NJ TRANSITGRID
"I
am not here to debate what isn’t debatable,” said Secretary of Energy
Ernie Moniz back in August 2013 at Columbia University’s Center for
Global Energy Policy in New York City. Setting the tone at the policy
address, Sec. Moniz made no bones about where climate change and
sustainability lie on the Administration’s agenda moving forward.
After
graciously entertaining heckling from an impassioned anti-fracking
audience member, Sec. Moniz was equally passionate about the “all of the
above” agenda of President Obama’s new energy plan, first introduced
back in June of last year. Atop the list of priorities, Sec. Moniz
reiterated the importance of renewables, outlining a list of activities
to incorporate solar and wind into the country’s future energy
portfolio. One such project discussed was a recent microgrid deal signed
with Chris Christie, the Republican governor of New Jersey.
The
partnership between the DOE and the State of New Jersey will begin with
a $1 million grant to the State to commence a 6-month feasibility study
on a large-scale micro grid project, the first of its kind the United
States, known as the NJ TRANSITGRID. The TRANSITGRID would island from
the state grid to power trains during power outages like the ones caused
by Hurricane Sandy back in October of 2012.
For Gov.
Christie and Sec. Moniz, grid resilience is key in the integration of
microgrid technology. Given the increase in natural disasters, as well
as critical concerns of cyber security, especially in a global business
center like the New York City area, microgrids have the potential to
revolutionize the way we think of electricity distribution, and the
reliability of renewable energy.
Resilience
Integrating
new technology into old infrastructure is expensive and cumbersome.
Distributed power through microgrids circumvents many of the direct
integration challenges. The most basic appeal of microgrids is the
diversification of power afforded to a community by having isolated
power grids. The automated control systems of microgrids allows for ease
of connection and disconnection from the main grid, coupled with the
ability to integrate energy storage technologies. Self-contained
generation means less strain on the national grids, especially in
instances of unexpected peak demand surges during summer heat waves or,
in the case of the American Northeast, the ability to supply consistent
power in the face of natural disasters.
Because
microgrids rely on their own sources of energy, trending microgrid power
sources tend to be renewables, as costs are consistently dropping and
efficiency is increasing. Additionally, microgrids allow for the
efficient harvesting of renewable energy resources through automation
and smart technologies, thus creating a way to manage the seemingly
unmanageable Mother Nature. With greater availability of information to
better assess and address the issues of forecasting, maintenance, and
ultimately reliability, microgrids offer an innovative solution to the
most pressing grid-related issues, with renewable generation being a
clear perk. This is the “smart” in smart grid, and here, knowledge
really is power (pun absolutely intended).
With
growing clamor, both consumer and governmental, for increased use of
clean energy and resiliency, microgrids offer a potential means of
achieving state-by-state goals of renewable portfolio standards. Lofty
goals like 100% by 2050 in New York, 30% by 2030 in California, and 40%
by 2030 in Hawaii, are resulting in the implementation of more and more
microgrid pilot projects. The US already has the largest microgrid
capacity in the world, with no signs of letting up, totaling 1,459 MW of
installed microgrid capacity and another 1,122 MW in planning phases.
American investment also includes large investments for military use of
microgrids by the Department of Defense.
Going Rural
Beyond
urban and military resilience, microgrids have great potential on the
other end of the spectrum as well. Currently, 1.3 billion people across
the globe lack access to modern energy. In localities with little or no
grid connectivity, but ample sunshine, distributed generation is nothing
short of a godsend for communities reliant on dirty diesel and/or
electricity theft. As central grid expansion is often not an option,
distributed generation through microgrids offer a stable and reliable
source of energy to places where the alternative is lights out.
According
to a report by Navigant Research, “remote systems” account for 691MW of
microgrid deployment with generation capacity of remote microgrids
expected to rise to 1.1 GW by 2017. Microgrids prove to be more cost
effective than individual household rooftop panels, and less cumbersome
to implement than central grid extension. Further, current rural
electrification microgrid projects are also leveraging existing telecom
technology, allowing for pre-payments through SMS networks for
communities to pay as they go, using resources already in place.
The
International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) suggests that almost 60%
of new generation needed to achieve universal electrification by 2030 is
estimated to come from off-grid installations, with these rural
microgrid options receiving the greatest bang for their buck with
renewable energy sources. For rural off-grid options, renewable sources
have lower O&M costs compared to conventional power streams, and
offer a more secure electricity alterative, because fuel delivery and
long distance transmission become a non-issue. Moreover, microgrid
technology is already available in the market, and ready to scale in
rural areas.
Microgrids stands out as the frontrunner
in the drive towards universal electrification, assuming the obvious
challenges of the financing gaps and weak policy frameworks are
addressed.
"All of the Above"
In
both densely packed urban centers and remote rural areas, microgrids
represent an important investment, and one in which renewables could
play a major role. Both sides of the spectrum equally benefit from the
demand analysis and automation functions of microgrids. Allowing for
more efficient and individualized modeling for required capacity, these
distributed generation solutions directly address the needs for urban
resiliency and rural electrification.
When comparing
the costs of natural disaster recovery, and economic losses due to
energy poverty, it becomes apparent that investing in ways to
incorporate renewable energy into electricity generation and
distribution through microgrid options becomes the cheaper and more
efficient long-term option.
Back at Columbia, Sec.
Moniz’s “all of the above approach” emphasized the importance of
reliability, efficiency, security of supply, and suitability when
planning for America’s future energy needs. Microgrids fit the bill, at
home and abroad.
http://theenergycollective.com/evanjohnst/356781/microgrids-ushering-new-era-electricity-generation
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