Microgrids, or microgrids, are small electrical networks designed to provide a reliable and independent supply of electricity to a small number of consumers.
They consist of local energy production facilities (e.g. diesel generators, solar panels, mini-wind turbines, etc.), as well as consumption, storage, monitoring and demand management systems.
Finally, they may concern different types of places and territories (e.g. buildings, industrial areas, villages, etc.).
Microgrids are favoured by isolated territories
In the case of island territories or remote rural areas, the microgrid system may be of interest to ensure a reliable energy supply and/or reduce the energy bill of the territory concerned. Microgrids integrate equipment for the production and local storage of energy, limiting the risk of network failure.
In French Polynesia, ENGIE's local subsidiary, EDT (Electricité de Tahiti), has deployed a nationwide hybrid energy solution, including solar panels, batteries and diesel generators, to supply up to 70% of the island's energy needs with green energy and reduce the cost of supply for local residents.
In addition to isolated areas, microgrids could well prove to be a sustainable energy solution for other territories due to their many advantages:
By replicating the challenges of deploying Smart Grids on a small scale,
microgrids can also be used as low-cost tests before the full-scale implementation of these smart power grids, which may take several years.
Microgrids are interesting for large industrial and commercial complexes because of the energy self-sufficiency they can provide, i.e. the islanding capacity: the ability to operate without being connected to the grid over a given period. Microgrids are an optimization model for the power grid, and allow customers to reduce their energy bills in the short term (depending on the payback period), ensure their security of energy supply in the event of a national grid failure by isolating themselves, and promote the ecological nature of the installation.
A global context favourable to the development of microgrids
The agreement reached at COP21 in 2015 marked a political will on the part of the signatory countries to better control their energy consumption and to replace fossil energy sources with renewable energies.
In this context, two factors argue for the development of microgrids:
These two factors would therefore make it possible to envisage a future generalisation of microgrids, favouring the production of RE. However, the technical and economic challenges regarding the deployment of microgrids are still numerous.
The first challenges raised by microgrids are of a technical nature:
The second are socio-economic in nature:
External sources
Since 2002, Benjamin Fradelle has been developing expertise in digital spatial planning, both in terms of defining the strategy of local authorities and in the technical and economic approaches associated with public initiative networks.
Comment agir pour la #transitionenergetique et la #transfonum des territoires ? En promouvant l’émergence d’une filière #smartgrids française ???????????? @SmartGrids_Fr @ThinkSmartgrids @fnccr @ademe . 80 pages à télécharger ici ???? https://t.co/UJMeGAbp4L pic.twitter.com/4RIahskTej
— @tactis (@TACTIS_group) December 17, 2018
Hello, do you have a question about microgrids ? Need to remove doubts in view of a future project? Send an email to Benjamin Fradelle, Tactis Associate Director.
Since 2002, Benjamin Fradelle has been developing expertise in digital spatial planning, both in terms of defining the strategy of local authorities and in the technical and economic approaches associated with public initiative networks.