Dear Friends,
Our February newsletter highlights the broad range of diversity in microgrid applications. On the remote end of the spectrum, we look at microgrids for mining operations. These are typically many megawatts in size where reliability is paramount. At the other extreme, we feature a very small microgrid at a school on a small island in Indonesia. This installation serves the dual-purpose of powering the school and serving as an important educational resource for Indonesia’s need to build a solar-knowledgeable workforce.
In the grid-connected world, our story on microgrids at a car dealership in Colorado illustrates that the need for resilience is the motivating purpose behind a growing number of microgrids. Plus, utilities are increasingly promoting microgrids. We have a story about a utility company in Wisconsin that has created a program to help customers develop microgrids and a Request for Proposal for minigrids from Kenya’s electric utility.
The takeaway for this diverse set of stories is that microgrids are impacting energy use across the globe. In that vein, UL is sponsoring a Middle East and Africa Renewable Energy Summit on March 9th and 10th.
I will be moderating a panel on the 10th focused on mini-grids and C&I applications in Africa. I hope you can join us.
Sincerely,
Dr. Peter Lilienthal
Global Microgrid Lead, UL Renewables
Founder, HOMER Energy by UL