Microgrid News Highlights — December 21, 2016
ComEd Forges Ahead with Bronzeville Project Despite Lack of Legislation
Solar Energy to Rural Africa for Less Than $10/Month
CNN reports on Off Grid Electric’s plan to project bringing microgrid power to rural Africa. More than 90 percent of Africans have access to cell phone service — more than have access to clean water — but only a fraction of them owns a landline. In the energy sector, the cellphone equivalent is the solar panel, which is easily installed and can provide power to a household or small business. Off Grid Electric, an African startup, is applying this formula to rural areas of Tanzania and Rwanda yielding both commercial success and life-transforming results for the recipients. The company is backed by Elon Musk’s SolarCity and Helios. The system includes a rooftop solar panel and lithium ion battery to provide around-the-clock power.
Largest in Central America: Costa Rican Solar-plus-storage Microgrid
Via enchanting-costarica.com: Solar energy system at Veragua Rainforest
Demand Energy and Rio Grande Renewables have commissioned a battery storage-plus-solar-PV microgrid at Establishment Labs S.A., a medical manufacturing plant in Costa Rica. The system is providing multiple on-site and grid-assisting services, including peak demand reduction, solar PV “shaping” to smooth out variability, and backup power for critical loads in the event of an outage. This microgrid project is the largest in Central America.
More microgrid news highlights:
GCF Supports ADB to Accelerate Shift to Renewable Energy in the Pacific
Seoul-based Energy Firm Bets Big on Microgrids
South Pacific Resort’s Solar-plus-storage Microgrid Earns PowerSmart Award
Look for HOMER Energy’s “Microgrid News Highlights” feature weekly at microgridnews.com