Solar Micro Grid Systems
Micro Grid Systems
Micro-grids improve reliability and resilience of neighborhoods plants and districts and can increase the resilience, efficiency, better manage electricity supply and demand, and help integrate renewables, creating real chances to cut greenhouse gas emissions and reduce dependence on fossil fuels while bringing a leveling out electrical operating cost.
Models & Pricing
Choose the right Microgrid System for your application.
Complete Project Assessment
- Per System Drawing and Manual
- Detailed Computer Design
- Project Directors
- Hands on Training
- Set-up and Instruction
- System Sustainment
- Delivered Pre-Assembled
- Global Support
- Remote monitoring and Control
Solar Micro grid Benefits:
- Turn key pre-engineered
- Cost Effective
- Low Maintenance
- Modular Design
- Multi Power Sources
- Easy Installation
- Minimal Attendance Required
- Low voltage and high volt units
- Remote monitoring and Control
- Inspector Friendly
Gallery
How does Energy Conversion work with a Solar Micro-grid
Solar panels are comprised of photovoltaic cells that react to UV rays and transform it into electricity. Each cell is made up of conduction materials from silicon, which is highly reactive to solar energy. Due to the gases and elements of the sun being highly reactive, the protons from these materials are constantly moving at a rapid pace from the sun to Earth. When these protons come in contact with certain elements on Earth, such as silicon, there is a chemical reaction. The protons from the sun’s rays cause the electrons to escape from the atoms that make up silicon, which generates an electric current.
The energy of these moving atoms can be converted into a clean power source via wires threaded throughout the solar panel system. These wires convert the energy from the moving electrons of the silicon into electricity that can be used to power just about anything.
Energy Storage
Solar panels themselves do not store energy; electricity is merely created within the cells and then transported through conductors to an electric device, such as a lightbulb. However, solar panel systems can be hooked up to special batteries which are able to store this energy for later use.
Since solar panels can only create energy when they are in contact with UV rays, the panels are not generating power during the night. This is why power storage units are often used in conjunction with a solar panel system. These batteries can store extra electricity that is produced on sunny days so that it can either be used at a later time or sold back to the power company.
A solar micro-grid is an increasingly popular technology that’s giving homeowners, businesses, and entire communities access to cleaner and more reliable power. Depending on its size, a solar micro-grid can be used to power one or multiple homes or facilities.
Suninone manufactures and uses leading solar technologies, include them in our systems to create a micro-grid energy system for your business application or village or town. Keep reading to learn more, about solar micro-grids and why they are so beneficial.
Micro-grids vs Solar Micro-grids: What’s the Difference?
A microgrid is a local, independently controlled power grid that can integrate distributed energy resources (DERs) into the main electric grid or you can make your own grid. Microgrids can distribute all kinds of energy resources, including renewable energy to fossil fuels.
A solar micro-grid is a specific type of micro-grid that generates electricity using solar power. A solar panel system complete with battery storage and backup generation is a type of solar micro-grid.
How Does a Solar Micro-grid Work?
Solar micro-grids can be connected to the main electric grid and can integrate with it, but they can also separate themselves from the grid and operate independently.
A solar micro-grid will maintain a connection to the main grid until it’s deemed necessary to switch to independent power generation or “island mode.” This usually happens during a period of high electricity demand, or during a power outage. The switch happens seamlessly, and you may not even notice that your system has gone into island mode. You can also use the system always in Island mode so that you run off grid all the time and you are not depend on the grid or the rising cost of electric from the grid.
How You’ll Benefit from a Solar Micro-grid
There are many benefits to solar micro-grid technology, including:
- Power during an outage.
- Less reliance on fossil fuels.
- Greater energy independence.
- Lower electricity costs.
- Improved grid resiliency.
Why are you doing a Micro Grid?
Optimal Micro-grid Design & Validation
- Optimization techniques to evaluate design feasibility
- Configure and compare a variety of scenarios to analyze technical performance.
- Validate micro-grid system design and logic incorporating historical, present, or forecasted conditions.
- Safeguard against power interruptions.
- Proactively adapt to system changes, unexpected events and disturbances.
- Demand for effective energy sustainability and carbon footprint reduction.
- Effective management and optimization of distributed generation and load assets.
Lower the Cost of Engineering, Operation & Maintenance
- Reduce the total cost of ownership (TCO) by reducing the cost of electricity (COE).
- Manage and decrease the Operations & Maintenance cost.
- Ensuring that supply and demand are met and optimized at all times within the agreed and empowered electricity prices and programs.
The Benefits of Solar Microgrids
Implementing a microgrid provides facilities with clean energy at a lower cost than conventional power generation. Cost savings and emergency backup power are two major advantages to solar microgrids. Still, the largest advantage is the control owners have over their facilities and the significant energy savings that can be achieved.
Here is a breakdown of the major benefits owners can expect from microgrid systems:Lower Electrical Utility Costs:
A microgrid reduces utility costs by either disconnecting from the grid or using power from the grid at times of lower cost. While solar power may not be enough to supplement all energy costs completely, owners can secure long-term natural gas contracts. In ideal situations, heat recovery will help reduce gas consumption as well. Solar microgrid systems are flexible and allow different configurations to provide the most energy savings and protect against utility rate spikes and changes.
Meet Payback Goals (Net Positive)
Solar power today is now at grid parody. For owners whose utility rates are based on kWh consumption, solar power is equal to the cost of power from the grid. Therefore, owners will not pay higher rates for producing solar energy. With the ability to net meter, owners will see positive cash flows in the first year under these rate structures.
Owners who buy power with lower kWh costs but high demand costs can use a micro-grid system to reduce demand costs while lowering the amount of kWh consumed from the grid. Depending on the cost of demand, micro-grids can show higher annual net savings than a renewable energy system alone.
Stable Source of Energy:
Energy independence should not be understated here, as a micro-grid ensures that a building Plant or Application has backup energy storage. This local energy production can be adjusted to meet federal and state energy storage requirements.
Reduce Environmentally Dangerous Emissions:
Utilizing renewable energy is a major function of micro-grids. Reliable solar power systems offer favorable financing solutions while reducing fossil fuel emissions found in conventional power generators. Additionally, power productiogy independence should not be
More Efficient Power Systems:
Producing your power locally is more efficient than purchasing it from the utility company. There is a large amount of line loss due to the distance electrical energy must travel from the utility company to a facility.
Solar micro-grids allow owners to take back the control of their energy systems from the utility company and achieve energy savings. These systems are a flexible, clean, efficient, and cost-effective energy option for facilities.
Monitoring and Control of you Micro Grid
Mission critical operations need a reliable power system that operates by supplementing the utility grid in parallel mode or autonomous island mode in a clean, optimized, low cost and resilient manner.
Monitor, manage and optimize your Suninone Energy system remotely and catch potential issues early by setting alerts and alarms. With the most up-to-date Remote Monitoring solution on the planet, you are always in perfect control, from anywhere in the world.
Instantly monitor the battery state of charge, power consumption, power harvest from PV, generator, and mains, or check tank levels and temperature measurements. Easily control the shore power input current limit, (auto)start/stop generator(s) or change any setting to optimize the system. Follow up on alerts, perform diagnostic checks and resolve challenges remotely. maximize the performance of your systems components in real-time and keeps them in perfect tune. With its Dual Core Processor and a Touch display allows you to have an instant overview of your system and adjust settings in the blink of an eye.
Monitoring serves endless purposes, extending perfect control to the most diverse applications. For solutions including generators, such as Telecom Marine or Of Grid, Backup and grid support, it will auto-start/stop your generator, or delays ignition until the end of ‘quiet’ periods. For Battery Energy Storage Systems keeps the backup batteries at 100%, kicks-in during power-cuts and diverts excess (solar) power to self-consumption, saving you money. For Portable and emergency power it keeps vital systems function flawlessly so they system can be trailer on short notice.
What the IRA Means for Utility and Remote Micro Grid Projects
Significant funding through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) for rural electrification and clean energy has significantly reduced the cost of Remote Grid Standalone Power Systems, enabling cheaper and scalable Remote Grid deployments for more utilities.
New grant and funding programs included within the IRA now make it easier for both large and small utilities to develop solar and storage systems in remote areas, as many of them are dedicated to rural and underserved communities.
One of the largest components of the IRA is the extension of Clean Energy Investment Tax Credits (ITC), which now includes standalone battery storage. Here are some core benefits:
- Through 2035, utilities can save up to 30% of costs in the form of tax credits.
- Utilities that qualify can earn stackable bonus credits if the respective project is under 5 MW.
- Projects can earn an extra 10% in ITCs if they are located in a low-income community or Tribal land, or if it meets the IRAs domestic content requirements.
- Reinstated Production Tax Credits (PTC) associated with energy generated from renewable sources like solar, in which case the credit rate is 2.6 cents per kWh.
As a part of the IRA and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), the Grid Deployment Office has put forth several grants related to grid resilience that can be leveraged for Remote Grid projects:
Grid Resilience Formula Grants
- Invests $2.5 billion in states and Tribes to modernize grid infrastructure and increase renewable generation and distributed energy resources. Applicable uses under the program include a range of resiliency measures, which include the use or construction of microgrids and battery storage subcomponents, for enhancing system adaptive capacity during disruptive events.
Grid Innovation Program
- Provides $5 billion in financial assistance to one or multiple states, Tribes, local governments, and public utility commissions to collaborate with electric sector owners and operators to deploy projects that use innovative approaches to transmission, storage, and distribution infrastructure to enhance grid resilience and reliability.
Talk with a Suninone expert about microgrid solutions for utilities or Tribes or remote and backup power
Rural Renewable Energy Loan Program
- Provides $1 billion in guaranteed loan financing and grant funding to agricultural producers and rural small businesses for renewable energy systems or to make energy efficiency improvements.
The Energy Improvement in Rural or Remote Areas Program
- Provides another $1 billion to rural and remote areas to improve resilience, safety, reliability, and availability of energy and increase environmental protection from adverse impacts of energy use, in coordination with the Department of Interior.
Rural Energy for America Program
- Offers $2 billion in grants and guaranteed loans for developing clean energy systems and installing energy-efficient infrastructures such as lighting, insulation, cooling, and more to farmers, ranchers, and rural small businesses.
Rather than the traditional utility model of building and maintaining costly and sometimes risky distribution lines, utilities can instead leverage these sources of funding to give rural regions clean and resilient solar standalone power systems. These programs, combined with the fact that microgrids already can be more cost effective than replacing or hardening rural distribution lines, makes deploying Remote Grids in high fire-threat zones even more financially attractive to utilities in the Western U.S.
The IRA and the IIJA are historic in the sense that they are the two of the largest investments in the fight against climate change ever made by the United States. While remote microgrids have a great track record in providing clean and resilient energy already, the many financial incentives towards solar plus storage deployment will allow both small and large utilities to take on many more of these new projects in the future.
