Microgrids: Empowering Renewable Energy Communities

More people are recognizing the need to act more sustainably. This goes beyond adopting a few eco-friendly measures and focuses more on adopting a holistically green way of life. One option some people embrace is moving to eco-friendly places and acquiring the resources to thrive in an environmentally responsible way. Renewable energy communities are among these flourishing groups.

Renewable energy communities take various approaches to generating and sharing green power. One interesting, and accessible, method is to adopt microgrids. This type of equipment offers many benefits, such as detaching from centralized power grids while minimizing unnecessary pollution and resource consumption. If you’re considering a greener lifestyle, it’s worth exploring this concept further.

What Are Microgrids?

Let’s start by looking at what microgrids are. They’re independent energy sources unconnected to traditional large-scale grid systems. This doesn’t mean every home with a set of solar panels on its roof is a microgrid. Rather, this term describes a dedicated self-sufficient system that provides power to multiple users — residential and business — in a community. 

For the most part, these microgrids have historically been used to provide more reliable energy sources to ecosystems requiring a certain amount of independence or those drawing a lot of energy. Commercial properties and college campuses often use microgrids to put less pressure on the city or county grid system. Hospital complexes, on the other hand, may use them as a way to safeguard against blackouts and cuts that would cause a great deal of disruption.

Increasingly, though, renewable energy communities are adopting microgrids. They offer greater control over access to responsible sources of electricity, while also boosting independence. Not to mention, some microgrid projects are utilizing a combination of renewable forms to make infrastructure more robust. For instance, the Helios Altas project provides clean electricity to rural communities and uses micro-hydrokinetic techniques to generate electricity. However, it is also designed to be compatible with wind and solar systems. This modular approach can make microgrids more agile and relevant to each community’s specific needs and challenges.

How Can Communities Leverage Microgrids?

Microgrids aren’t just a replacement for traditional grids for local green neighborhoods. There are various ways renewable energy communities can leverage microgrids for the benefit of themselves and the planet.

One of the common approaches is using microgrids as backup power systems for renewable communities in a transitional period. In locations with older power supplies, which haven’t been updated or serviced regularly, connecting the community to a backup microgrid is a reliable resource. Importantly, it gives community members a chance to test out the microgrid systems as a source of renewable energy before committing to further investment in the future.

Another way to leverage microgrids is as the primary power source for small rural communities. These locations are often so distant from the central grid, reliable resources aren’t always guaranteed. Then, when things go wrong, it can often take longer to repair than it would in a city. Each member of the rural community banding together to invest in a renewable energy microgrid offers a more localized and impactful source of electricity. Importantly, it reduces the emissions and fuel use from each household. The result is a greener way of life, alongside lower utility costs, for those whose finances are traditionally quite low.

Microgrids pair well with other resources for supporting renewable communities seeking greater independence. For instance, Starlink is a satellite-based internet service designed for long-term and reliable connectivity without reliance on cable services. Its low Earth orbit position means it provides good coverage even to rural communities. This type of service, alongside microgrids, can support rural communities in not just embracing renewable, but also technological advances. Indeed, reliable satellite internet can help ensure microgrids controlled by cloud software platforms have constant connections, ensuring they continue to meet communities’ needs. 

How Can Individual Homeowners Best Prepare?

A renewable community isn’t immediately effective purely due to having a microgrid. As with any resource for sustainability, a microgrid is just a tool. How individual homeowners in the community adopt it is key to how well it can serve the entire energy ecosystem. Therefore, when considering implementing this approach, each homeowner needs to do their part to prepare responsibly for the introduction of renewable energy microgrids.

One thing each homeowner needs to be cognizant of is not putting too much pressure on the microgrid. Investing in affordable eco-friendly home upgrades is a good way to boost your home’s sustainability, while reducing unnecessary resource use. For instance, installing solar panels on the roof, or in the yard, is increasingly cost-effective and can provide a home with a portion of its power demands. 

Federal and state tax incentives are also available to help cover the cost of installation. These take the form of rebates directly for expenditure, grants to support communities and tax credits. Importantly, solar adoption reduces the energy drawn from the microgrid, making it a more sustainable resource for the wider community.

Additionally, while the intelligent control software is designed to regulate power to each building, this doesn’t always eliminate the potential for issues caused by user behavior. Homeowners must take steps to avoid overloading their houses. Pulling too much electricity, due to having appliances with the wrong wattage or too many devices running at the same time, can result in significant damage. This is a relatively simple fix involving unplugging appliances not in use, installing surge protectors and investing in energy-efficient devices, among other steps. Doing so not only protects the home, but also minimizes unnecessary pressure on the microgrid’s resources.

Conclusion

Microgrids are making a sustainable way of life easier for renewable energy communities, not to mention they serve the purpose of supporting those in rural areas. When you’re considering improving the difference you can make to your quality of life, and the planet, microgrids are an increasingly practical method. Connect with communities in your area that are already taking this approach or even discuss it with your neighbors as a project you can all collaborate on. Take that first step to energy independence and see where it leads you!