry-Lieberman climate change bill, they want to ensure language supporting microgrid adoption is included.

“Over the past 50 years, our nation’s electric power system has been starved of innovation and technical updates, despite significant increases in consumer demand for choice and reliability,” said Galvin Electricity Initiative Deputy Director John Kelly. “Our version of the smart microgrid—the Perfect Power System—empowers local governments and consumers, making them active participants in the electricity system.”

So where are we with microgrids today? Pike Research forecasts that more than 2,000 microgrid sites will be operational worldwide by 2015, up from fewer than 100 in 2010. The research firm also believes the microgrid market will segment as follows:

• Institutional/campus microgrids with a single owner
• Commercial/industrial microgrids with multiple owners
• Community/utility microgrids tied to the larger utility grid infrastructure
• Remote off-grid systems which will be increasingly common in developing countries
• Military microgrids which can support remote base operations without a fuel supply

Pike Research anticipates the institutional/campus single owner microgrids will be the largest segment with 53% of deployments by 2015, followed by commercial/industrial with multiple owners at 39% of the deployments.

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Microgrids: From the Labs to the Villages

Here’s a quick glimpse at some of what’s going on today in the world of microgrids, followed by links to additonal resources:

HP Labs Designs Data Center Fueled by Manure

The idea here is creating a sustainable IT ecosystem fueled by dairy farm waste. HP researchers say a farm of 10,000 dairy cows could fulfill the power requirements of a 1-megawatt (MW) data center -- the equivalent of a medium-sized data center -- with power left over to support other needs on the farm.

As HP explains it: “Contemporary data centers are increasingly co-located with power generation or cooling resources to reduce operational costs. Power generation microgrids can take advantage of a variety of local power generation options to reduce the dependence on the utility grid for power. Microgrids can employ solar cells, wind turbines, biofuels or other sources, many of which are renewable, to generate electricity used to power data centers. The prevalence of dairy farms in the United States presents a co-location opportunity that generates biofuel from farm waste.”

Video: A Small Village Takes Control of Its Carbon Footprint

The small English village of Ashton Hayes – partnering with the University of Chester and others – has created a rural microgrid project. The objective is to allow community members to take control of their carbon footprint through the efficient use and control of small-scale energy generation. This video from the Low Carbon Innovation Centre showcases the Ashton Hayes microgrid project, including interviews with villagers.

Naperville, Ill. Smart Microgrid Case Study

When they set out to build a more reliable, cost competitive, and efficient grid nearly 20 years ago, the Department of Public Utilities in Naperville, Illinois started down a path toward building a smart microgrid before the term even existed. This recent case study sponsored by the Galvin Electricity Initiative highlights that effort.

Microgrids: Why Some Utilities See a Threat Where Others See Opportunity

When we ran this commentary by Peter Asmus of Pike Research last fall, we ran a Quick Poll alongside it asking readers whether they think microgrids represent a threat or opportunity for utilities. The majority (59%) of those who voted said opportunity; 30% see them as a little of both and 8% said they are a threat to utilities. Since then there’s been considerable debate about the relationship between microgrids and utilities, as Jeff St. John’s story published in the New York Times describes in detail.

You might also be interested in …

Why Today's Utilities May Soon Be Obsolete (and What May Replace Them)

Aldridge Electric - the Final link to IIT’s Perfect Power Project

Are We Taking Microgrids Seriously — Finally?

EDSA, Viridity Energy Announce Ground-Breaking Collaborative Technology Effort for UC San Diego Microgrid Effort (press release/pdf)

Smart Grid Technology Companies Sending UC San Diego’s Microgrid to the Head of the Renewables Class

Quick links from today’s article …

Galvin Electricity Initiative Advocates for Smart Microgrids as Critical to U.S. Energy Policy Reform (press release/pdf)

HP Labs Designs Data Center Fueled by Manure(press release/pdf)

Naperville, Ill. Smart Microgrid Case Study

Ashton Hayes Rural Microgrid (video)

Macro Trends Point to Microgrids

More than 2,000 Microgrids to be Deployed by 2015 (press release/pdf)

Microgrids: Why Some Utilities See a Threat Where Others See Opportunity

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