Grid Resilience Microgrids May Hold the Key to Grid Resilience
The aging energy grid is being pushed to the breaking point. Power outages from extreme weather alone cost anywhere from $2 billion to $77 billion per year. And some isolated communities still rely on diesel generators for electricity, since powerlines don’t reach them. Grid expansion isn’t an option—in most cases, the economics don’t make sense. When the main grid falls short, the right mix of renewables offers local, low-carbon power.
The aging energy grid is being pushed to the breaking point. Power outages from extreme weather alone cost anywhere from $2 billion to $77 billion per year. And some isolated communities still rely on diesel generators for electricity, since powerlines don’t reach them. Grid expansion isn’t an option—in most cases, the economics don’t make sense.
Where the main grid falls short, such as in isolated communities or when the lights go out from extreme weather, microgrids are a solution for more resilient power. These decentralized, self-sufficient energy hubs can run independently or connect to the larger grid. Yet one lingering hurdle is microgrid design. Getting the mix of power sources right involves complex tradeoffs between risk tolerance, cost, and going green.
New research from a team at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) shows that resilient, hyper-local microgrids provide economic value, if designed with the right mix of power sources. In a series of studies and a presentation at the European Wave and Tidal Energy Conference, the team predicted the role that both large and small microgrids can play in the drive toward renewable and resilient power.
Microgrid Lessons from a Tiny Hawaiian Island
Spurred by a state mandate, the Hawaiian island of Moloka’i is grappling with how to transition to 100% renewables by 2045. Without access to a larger grid and with reliance on imported diesel, residents pay nearly three times more than the U.S. average cost of electricity. Less than a third of that power comes from renewables, while the rest comes from fuel-powered generators.
Yet, the things that make the Hawaiian Islands special—the ocean breeze, sun, and waves—all bode well for a microgrid test case. Moloka’i’s aim to kick the fuel-burning habit is something many other island or rural communities grapple with.
“Microgrid design is complicated. A lot of communities aren’t set up to develop something like that,” said Dhruv Bhatnagar, a PNNL mechanical engineer who was part of the PNNL research team focused on Moloka’i as part of a larger evaluation of marine energy resources.
Like the reduced risk that comes from a diversified investment portfolio, a variety of power sources helps reduce risk of a microgrid not being able to cover the energy demand. Typically, microgrids include solar and/or wind, which charge batteries, plus a diesel generator for backup.
