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June 15, 2012 -- The fundamental concept of most microgrid applications can be summed up as follows: an integrated energy system consisting of distributed energy resources (DER) and multiple electrical loads operating as a single, autonomous grid either in parallel to or 'islanded' from the existing utility power grid. According to organizations such as the U.S. Department of Energy, what some define as a 'remote microgrid' is not a microgrid, since by the DOE's definition, a microgrid must be connected to a larger utility grid, with its defining characteristic being the ability to disconnect (seamlessly) from the larger grid and then operate in islanding mode.
The truth of the matter is that remote power systems number in the thousands. Most of these are powered up by dumb, dirty diesel generation, hardly a technology platform of relevance to the smart grid and fundamental networking advantages of the microgrid platform. Nevertheless, once renewable distributed energy generation (RDEG) is added to the mix, these remote systems (i.e. microgrids) begin to look like the classic traditional microgrids that have been the focus of most of the DOE and U.S. Department of Defense funding. The closest analogy to remote microgrids funded by the U.S. government are the so-called 'mobile microgrids' deployed at military forward operating bases (FOBs) in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as at other temporary or remote bases throughout the world. read more>>>
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