Ameren completes utility-scale microgrid in Illinois
Ameren Corporation recently unveiled a utility-scale microgrid in Champaign, Illinois, which is capable of serving live customer loads on a utility distribution feeder and producing up to 1,475 kilowatts.
The microgrid is capable of operating at utility-scale voltages of between 4-kilovolts and 34.5-kilovolts with multiple levels of control. It is the only known microgrid in the nation that can transition the power source for an entire distribution circuit from entirely distributed generation sources to the traditional grid. This concept, which is known as islanding, enables the company to provide over one megawatt to live customers without facing an outage.
“Integrating microgrids onto our system can provide cleaner energy and a stronger, smarter grid capable of delivering the products and services to fit the needs of our future customers and the communities we serve,” Warner Baxter, chairman, president and CEO of Ameren Corporation, said. “There is no better time than now to innovate and position Ameren for even better results in the years ahead.”
The $5 million project is located at Ameren’s Technology Applications Center (TAC) adjacent to the University of Illinois campus.
The leased generation assets located on site include Northern Power Systems Wind Turbine that can generate 100 kilowatts, a 125-kilowatt Yingli Solar Array, a 1,000-kilowatt Caterpillar Natural Gas Generator and S&C Electric Company Battery Storage that can hold up to 250 kilowatts.
“Our focus on building a next generation energy delivery system has enabled Illinois to emerge as a national leader in smart grid innovation,” Richard J. Mark, chairman and president of Ameren Illinois, said. “As the technologies we are testing at this microgrid facility become more accessible in the future, our customers will be able to count on Ameren Illinois to help them safely install and cost-effectively operate distributed generation resources.”
