A microgrid is an electrical distribution network with underground wires that serves two or more buildings in a local area. Microgrids can enter ‘island mode’ and separate from the larger electrical grid when there is a major outage – self supplying with locally generated energy. You may have seen the recent announcement regarding the activation […]
You may have seen the recent announcement regarding the activation of two microgrids built through a private public partnership – a public safety headquarters and correctional facility in Montgomery County, MD. These microgrids were built to be resilient in the event of grid outages and to reduce emissions, with no upfront costs for the County […]
Non-wires alternatives (NWA) are gaining popularity in utilities, so much so that E4theFuture funded a study by the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) and the Peak Load Management Association (PLMA) on the topic. The study investigates 10 case studies utilities where utilities have planned and/or implemented NWA in their service territories. According to Non-Wires Alternatives: Case […]
More and more cities are deciding to “get smart”. According to Navigant Research’s Smart City Tracker Q1 2017, there are “250 smart city initiatives in more than 178 cities around the world with the majority focusing on government and energy initiatives, followed by transport, buildings, and water goals”. Still, participation in these initiatives requires investment […]
What’s the prognosis for the growth of the market for microgrids? That is a pertinent question for entrepreneurial types in Cleantech. There’s a slew of new ideas developed by creative scientists and engineers, but the timing might not be right from a business perspective. There are even some old ideas that previously didn’t fly, but […]
Ever since Hurricane Sandy, interest in the development of microgrids for resiliency has increased. The whole point of resiliency is to maintain power when there are serious disruptions in traditional central station power supply, such as severe weather or security breaches. But what about the security of the microgrid itself? In a smart move, S&C […]
“Focused on the Future” was the theme of DistribuTECH 2016 and the conference lived up to that promise. In the words of Yogi Berra (maybe) and others, the concept was demonstrated in Orlando. The buzz words this year were “grid modernization”, with mention of transmission and an emphasis on the distribution grid, notably a distribution […]