Rwanda is the first country in Africa to embrace the transition to electric vehicles on a large scale. Volkswagen is manufacturing EVs there, and in the capital city of Kigali, Rwanda is implementing a car sharing program that is creating a new transportation paradigm.
BLOG
HOMER Microgrid and Hybrid Power International Draws Worldwide Audience
Participants from more than 120 countries joined us for the ninth annual HOMER Microgrid and Hybrid Power International Conference last month. We bring you some of the highlights and information on how to access complimentary recordings of the proceedings:
DC Mesh Grid Microgrid Networks Show Promise in Developing Country Rural Electrification Projects
A DC mesh network in Cambodia brings low-cost electricity to a remote rural village for the first time. Learn how Otteh Edubio from Okra Solar builds these microgrids. Then get the details from his presentation recorded at the HOMER Microgrid and Hybrid Power International.
Founder’s Message – October 2021
Our annual conference is the most exciting time of the year for me and the entire HOMER staff. We get to hear from hybrid energy practitioners around the world about the huge variety of applications and challenges associated with pioneering new clean power systems. In this newsletter we feature two of our conference presenters and training opportunities associated with the conference.
Design and Feasibility Comparison of On- and Off-Grid Hybrid EV Charging Stations in India
The electrification of India’s transportation sector is critical if the country is to meet its climate goals. Professor Venkatesh Boddapati has been modeling EV charging stations that use renewable energy to find out the most optimal configurations. Don’t miss his presentation at the HOMER Energy by UL’s 9th annual HOMER Microgrid and Hybrid Power International conference.
HMHI Conference Agenda Preview
Don’t miss the HOMER Energy by UL’s 9th Annual HOMER Microgrid and Hybrid Power International virtual conference. It’s coming up October 12-14 and registration is complementary. See the complete agenda.
Navigating the Challenges of Grid Interconnection on the Island of Curaçao
Microgrid News spoke with Michael Ginsberg of Bowman Consulting to explore some of the challenges involved in connecting DER-powered facilities to the grid. Michael will discuss his experience with grid integration of renewable energy on the Caribbean island of Curaçao. Join us to hear about his findings at HOMER Energy by UL’s 9th Annual HOMER Microgrid and Hybrid Power International, during the Island Power: Renewables for Diesel-Powered Utilities session on October 14th at 8 am, MDT.
Founder’s Message – September 2021
In this month’s newsletter, we demonstrate the progress of the microgrid industry with features on projects completed by two of the largest companies in the power industry.
Fekola Gold Mine Builds Solar Power into Existing Thermal Plant
A Mali gold mine is now powering operations with a HOMER-modeled microgrid that combines solar and batteries with an existing thermal power plant. The 30 MW solar plant will help cut costs and hedge against future oil price increases.
From Conventional Power Plants to Hybrid Power and Microgrids: An Interview with Dino Ablakovic, Siemens Energy
Fossil-based power plants are adding renewable energy resources, storage and hydrogen, and being reconfigured as microgrids or grid-tied hybrid power plants. One company working on that challenge is Siemens Energy. We spoke with Siemens Microgrid Product Manager Dino Ablakovic about his work and upcoming presentation for the 9th Annual HOMER Microgrid and Hybrid Power International conference held on Oct. 12-14, 2021.
Founder’s Message — August 2021
What an exciting time for hybrid power. Although we at HOMER Energy by UL have been focusing on hybrid power systems for decades, the industry is now seeing explosive growth, expansion into new markets, and acceptance by mainstream players in the electric power industry.
Extreme Weather and Need for Resilience Spur North American Microgrid Growth
Research shows the commercial and industrial use of microgrids in industrialized countries will likely soon surpass remote, rural microgrids. This shift is motivated by the need for resilient power systems in the face of climate change.
Registration Now Open for Virtual 9th Annual HOMER Microgrid and Hybrid Power International Conference
Join the hybrid power revolution. HMHI 2021 brings together a global community of microgrid and hybrid power experts to advance high-quality, affordable microgrids, distributed energy and utility-scale systems. Read on to learn more.
Clean Energy Procurement Promotes Grid Resilience, Meets Climate Goals
The California Public Utilities Commission approved an order for utilities to purchase 11.5 GW of new electricity resources including renewables, distributed energy and zero-emitting sources. The 100% greenhouse-gas-free and renewable resources will power approximately 2.5 million homes in the state.
Webinar – Adding storage to your project: Is it as easy as you think?
Hybrid power is the solution to today’s energy needs, but designing a system with multiple energy resources plus storage is harder than you might think. Join this webinar to learn more. Join us on September 9th to discover how software modeling helps overcome the complexities and paves the way to a renewable energy future.
Solar for Healthcare Webinar
14 months ago, many spotlights were turned towards the African healthcare sector and its terrible lack of electrification. This webinar on August 18th intends to highlight several initiatives and solutions which can significantly improve the access to electricity for the healthcare sector in Africa and deserve a lot more attention.
Message from the Founder
This month’s newsletter features articles that highlight the expanding applications for hybrid power systems. Our article on Kilowatts for Humanities solar kiosks in Zambia is one example of the use of microgrids to provide electricity in remote areas.
KiloWatts for Humanity Builds Solar Kiosks in Zambia – Modeled by UL’s HOMER Pro
Kilowatts for Humanity (KWH) dedicates itself to bringing economic and social benefits to remote Zambian villages — as well as outlying communities in other developing countries — via rural electrification projects. Most of these projects consist of solar kiosks.
Solar Carports: Efficient Use of Space and Storage Integration Brings RE Benefits
During prolonged power outages, this Greeley, Colorado car dealership remained operational. The resilience is due to the renewable grid-tied solar plus storage hybrid power system installed at Ehrlich Toyota — a 368 kW custom solar carport and 228 kWh battery and controls system designed and built by IPOWER Alliance and L4 Construction and modeled by Ageto Energy. Read the story for details.
Welcoming Our New Industry Member — Think Microgrid
We are excited to announce Think Microgrid as our latest HOMER Energy by UL industry member. Think Microgrid is a new coalition formed to help pave the way to the clean energy transition in the U.S. The alliance, which includes more than a dozen leading companies in the microgrid field, represents the industry at the state and federal levels. The organization provides a united voice to support the exploding microgrid sector in critical policy, legislative and regulatory discussions.
Latam Future Energy PV-Hydrogen & Storage Virtual
Latam Future Energy, an alliance between Invest in Latam and Energía Estratégica, presents an exclusive meeting dedicated to photovoltaic, storage and green hydrogen technologies, key factors for those interested in the future of renewable energy and new trends in the sector from July 7-8, 2021.
2020 Proves Exceptional for Renewable Energy, and Outlook Shines for 2021-22
With its mission of advancing energy security, tracking clean energy growth, collecting information and offering training worldwide, the International Energy Agency (IEA)organization released its Renewable Energy Market Update 2021 (IEA [2021], Renewable Energy Market Update 2021, IEA, Paris) last month. The report highlighted global progress in renewable energy last year and made data-based predictions for this year and next.
Message from the Founder
The June 2021 issue of the Microgrid News newsletter highlights the evolution of the microgrid market. When HOMER Software was created, the focus was primarily on developing country applications like the Nigerian installation described in “Energy Access Brings Improved Quality of Life and Boosts Local Economies.” This is still a critical market, but no longer the only one.
Microgrid expert Peter Lilienthal to serve on City of Boulder – Xcel Energy Partnership’s community advisory panel
Peter Lilienthal, Ph.D., founder of Boulder, Colorado, based HOMER Energy by UL and now UL’s global microgrid lead, has been selected as a member of the City of Boulder – Xcel Energy Partnership’s 18-member community advisory pane
Energy Access Brings Improved Quality of Life and Boosts Local Economies
Millions of people live in communities with no access to basic electricity. Instead, they fuel cooking, heating and lighting with polluting and unhealthy fuel sources like diesel generators, biomass fuel and trees. For these reasons, electrification is a critical goal. But what impact does it have? Join us in this look at the impact of microgrids on two communities
Challenges and Opportunities in Building a Wind Service Organization Today
As renewable energy moves more and more into the spot, wind turbines are also moving into the spotlight. The Texas freeze of 2021 showcased the fact that prior to the freeze, one third of all US wind turbines needed servicing. The number is now higher with many requiring complete overhauls and repairs. Add the fact that there is a shortage of service technicians in the US to handle even a small portion of the demand and you get the perfect storm for great opportunities. Join HOMER Energy by UL Founder, Dr. Peter Lilienthal, alongside other energy experts on June 17th, 2021 at 2 PM EDT for this exclusive webinar.
Industry Leaders Launch Group to Create a Coordinated Industry Voice for Microgrids in the U.S.
HOMER Energy by UL joined more than a dozen companies as a founding member of Think Microgrid, a new coalition formed to advance state and federal policy in the U.S. and lead the way to improve electric reliability with microgrids.
Powering Africa Summit 2021
Powering Africa Summit 2021 takes place digitally this year from the 24th of June to the 1st of July. Don’t miss HOMER Energy by UL founder, Peter Lilienthal, Ph.D, speaking at a boardroom titled ‘Energy & Health’ on Monday the 28th June at 15:00 UTC.
Power Africa-Hosted Boardroom: Closing the Coverage Gap
The Power Africa-Hosted Boardroom: Closing the Coverage Gap: Providing Electricity & Connectivity to Africa’s Healthcare Facilities is taking place on May 25th, 2021 from 13:00-14:30 UTC / 14:00-15:30 BST / 09:00-10:30 EDT and moderated by Loren Stoddard, Senior Advisor to the Coordinator, Power Africa.
PG&E Community Microgrid Enablement Program Helps Communities Keep the Lights on During Emergencies
California gas and electric utility provider Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) is taking a proactive step forward in the move to grid resiliency. In April, as a California Congressman introduced the House MICROGRID act, the utility announced the PG&E Community Microgrid Enablement Program (CMEP), its project for permanent, multi-customer microgrids. These microgrids will focus on “disadvantaged” areas and critical facilities.