NEMA report introduces microgrids as integrated distribution system components
The National Electrical Manufacturing Association (NEMA) recently released a new report that advocates for the use of microgrids as a key 21st century power distribution system component.
The report – titled “Powering Microgrids for the 21st-Century Electrical System” – aims to change industry conceptions of microgrids, from systems that only handle generation and load to components of power delivery system operations, capable of interaction with the distribution grid through advanced control and management systems.
“This report explains the developments we’re currently seeing in energy distribution systems and lays out a vision for the future in which microgrids are an essential part of the larger electrical infrastructure across the United States,” Steve Griffith, an industry director at NEMA, said. “Microgrids will play a major role in grid modernization in an evolving regulatory framework.”
The report, which is available for free on NEMA’s website, offers an overview of the electric power grid’s structure, describing the developmental history of the distribution grid as it shifted from passive to active. Data presented in the report includes component and system costs, details of technologies that will facilitate the deployment of microgrids, and a forward-looking projection for the results of microgrid integration.
NEMA’s report envisions a future where microgrids move from components that serve primarily during outages to one in which they evolve and are deployed as integral components of energy-efficient distribution systems.
