While effective, this approach can be highly intrusive and capital intensive. As a result of aging electrical infrastructure, new stresses from the global economy, and the advent of new technologies, the grid has become strained and unable to keep pace with the increased energy demands in today’s age. Historically, energy resilience has been achieved through efficiency, diversity, and redundancy. Microgrid adoption is a decision we can’t afford to pass on as we fortify our future for the new energy landscape. Furthermore, since most modern microgrids embrace renewable energy and improve flexibility, they provide value to both consumers and the grid between storms in the form of low-cost clean energy and load management.īy establishing an energy system that is resilient, reliable, green, predictable, and digital, we remove the barriers from all our critical systems and enable our businesses and communities to reach their full potential. And, for economies like the United States’ – where electrical infrastructure is in place but aging – new technologies connected by microgrids can transform legacy infrastructure into a resilient power grid that offers reliable access to energy, even when extreme weather hits. Rooted in IoT, microgrids can especially have impact on communities where infrastructure is lacking – or nonexistent – by allowing the creation of power grids with a customized energy infrastructure based on the community’s needs. Microgrids have proven to be a viable option to strengthen the electrical grid and serve communities when disaster strikes. In fact, the director of government affairs at the World Resources Institute, Christina DeConcini, recently told the New York Times that the federal government is not adapting to the risks posed by climate change spending too many resources on rebuilding in regions affected by extreme weather, when instead, they should be building resilience against disasters proactively. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimates that 2017 was the costliest year on record, with 16 different disasters collectively costing the United States more than $300 billion.Īs government officials and policy stakeholders grapple with how to respond to this unprecedented economic and environmental impact, voices have emerged in support of a strategy that emphasizes proactive investments in resilience over reactionary response. Why do microgrids become a hot topic when talking about natural disasters’ impacts and possible solutions? In an increasingly connected society, the economic impact of extreme weather and associated power outages has escalated rapidly.
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