Microgrid White Papers

The electric power grid is undergoing one of the most fundamental changes since its inception over a century ago. And if the aim of a decentralized and digitalized grid is reliability and resilience, the digital tools used to design, test and integrate the components to achieve that end are of utmost importance. Download the new Microgrid Knowledge report, courtesy of Typhoon HIL, to learn more about how new tools and processes like Hardware in the Loop (HIL) testing and Model Based Engineering (MBE) can pave the way to a better microgrid. Read More »

Microgrids are small groupings of interconnected power generation and control technologies that can operate within or independent of a central grid, mitigating disturbances and increasing system reliability. By enabling the integration of distributed resources such as wind and solar, these systems can be more flexible than traditional grids. This market presents a new and important opportunity for end users, generators, and planners to provide increased efficiency and resiliency in the evolving grid. Read More »

The risks and drawbacks—paired with continuing cost reductions in solar, wind, and energy storage technologies—suggest that an alternative to the fully oil-based electricity systems of the past is now available to islands and remote communities across the globe: affordable renewable microgrids. Read More »

Today, a range of technologies is making the implementation of microgrids more attractive across a wide variety of applications. From the falling costs of solar power generation and energy storage to advances in control systems, the business case for microgrids is improving by the day. Read More »

All power systems also require the capability to balance, in real time, differences between load demand and generator output. This balancing capability—which keeps system frequency at the level where it’s designed to operate—is critical to ensure the stability and reliability of the overall power system, for both centralized power grids as well as microgrids. In a centralized grid, fossil-fuel-fired generating plants typically will ramp up or down to ensure demand and generation output remains in balance. Read More »

Distributed energy resources (DER) are smaller-scale clean energy resources, such as renewable energy and energy storage resources, located near customer load. In recent years, DERs have made great strides due to market reforms, advanced technologies, and declining costs. Despite these advances, DERs serve less than 1% of electricity load nationally. Many barriers exist to greater deployment of DERs. These barriers include the utility business model, market structure, and regulatory policies. Read More »