Microgrid Battery Storage and Solar Energy: What Are They and Where To Use Them?

There are many ways to use renewable energy. There is a very cost-efficient middle ground between large power plants and individual facilities (microgrid battery storage).

According to Wikipedia, a microgrid system is a group of localised power sources and loads that are usually connected and synchronised with a conventional network, but can also be disconnected in 'island mode' and operate autonomously depending on physical or economic conditions.

In this way, microgrids can effectively integrate a wide range of distributed power sources, particularly renewable energy sources such as solar PV, and can also provide emergency power, switching between islanded and grid-connected modes.

This makes them ideal for consumer areas such as gated communities, towns or neighbourhoods.

Basically, they allow the use of solar panels to create large renewable energy installations and to use them more efficiently in networks where entire communities use their services.

The most outstanding advantages are the ability to manage energy consumption efficiently and economically, improve the quality of services, reduce costs and increase self-management.

MICROGRIDS TYPICALLY HAVE THE FOLLOWING BASIC ELEMENTS

Local generation

Microgrids can provide several types of generation sources to supply electricity to customers, such as solar photovoltaics. These fall into two main categories: thermal energy (e.g. natural gas or biogas generators or micro cogeneration) and renewable energy (e.g. wind, solar turbines).

Consumption

In a microgrid, consumption refers only to the users who use the electricity, from households to public lighting, building heating systems, shopping centres, etc.

Energy storage and microgrids management

In a microgrid, energy storage and management can perform a variety of functions, such as ensuring power quality, including frequency and voltage regulation, smoothing the production of renewable energy, providing back-up power to the system and playing a key role in cost optimisation. When several energy banks of different capacities are available in a microgrid, it is advisable to coordinate their loading and unloading.

Connection to a conventional network or common coupling

Point It is the point in the circuit where the microgrid is connected to the main network. A microgrid without a CCP is called an isolated microgrid and is usually found in the case of remote sites (e.g. remote communities or remote industrial sites) where interconnection to the main network is not feasible due to technical or economic constraints.

ADVANTAGES

Microgrids are able to operate in both grid-connected and autonomous modes and can handle transitions between the two. In grid-connected mode, ancillary services can be provided through operational activities between the microgrid and the main grid.

The microgrid system can switch between these two modes due to regular maintenance, deterioration in power quality or shortages in the host network, local network failures or for economic reasons. By varying the flow of energy through microgrid components, microgrids facilitate the integration of renewable energy generation, such as photovoltaic, wind and fuel cell generation, without the need to redesign the national distribution system or request additional services from supplier companies. Modern optimisation methods can also be incorporated into microgrid energy management systems to improve efficiency, economy and resilience.

As a microgrid company, BSLBATT can provide customers with solutions such as microgrid battery storage and utility-scale energy storage systems to minimize power generation costs and provide reliable power in remote areas or reduce electricity bills for businesses and industries.