2018 Trends that Will Impact Microgrid Development: Part Two

Last week we reported on important trends that are likely to affect the development of hybrid renewable energy systems in 2018, particularly work that is being done on the modeling, design and implementation of microgrids…This week we bring you the second installment of interesting trends to look for:

Combined Dispatch Algorithm “Two-for-one Deal” Accurately Models Microgrid Controller

combined dispatch algorithm

By Cycle Charging during periods of low net load, the Combined Dispatch algorithm helps avoid using a diesel generator at low loads. By Load Following during periods of high net load, the algorithm maximizes the use of available renewable energy. Due to this flexibility of being able to account for both high and low loads, the Combined Dispatch algorithm is a better option than choosing between Load Following or Cycle Charging (and potentially making the wrong choice). It is also a better option than running both strategies by default, which doubles the processing time. On top of that, we’ve seen that Combined Dispatch can perform as well, if not better than, either Load Following or Cycle Charging.

Hybrid Storage Systems to Power-Charge Energy Storage Growth

Which markets are best suited for battery storage and storage hybrids? Which regulations and incentives support or impede the implementation of standalone storage and battery hybrids? HOMER Energy’s John Glassmire, Steffi Klawiter, and Dhiwaakar Rajasekaran — along with the Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis (JISEA) — answer these questions and provide key storage hybrid market insights in a groundbreaking new white paper.

Comet ME’s Jubbet a-Dhib Microgrid — a HOMER Pro Case Study [UPDATED with Confiscation & Return, Reinstallation News]

Jubbet a-Dhib microgridThe returned solar panels are unloaded in Jubbet a-Dhib, a village in the West Bank, Palestine.

Ice Cream, Appliances, and Autonomy: Rural Electrification Project Lights West Bank Village (Read about a tragic update followed by positive outcome for Jubbet a-Dhib microgrid in updates below […]

From Maria to Microgrids: Why Puerto Rico’s Energy Future Should Be Built on Distributed Energy

Concrete power line poles lie on a highway after Puerto Rico was hit by Hurricane Maria.

Puerto Rico has a very long and politicized electrical grid history, and politics will play a big role in how the island territory will recover from the devastation of Hurricane Maria, a category 4 storm that hit the island on September 20, 2017. Puerto Rico, barely recovering from Hurricane Irma, was devastated by Maria, a storm so large and so direct that its eye alone literally covered the entire island. The storm destroyed more than three-fourths of the island’s power infrastructure, leaving Puerto Rico’s 3.5 million residents without power. Current estimates are that most of the country won’t be back on-grid for months.

Microgrid Controller, Components Enhance SolarTAC’s New GridNXT Test Facility

On the HOMER InternationaI Microgrid Conference (HIMC2017) “bonus day,” HOMER Energy invited attendees to tour a number of microgrid-related facilities in the Denver area. I was lucky enough to attend all three tours along with microgrid industry professionals from around the world. The highlight for me was the last tour of the day, a visit to a solar testing facility near Denver International Airport.

Lessons from the Off-grid World: Resilient Distributed Energy Win-Win for Consumers, Utilities

distributed energy

The future of energy starts with a fundamental transition from a centralized structure dependent on fossil generation to a distributed structure relying mostly on renewable generation. This transition means a large number of small projects instead of a small number of large projects. And you, HOMER users, are the vanguard of this transition.

To ‘fuel’ this future, the grid-connected world can learn a lot of lessons from international (and Alaskan) experience with off-grid and isolated systems, which were the topics of many of the sessions held at HIMC2017. I’m going to talk about 6 such lessons.