Generating Electricity from Sustainable, Renewable Sources Helps Bring Resources To Underserved Areas
In this day and age, when so many of us consider reliable electricity a basic human right, the UN estimated that 789 million people worldwide are going without. Furthermore, they estimate that there are nearly 1 billion people worldwide who are affected by regular blackouts and unreliable electric supply.
One way to help mitigate this disparity – and to create a greener, cleaner, locally produced energy supply – is to rely on renewable energy sources. While there can be challenges to bringing these energy sources online, such as their intermittent nature and the lack of an initial infrastructure, they’re more affordable and reliably priced once the infrastructure is in place.
Microgrids help communities utilize renewable energy sources while also providing additional resources to their main grid that can help alleviate an overtaxed system.
What Is A Microgrid?
Within the “main” electrical grid are microgrids – self-contained grids with separate control capacity that allows them to disconnect from the main grid to operate independently. During outages or peak demand times, this independence provides resiliency to the small, local areas which they support. The energy produced by microgrids – which includes energy from renewable sources such as solar and wind – can be stored using batteries or thermal storage to be distributed as needed.
While microgrids have historically relied on conventional forms of energy, such as fossil fuels, in the same way that the “main” grid does, the inclusion of renewable energy sources in microgrids creates a system that promotes local energy use in an eco-friendly manner.
The Components of a Microgrid
When the traditional grid is down, microgrids – which are autonomous – can still operate, providing the local area that they serve with a reliable energy course and reducing the impact of outages.
Generally speaking, managing complex networks of varying energy systems can be difficult since intermittent solar sources – like solar and wind – must be aligned with baseload power sources, such as geothermal and natural gas. In order to maximize the potential of renewable energy, it’s important to be adaptable as Mother Nature has more control over production rates than anything – or anyone – else. In order to manage these shifts in production, load balancing and optimization require direct control.
In order to achieve optimal load balancing and output, a private 5G wireless network can connect all assets that manage the grid. Additionally, systems can adapt to weather conditions to run more efficiently by using predictive analytics that are applied to weather forecasts with incredible accuracy.
Solar Panels
Solar panels consist of a mosaic of photovoltaic cells that are mounted to a frame and affixed either on a roof or on stands on the ground. They convert energy from the sun into electric current.
Battery Banks
Battery banks – often lead-acid or lithium batteries – store surplus energy from renewable sources and are used to power the grid during shortages or price spikes.
Wind Turbines
Wind turbines are devices – such as a windmill – that can be based on or off-shore. They convert kinetic energy into electrical energy, and globally (via wind farms) produce 650 gigawatts of energy per year.
Geothermal Energy
By drilling between 500 and 2,500 meters below ground, geothermal energy – or energy from the Earth’s core – can be extracted and harnessed by filling a borehole with water and using the heated water vapor to drive turbines that create electricity. Geothermal power is a baseload power – meaning it provides energy 24/7 (as opposed to solar and wind energy which are reliant on weather and daylight conditions).
Ground Source Heat Pumps
Extracting ground source heat is done by drilling between 2 and 200 meters below ground. The heat is then used to heat (or cool, if needed) hot water for buildings.
Air Source Heat Pumps
Using heat from the air, rather than the ground, creates a similar process to ground source heat for delivering hot water to buildings.
Combined Cycle Gas Turbines (CCGT)
The most widely used method of generating electricity from fossil fuels is Combined Cycle Gas Turbines (CCGT), which convert heat into electrical energy. Gas is burned in a high-temperature turbine connected to a generator. The exhaust heat generates steam and is then fed into a conventional steam turbine coupled with an additional generator.
The Benefits of Microgrids
Local and Sustainable Energy
Microgrids afford communities with a way to manage their own energy needs. By determining the optimal mix of available sustainable sources and the storage needs, communities can devise systems that adequately meet their needs. Additionally, by working with sustainable resources on a local level, the communities are allowed to determine the best sources of renewable energy for their areas – for example, wind farms could be set up in parts of the local area where wind blows the most steadily. And, of course, utilizing renewable energy is a more efficient, eco-friendly method of providing energy. While it does have some challenges, such as overcoming the intermittency of solar and wind solutions, this can be circumvented by integrating battery storage into the microgrid.
Greater Reliability
Traditional electricity grids are not immune to the inconveniences – and potentially catastrophic outcomes – of outages or shortates. And for vital businesses, such as hospitals and military bases, that require 24/7 access to electricity, microgrids can offer an uninterrupted supply. Microgrids are also an excellent option for businesses that are not necessarily “vital,” but for which even momentary interruptions in service can have massive repercussions, such as airports and data centers.
For residential areas that are experiencing large population growth, microgrids provide an alternative option to mitigating any overloading issues. As the population increases, the grid runs the risk of being overloaded and therefore being prone to outages, but a microgrid can take pressure off of the main grid.
Lower Energy Costs
In a typical electricity grid, the prices of electricity fluctuate throughout the day depending on the price of fuel and the demand for resources. During peak usage times, such as during the day in the summer when many people are running air conditioners, the price of electricity is higher. Additionally, traditional microgrids, which are used to smooth out peaks in usage time, typically run on generators. If a system has 10 generators, but only 8 are being used, the other 2 are still connected and on (although idle) and utilizing resources and creating emissions.
In the Summer of 2022, California (and most of the country) experienced extreme and prolonged heat waves. In California, the situation became dire, as nearly every air conditioner in the state was running at full capacity, and the state had to issue the highest level energy warning. Had residents not done their part to conserve electricity after the warning was issued, the state would have faced rolling blackouts so that essential services could maintain services.
With a microgrid powered by renewable energy, excess energy can be stored in batteries and this stored energy can be utilized at times when the system is overloaded or there’s just seasonally high (but anticipated) usage.
Community Benefits
In addition to creating a reliable, affordable energy supply, microgrids also provide a number of community benefits – including bringing jobs to rural and disadvantaged communities. When one company announced their plans to bring 80 hybrid microgrids to India, they injected $6million into local communities, created many jobs, and brought electricity to over 10,000 people in a sustainable, eco-friendly way.
About Infinity
With Nokia’s complete portfolio of networking solutions at our fingertips, Infinity Technology Solutions has decades of experience installing, maintaining, and optimizing networks for various industries, including state and municipal departments of transportation.
