Demonstrating the power of microgrids

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The global climate crisis is transforming the energy market in favour of more sustainable alternatives. Combined with rising populations putting demand on ageing infrastructures, there is a space in the market for efficient, scalable and environmentally friendly solutions which are easy to integrate away from the public grid.

Microgrids offer such a solution, enabling reliable forms of power generation that can support the supply of electricity from combined heat and power plants, diesel- and gas- or hydrogen-powered generators, in future also fuel cell systems and renewable energies with batteries.

Managing the variables

Renewable energies pose challenges when it comes to providing a constant, steady stream of power. While photovoltaic cells and wind turbines are becoming ever more commonplace, fluctuations in weather can inevitably lead to drops in supply.

Microgrids solve this challenge through smart energy management, integrating the sources of renewable energy with control systems to determine which type of weather can be harnessed and when, and storing that energy in batteries until it’s needed.

This makes for a stable source of power that allows operators to loosen their dependency on the public grid or become fully autonomous, depending on their geographical location and proximity to main power supplies.

A tailored solution come rain or shine

At our Rolls-Royce Power Systems manufacturing plants in Aiken County, South Carolina and Friedrichshafen, Germany we’ve installed sustainable microgrid solutions on-site that are practical demonstrators for customers considering a microgrid. Whatever the customer's specific needs, our Microgrid Validation Centres – can provide a realistic replication of an individually configured microgrid using high-tech components.

“In our Validation Centres, we can configure microgrids of various sizes, capacities and layouts and demonstrate to the customer how they will function – also taking into account the wind and sun conditions that prevail at the customer's location,” explains Armin Fürderer, Customer Solutions at Rolls-Royce Power Systems.

Delivering scalability

In Friedrichshafen, the Validation Centre covers battery capacities from 50 kWh (enough for around 50 washing machine cycles) to 2 MWh (the equivalent of the yearly power requirement of a single-person household), reflecting the versatility of the solution.

“Microgrids are almost freely scalable, and you can increase their capacity by using, for example, several battery containers, a bigger photovoltaic installation, or by adding on wind turbines and larger or extra generator sets,” continues Fürderer.

This is a very interesting proposition for operators from all branches of industry, because they can either improve the capacity factor of their existing power installation or use the microgrid as a stable or autonomous source of power,” adds Fürderer.

The microgrid provides the optimum solution for public utility companies already running combined heat and power modules and photovoltaic installations, largescale farms with biogas plants that likewise use solar and wind power, or businesses that want to free themselves from the public grid.

At the heart of the microgrid are special transformers, inverters and switchgear that simulate the function of the different energy sources being integrated into the microgrid, alongside a 40-ft EnergyPack battery container. Using a smart controller, the microgrid can ensure optimal energy deployment by determining when it is most economical to use an energy source for providing power to consumers or charging the battery.

A stable and sustainable solution

Above all, at the core of our customers’ needs is the ability to ensure the stability of the power supply, eradicating interruptions to production and other critical operations. As we look ahead to a net zero future, the microgrid also provides electrical power that is as green, clean and economically feasible as possible, enabling the opportunity for several hundred tons of CO2 emissions to be cut each year.

Demonstrating the power of microgrids

Managing the variables

A tailored solution come rain or shine

Delivering scalability

A stable and sustainable solution

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