Microgrids: The Unicorns Have Landed!
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Slide 1 Microgrids: The Unicorns Have Landed! Brought to you by the power solutions team at Charles “Charlie” Van Winkle [email protected] Thank you all for joining us. Some experts in the energy world believe that microgrids are like unicorns or Big Foot – elusive at best, imaginary at worst. Many islanders, however, have been living in the magical land of the microgrid for years! This session will feature recent developments in microgrid and battery storage technology and case studies of island communities that have built their very own unicorns.
Transcript of Microgrids: The Unicorns Have Landed!
Slide 1
Microgrids: The Unicorns Have Landed!
Brought to you by the power solutions team at
Charles “Charlie” Van Winkle [email protected]
Thank you all for joining us. Some experts in the energy world believe that microgrids are like unicorns or Big Foot – elusive at best, imaginary at worst. Many islanders, however, have been living in the magical land of the microgrid for years! This session will feature recent developments in microgrid and battery storage technology and case studies of island communities that have built their very own unicorns.
Slide 2
What is a
Microgrid
Micro-grids are electricity distribution systems containing loads and distributed energy resources, that can be operated in a controlled, coordinated way either while connected to the main power network or while islanded.1
1- U.S. DOE Berkeley National Labs
Some experts in the energy world believe that microgrids are like unicorns or Big Foot – elusive at best, imaginary at worst. Many islanders, however, have been living in the magical land of the microgrid for years! This session will feature recent developments in microgrid and battery storage technology and case studies of island communities that have built their very own unicorns.
Slide 3
Types of Microgrids
1. Customer or True Microgrid (µgrids) – self governed, downstream of a Point of Common Coupling (PCC) they fit into current technology.
2. Utility or Community Microgrid (mgrids) – technically similar to the Customer or True grid but it involves utility owned infrastructure.
3. Virtual Microgrid (vgrids) - a concept that coordinates multiple distributed generation resources to operate as a True or Utility microgrid.
4. Remote Power Systems (rgrids) - separate from the traditional grid, isolated, involve similar technology, so closely related they are commonly described as microgrids.
U.S. DOE Berkeley National Labs
Customer or True Microgrid is “behind the meter” Utility or Community microgrid is “in front of the meter” Virtual microgrid Distributed Energy Concept Remote power systems mountain tops
Slide 4
Diesel PlantTraditional Component of a Remote Grid
Most Island Power plants consist of multiple diesel generators that are typically configured so that 2 or 3 gens are constantly running, with only one or two actually serving loads. This is so that the diesel plant, as a system, can respond quickly, if not seamlessly, to equipment failures or sudden spikes in the island load.
Slide 5
Cost of Fuel
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U.S. No 2 Diesel Ultra Low Sulfur Retail Prices (Dollars per Gallon)
U.S. No 2 Diesel Ultra Low Sulfur (0-15 ppm) Retail Prices (Dollars per Gallon)
Source : U.S. Energy Information Administration
Probably the largest challenge associated with diesel systems is the volatility of fuel costs. It’s murky enough trying to forecast diesel prices for next year, let alone in 10 years from now. And as your community grows, so too will your fuel consumption.
Slide 6
Adding renewables into the island grid can balance the energy generation requirements.
Integrating wind turbines, solar panels and possibly energy storage into an existing “diesel grid” will reduce diesel consumption, but it will open up many other possibilities in how you operate your power plant. It can allow you to: • Run the generators much more efficiently, perhaps even shut one off completely • Reduce fuel storage capacity and frequency of fuel deliveries • Enhance system reliability with a seamless energy storage system
Slide 7
Evaluate the most prevalent resource, to optimize how renewables can benefit your grid
In addition to significant reductions in O&M costs and logistical requirements, the residents of the island were proud of the fact that they were able to reduce the carbon footprint of their community.
Slide 8
Irradiance Graph
Integration of renewables into the grid are optimized by knowing the load characteristics and making the choice to incorporate the best available resource, Wind, SOLAR , or Biomass. l
Slide 9
Grid tracking solar array is a more capital intensive solar plant but optimizes the energy capture in a reduced footprint.
Slide 10
Hybrid Power System, Mt. Blue State Park , near Wells , ME
Remote Grid Hybrid Power System in Mt Blue State Park, Wells, Maine
Slide 11
Resource Site Assessment
Grid tracking solar array is a more capital intensive solar plant but optimizes the energy capture in a reduced footprint.
Slide 12
Hybrid Power System, Battery Energy Storage Room
Installation of a battery bank helps with the proliferation of renewables, and mitigates impact of the renewables on the diesels
Slide 13
Hybrid Power System, Control Screen
Here is a control panel of a typical hybrid power system
Slide 14
The Energy Challenge
An island power system would typically run 24 hour per day , 7 days per week on a diesel generation power plant. Factors that affect the operation of the system includes fluctuation in diesel fuel prices, fuel transportation costs, storage, and ongoing maintenance costs .
The Island Microgrid Solution
Integrating renewables with the existing energy generation assets, adding battery energy storage in an environmentally controlled shelter with a performance monitoring interface can lead to the following .
The Benefits
50% Reduction in Generator Run Time
50% Savings in fuel consumption and transportation costs
Since the system was commissioned, the residents of the island have seen a 70% reduction in the runtime of their generators, their fuel bill has been cut by more than half, a savings of about 7,000 gallons of diesel annually and they are currently on track in realizing a 10 year ROI. 7000 gallons of diesel represents about 77 tons of CO2 which is roughly equivalent to taking 20 cars off the road every year.
Slide 15
You can further elevate the performance of your power plant through the use of our customized monitoring interface, which features analytics that will provide you with a comprehensive view of your power network and allow you to make fully informed and intelligent decisions around the management and operations of the power plant. And here to tell you more is AJ Rossman, who will be hosting a more in depth webinar on the power of energy monitoring and management at the end of January.
Slide 16
You can further elevate the performance of your power plant through the use of our customized monitoring interface, which features analytics that will provide you with a comprehensive view of your power network and allow you to make fully informed and intelligent decisions around the management and operations of the power plant. And here to tell you more is AJ Rossman, who will be hosting a more in depth webinar on the power of energy monitoring and management at the end of January. So look for that invite after the holidays. AJ….
Slide 17
What’s Next?
• Predictive Analytics
• Solar & Wind Forecasting
• Intelligent Asset Management
• Smart Grid
Since the system was commissioned, the residents of the island have seen a 70% reduction in the runtime of their generators, their fuel bill has been cut by more than half, a savings of about 7,000 gallons of diesel annually and they are currently on track in realizing a 10 year ROI. 7000 gallons of diesel represents about 77 tons of CO2 which is roughly equivalent to taking 20 cars off the road every year.
Slide 18
Questions?
Charles “Charlie” Van Winkle Northern Reliability Inc.340 Mad River ParkWaitsfield, VT 05673
E-mail: [email protected]: 802.496.2955
www.northernreliability.com
Since the system was commissioned, the residents of the island have seen a 70% reduction in the runtime of their generators, their fuel bill has been cut by more than half, a savings of about 7,000 gallons of diesel annually and they are currently on track in realizing a 10 year ROI. 7000 gallons of diesel represents about 77 tons of CO2 which is roughly equivalent to taking 20 cars off the road every year.
