Is market restructuring a threat to a microgrid?

Market restructuring, like that proposed in New York's “Reforming the Energy Vision (REV)” effort, will be required to move from a situation where microgrids are viewed as a threat to one in which distributed energy resource services are valued by the utility grid and fairly compensated .

Should microgrids be considered a'macrogrid'?

In industrialized countries, microgrids must be discussed in the context of a mature “macrogrid” that features gigawatt-scale generating units, thousands or even hundreds of thousands of miles of high voltage transmission lines, minimal energy storage, and carbon-based fossil fuels as a primary energy source.

Will grid-tied microgrid customers stay connected if the grid fails?

Although grid-tied microgrid customers will likely stay connected to the grid for the foreseeable future, only islanding in the case of utility grid failure, self-consumption of microgrid generated energy could erode the revenue base that has traditionally paid for utility infrastructure investments.

What is a PPA & how does a microgrid work?

The infrastructure in a PPA is owned by a third party and leased to customers to provide electricity and related services to end customers. In the case of microgrids, improved security, reliability, and sustainability can be marketed along with economic benefits like energy cost savings.

What can remote microgrids do?

Remote microgrids combining clean generation and storage, in some cases facilitated by innovative mobile payment platforms, can provide a lifeline to those people, allowing children to study at night, medical systems to provide reliable service, and entrepreneurs to improve their livelihoods.

Are microgrids good for rural and remote communities?

While this paper focuses on microgrids in areas with existing centralized electrical grids, it is important to remember that they also present many advantages to rural and remote communities in developing countries; these are covered in more detail below.