MICROGRIDS: Coming or no?

You know that the experience if you buy a new car, and suddenly you see the model everywhere? Since Superstorm sandy, I have the appropriate experience with the term ' Microgrid.'

Politicians and thought leaders in the northeastern United States began seriously to talk Microgrid shortly after October 2012-storm clouds of their region made the ground equal. In recent times the term appears in almost every interview I arise over transmission and reliability do - whether via the United States, Japan, Sweden, India, or other parts of the world.

These small, electricity Islands have limited already for a long time, but mostly to colleges and military bases. Should we see about wider development?

MICROGRIDS are smaller versions of the grid bigger, but the plants are closer to the customer. Therefore, they need fewer miles of wire that is vulnerable to falling trees. They are usually larger grid. However, if the network goes down, can the Microgrid to withdraw and to keep operating. So, Microgrids serve as a way to maintain electrical reliability in geschnitzt-Out areas.

I asked before recently three prestigious smart-grid experts for their views on a possible Microgrid boom, and they gave me three different sloping.

"Really, I think Microgrid is a very good concept - it has specific applications - but not in General" said GE John McDonald, Director of technical strategy and policy development for GE Energy management of digital energy.

He sees Microgrid as successfully in the rural areas on military bases and universities. "But you would not want to in the continental United States, continues to have grid from thousands of small Microgrids. Very difficult to maintain it ", said McDonald.

Bradley Williams, Vice President for industry strategy on Oracle utilities, has a different view. Computer science can solve problems that inhibit the wider use of the Microgrid, he says.

"The military bases and campus piloting this, but this is just the beginning", Williams said.

He sees communities motor of future Microgrid development, particularly those with building codes that require solar, wind or other forms of self-generation.

"I think it is: it is not pushed by the utilities," he said, adding that utilities on Board will receive once they know, Microgrids provide no risk for the line worker - an information-management problem, the Oracle works.

Meanwhile, Michael Gordon, CEO of Joule describes the upcoming Microgrid as an aggregation of distributed generation and virtual power plants, which can serve utility resource requirements, assets.

Microgrid helps relieve a kind of inefficiency, starting on the grid, as more and more consumers and businesses buy their own generators after every major storm emerge, he said.

"People are things that are not cost effective, because they do not, that in case of failure a week want to install", said Gordon, whose New York helps businesses to create reduction power values.

What Microgrids passed from consumer manufacturers that want to sell in the various electricity markets, said Gordon. The consumer is to finance and build the asset value and then sell energy, efficiency or demand reduction. The utility can occur as a buyer.

It is not only Superstorm sandy, that speech is inspired by Microgrid. Discussion increased earthquake and tsunami in Japan about the concept, as well as after 2011. The Sendai Microgrid at Tohoku Fukushi University continue to power while the rest of the grid failed, has suggest a PWC report "the future of Microgrids: its promises and challenges."

Microgrid WINS also steam due to the Obama administration urging more combined heat coupling, which is often part of a Microgrid. Obama wants the United States the CHP builds 40 GW by 2020.

Here are a few Microgrid developments in the United States to see

The Connecticut Department of energy and environmental protection in February announced that it evaluates 27 Microgrid projects for possible funding. The projects were among 36, the $15 million in the form of grants provided was sought. Some of the projects are significant - as tall as 10 MW. Governor Dannel Malloy has recommended an additional $30 million for the program in the next two years.

In nearby New York, an energy-highway design to the electrical system of the State, to modernize, which several proposals created Governor Andrew Cuomo, has some of them led Microgrid.

The increasing use of Microgrids, there are many other examples. Like to use the comment section here readers, to tell us.

A longtime energy writer, whose works by Reuters, CNN, the New York Times and the Wall Street has been brought down journal ELISA Wood. Click here to see their articles.

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