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Fueling Microgrids: Natural Gas and the Renewable Energy Shift

Posted by Ben Klopp on Monday, September 30, 2024

a dark cityscape with lights and power concentrated on a few buildings with a microgrid

Loss of power and electricity can be quite an inconvenience – but in some cases, catastrophic. For most it means the annoyance of finding flashlights to see where you’re headed and getting the grill out to cook your thawing food, but for other users, power loss could mean loss of life. Maintaining power to critical infrastructure such as hospitals, elderly care homes, and data centers isn’t an option, it’s a necessity.

Modern technological advances are creating a massive increase in energy demand, a nonnegotiable demand for many end users. Reliable power means redundant power sources… or power production beyond “the grid.” Cue the spotlight on Microgrid systems.

What are Microgrids and how do they work?

"microgrids act as backup generators on steroids"

Microgrids are electrical power generation facilities that are capable of operating as a standalone power source (island mode), or a supplemental source of power to increase the reliability of the standard power grid as we know it. Generating localized power from fuel sources like oil and natural gas, or renewables such as solar, wind and geothermal sources allows for increased flexibility in keeping communities and facilities operational when the primary power grid goes offline or is entirely nonexistent.

Microgrids are often established as backup power for a failed or taxed primary power grid. In these cases, microgrids act as backup generators on steroids, designed to provide power to entire communities, industrial complexes, and other critical infrastructure versus user by user. These systems are designed to automatically takeover or ramp up as needed during outages or aid in managing fluctuations in demand, to power a defined electrical load, via a substantial controls infrastructure.

How resilient are Microgrids? Can they fail?

A well-designed microgrid is riddled with protections against failure, with N+1 redundancy or better throughout. In other words, a typical microgrid system establishes that no single failure will cause a total system failure and only the occurrence of multiple, simultaneous, and/or complex failures throughout the system will disrupt operation. The design of these systems is unique for each application, however common redundancies include system controls, switching, communications, generation, feeders/circuits, energy storage, and multiple fueling sources.

How are Microgrids typically fueled?

Microgrids require a reliable fuel source for nonstop operation. This is typically left to diesel or natural gas while renewables such as solar, wind, geothermal, and renewable natural gas (RNG) sources are steadily growing. For many applications, diesel fuel has been the major fuel source, requiring large onsite storage, whereas natural gas is quickly becoming the go-to fuel source for microgrid applications to reduce onsite storage needs while reducing CO₂ emissions during combustion.

For the same amount of energy output, natural gas produces significantly lower CO₂ emissions than diesel fuel when combusted, making it a preferred source of reliable, non-intermittent fuel for critical microgrid applications. With approximately 3 million miles of natural gas distribution and transmission lines throughout the United States, access to reliable natural gas as a fuel source for these systems is increasingly favorable. The logistics of getting a dedicated natural gas feed does have its hurdles, however with increasing emphasis on greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction these challenges and associated costs of interconnects and pipelines are much more palatable.

Along those same lines, renewables such as solar, wind, geothermal and renewable natural gas (RNG) are playing an increasing role in powering microgrids. Solar and wind are intermittent sources of renewable energy that provide options for further reducing GHG emissions, however energy storage limitations are often prohibitive as sole providers for critical infrastructure microgrid needs. Geothermal sources also provide power generation options in certain areas of the United States, however these installations come with both geographical and cost limitations that prevent geothermal from being a top tier option for most microgrid applications.

Of the renewables, the reliability and environmentally favorable fuel source for microgrids is RNG.

Many RNG sources such as biogas from agricultural waste, food waste, and landfill installations provide options for microgrid operators to reduce their carbon footprint. RNG production is typically not at a scale large enough to be the sole fuel source for microgrid operators and requires a steady feedstock for consideration as a reliable fuel source contributor. However, when a steady RNG feedstock is available, RNG can be provided around the clock, which offers a desirable non-intermittent fuel source.

Are you looking to learn more about microgrids, RNG, or other reliable power sources? Our energy production and infrastructure team assists project developers in identifying natural gas feasibility (FEED Studies), transmission (pipeline) design and permitting, interconnects, RNG integration, and distribution planning and engineering services, reach out to me!