Microgrids Archives | Page 2 of 2 | Mesa Power Solutions

Someone pointing at data collection chart.

Microgrid Controls: Communicating in Real-Time

November 18, 2022

With the ever-evolving technological backdrop to society, people want instant feedback and access to information. We can monitor our front porch video feed from our cell phone while we are on a beach vacation, we can preheat the oven at our house before we leave the office, and we can start our cars in the bitter cold winter from the comfort and warmth of our homes. With the advancement of technology not slowing down, microgrids should have the functionality to communicate in real time. Below are three things a microgrid controller should be able to do: accept control commands, engage in site and wide area optimization, and report its own health. Accept Control Commands Modern microgrid control systems have many features for managing the combined resources within their purview. A good example of a feature grouping is the algorithms involved in the control of storage batteries. Given some understanding of the future, such as tomorrow’s weather forecast or tomorrow’s power pricing, decisions must be made about when to charge and when to discharge the battery. Many other control decisions have to be made

problems microgrids can solve, photo of microgrid set up.

Three Problems Microgrids Can Solve

September 30, 2022

Utilities face a variety of challenges in today’s business and technical environment. While customers want lower prices, they also want greater reliability in general, and greater resilience at their specific location. A utility leader recently characterized the customer side of the equation, saying “It used to be that customers could occasionally cope with going 48 hours without power. Now, as soon as their cell phone battery goes dead, it’s a crisis for them.” Large, corporate solutions to these issues are expensive and don’t always solve the problem right to the customer’s door. On the other hand, microgrids and distributed power generation, can solve these problems and can do so comprehensively. Below are three problems that microgrids and distributed generation can solve. Problem #1: Low Power Generation from Utility Grid Historically, when a utility system became capacity “constrained,” the solution was to build bigger central station generators. These installations were difficult to build in the past and even more so now. This is partly due to the risk of recovering such large investments in a constantly changing regulatory environment, and partly