Post forum quick takeaways

• Elizabeth Cook shared Duquesne Light Company (DLC) experience on their SEED project which covers an interactive network of DERs, electrified buildings and building management systems among other components and the associated challenges encountered so far expanding over microgrids themselves.
• We reviewed the Microgrid Innovator Landscape with a particular focus on turnkey providers where we see a concentration of companies covering the more classical on-grid facility type of deployments.
• Jim Barbour expanded on Enchanted Rock's dual-purpose microgrids providing not only customer resiliency but enhancing utility grid reliability in times of need.
• Chris Gilliland from Entergy shared his experience of working with Enchanted Rock which is one of the providers part of their Power Trough Project. Results of the first pilot deployment dating back from December 2019 can be found here.

Pre forum introduction

During natural disasters and power emergencies, microgrids can become islands of shelter. When utility service is interrupted by a wildfire, large storm, hurricane, or any other unexpected event, the presence of even one microgrid in a community can make an important difference. Microgrids generate power in grid-connected or islanded modes and can minimize demand on the grid during peak times and provide energy when needed the most. In this way, they can help reduce the requirement for additional utility generation, transmission and distribution assets in cost-effective ways while strengthening customer peace of mind. At the same time, by smartly managing and aggregating DERs with complementary features, further penetration of green generation can be enabled with assets including PV, storage, EVs, wind, CHPs, hydrogen and others.

Our first microgrid forum focused on the first segment of the value chain covering feasibility and design studies where we had Xendee present their software solution and Engie as its user. In this second microgrid forum, we will review our introduction to the topic and the general microgrid market landscape with a specific focus on turnkey providers.