From the Microgrid Knowledge guide, Reciprocating Engine Generators and Microgrids: The Last Defense Against a Power Outage, this article looks at the pros and cons of the fuels used in reciprocating engines. Electricity costs are determined largely by the price and availability of fuels used in power production. As a result, the power … [Read more...]
CleanSpark’s Latest Project: A Hint of the Grid of Microgrids to Come?
August 22, 2016 By
A small microgrid being developed at a California golf club by CleanSpark offers a hint of the grid of microgrids or ‘fractal grid’ energy futurists foresee. A developer of microgrid control technology, CleanSpark last week announced completion of the $2.7 million phase one of the microgrid at the Rams Hill Golf Club. The microgrid itself … [Read more...]
Off-grid Microgrids and Nanogrids on the Rise…Stem Wins with Storage-as-a-service…NY on Standby Charges
August 17, 2016 By
Here come the off-grid microgrids and nanogrids Navigant Research forecasts that annual revenue for off-grid power will exceed $25 billion in 2024 as remote areas of the world install microgrids and nanogrids. Nanogrids alone are expected to become a $17.5 billion annual business by 2024, driven by growing need to charge cellphones in the … [Read more...]
What is a Reciprocating Engine Generator?
August 16, 2016 By
Everyone knows what solar and wind energy is. But ask, 'What is a reciprocating engine generator?' and most people are stumped. Yet this mainstay technology plays a crucial role in keeping on the lights. We define 'reciprocating engine generator' in this excerpt from the new Microgrid Knowledge guide, Reciprocating Engine Generators and … [Read more...]
Decentralized Energy Receives Less Funding than Utility Projects: Report
August 15, 2016 By
Decentralized energy receives less funding than utility-scale projects, indicating a need to rethink policy, says a new report by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED). "Unlocking Climate Finance for Decentralised Energy Access" analyzes information from the Climate Funds Update database, which offers information on … [Read more...]
California Awards $1.5M to Plan Advanced Microgrid in Santa Monica
August 14, 2016 By
The California Energy Commission last week granted $1.5 million for planning and design of an advanced microgrid in Santa Monica. The funding comes from the state’s Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC) program, created to bring innovative clean energy ideas to market. Santa Monica won the money from an EPIC competition earlier this year, … [Read more...]
Energy Storage and the Supermajors…6 Policies to Up Corporate Use of Renewables…& More News
August 12, 2016 By
What Total's energy storage play means for supermajors French oil company Total is the first oil “supermajor” entering new areas of business including solar plus storage and distributed energy generation, Lux Research says, and the other global oil supermajors — BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Exxon Mobil, Royal Dutch Shell and Total — should follow … [Read more...]
Reciprocating Engine Generators and Microgrids: Unsung Heroes of the Electric Grid
August 11, 2016 By
The new Microgrid Knowledge guide, Reciprocating Engine Generators and Microgrids: The Last Defense Against a Power Outage, looks at a technology that gets little attention but serves a crucial role on the electric grid. Reciprocating engine generators are often the last line of defense when all other resources fail in a power outage. That's just … [Read more...]
Grid-Connected Microgrids and Battery Technology
August 10, 2016 By
Grid-connected microgrids are considered the future of a smarter electric grid. So as large-scale battery technology and economies of scale continue to improve, many utilities are investigating the use of battery technology as the basis for Grid Energy Storage Systems (GESS). AusNet Services, the largest energy delivery service in Victoria, … [Read more...]
Healthcare Microgrid Would Preserve Power for 4 Hospitals in the East Bronx
August 10, 2016 By
The idea of the East Bronx Healthcare Microgrid was born out of special pressure on the crucial hospital system. During storms and power outages, the four hospitals must remain open not only to serve existing patients, but also those transferred from evacuated hospitals in Manhattan and other New York City boroughs. Further, the medical … [Read more...]
