Natural disasters, the pandemic, new business models and state policies drive the microgrid market forward, while regulatory hurdles hold it back, say industry players who will be speaking November 17-19 at Microgrid 2020 Global.
The natural disasters spurring microgrid growth include hurricanes and wildfires. In some cases, the wildfires have prompted utilities such as Pacific Gas & Electric in California and Pacific Power in Oregon to implement public safety power shutoffs (PSPS) to reduce the risks of fires from electrical equipment.
“This year has certainly brought its challenges, with COVID, a very active hurricane season, and fires in the west,” said Allan Schurr, chief commercial officer, Enchanted Rock. “As a result, we’re seeing companies focused on crisis-proofing operations before the next event.”
Schurr was among several Microgrid 2020 Global speakers that Microgrid Knowledge interviewed in advance of the upcoming event, which has drawn thousands of registrants worldwide.
Echoing Schurr’s idea, Gary Leatherman, vice president, power advisory and smart and distributed energy for Worley, said, “To keep the lights on during PSPS, entities looked to develop solutions; this increased the demand for microgrids.”
Added Paul Roege, vice president for strategic initiatives, Typhoon HIL, “It seems clear that the greatest impact on microgrid projects has been broad impacts of disruptive events — particularly natural disasters, with some contributions by human actors.”
Increased demand also is coming from areas ravaged by hurricanes.
Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, even though it occurred in 2017, continues to spark significant interest in that area, said Harold Ruckpaul, director, strategic alliances, Eaton.
In the face of storms and wildfires, energy security is critical, said Kati Sidwall, simulation specialist for RTDS. “Our standards for power system protection and control must change. Increasing the deployment of microgrids that can operate securely and effectively is part of the solution, as is examining the performance of existing protection and control schemes under a wide variety of contingency scenarios,” she said.
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