Transitioning from diesel backup generators to PV-plus-storage microgrids in California public buildings

Hwang, Sunjoo; Tongsopit, Sopitsuda; Kittner, Noah

doi:10.1016/j.spc.2023.04.001

Cited by 15 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…From this figure, the system in the financial scenario has the limited chance of surviving the predefined outage. The system's maximum duration survivability is 12 h. But, the system in the resilience scenario can survive the predefined outage of 48 h. According to the assessments, the lowest resilience is 3 h, while the highest is 2527 h. The finding of our study is also like [102,103], in which the PV/battery microgrid successfully withstands an outage of 41 and 72 h, respectively.…”

Section: Pv/battery Microgridmentioning

confidence: 60%

Development of a PV/Battery Micro-Grid for a Data Center in Bangladesh: Resilience and Sustainability Analysis

Amin,

Hossain,

Lipu

et al. 2023

Sustainability

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Energy resiliency plays an important role in the proper functioning of data centers as they heavily rely on an uninterrupted power supply to ensure smooth operation. In the case of a power outage, the data center’s operation might be hampered, which results in system downtime, data, and economic loss. This issue is severe in developing countries where power supply infrastructures are inadequate and conventional. Microgrids can be an effective solution in this regard. Although several studies developed microgrids to observe the energy resilience benefit for some critical facilities, critical facilities like data centers are often overlooked. In addition, sustainability analysis of a microgrid is also scarce in the present literature. Therefore, one new resilience and sustainability indicator has been developed and implemented in this analysis to fill this gap. For this, new indicators, such as the resilience cost index (RCI) and renewable energy penetration (REP), were used in this study. This study used HOMER version 3.13.3 and REopt software to simulate a robust photovoltaic (PV) and battery microgrid for a hypothetical data center in Bangladesh. A random (48 h) outage was assigned to witness the adaptability of the modelled micro-grid. The suitable size of PV and battery was found to be 249,219 kW and 398,547 kWh, respectively. The system’s USD 18,079,948 net present value (NPV) demonstrates the economic potential of utilizing PV and battery microgrids for data centers. The RCI of the system is found to be 35%, while the REP is 87%. The energy consumption saving of the system is USD 21,822,076. The system emits 652% less CO2 than the grid. The result of this system is also compared with a diesel-based system. After comparison, it is found that the developed PV/battery microgrid provides better environmental and economical service than the diesel generator. During blackouts, the system keeps the data center powered up without interruption while improving energy resilience and lowering carbon emissions. The outcome of this current analysis can serve as a blueprint for other microgrid projects in Bangladesh and other developing countries. By integrating PV/battery microgrids, data centers can cut costs, reduce emissions, and optimize energy use. This will make data centers less reliant on grid services and more flexible to forthcoming development.

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Section: Pv/battery Microgridmentioning

confidence: 60%

Development of a PV/Battery Micro-Grid for a Data Center in Bangladesh: Resilience and Sustainability Analysis

Amin,

Hossain,

Lipu

et al. 2023

Sustainability

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“…Despite the challenges and uncertainties, there is a recognized need to develop local scale solutions, such as microgrids, to replace fossil-fuel based emergency generation with clean solutions that can ensure energy resilience (Hwang et al, 2023). Replacing diesel back-up with a solar-plus-storage system in just one public building, for example, has been estimated to save $3M of public expenditures and reduce CO 2 emissions by 20 tons over 20 years (Hwang et al, 2023). The state's large electric utilities are under increasing pressure to develop resilience strategies, including local scale solutions.…”

Section: Industry Perspectivementioning

confidence: 99%

Advancing California's microgrid communities through anticipatory energy resilience

Aczel

Peffer

2023

Front. Clim.

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Given the uncertainty around climate change and the need to design systems that anticipate future needs, risks, and costs or values related to resilience, the current rules-based regulatory and policy frameworks designed for the centralized system of large-scale energy generation and delivery may not be ‘fit for purpose' for smaller scale local installations centered on community microgrids. This research examines regulatory challenges and potential impediments to implementing a multi-customer community-based microgrid in California through discussion of lessons learned in current pilot projects supported in part by initiatives of the California Energy Commission's Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC). The extent to which regulation has the flexibility to anticipate future needs and risks and support experimentation is evaluated in light of the state's complex and evolving energy system requirements. To illustrate challenges, two case studies of EPIC-supported projects are included. Multiple uncertainties, including future impacts of climate change, energy demands, and advances in technology, highlight the potential need to rethink best approaches to energy regulation. Principles drawn from Resilience Thinking and Anticipatory Regulation are discussed for their potential value in supporting development of new models for community-scale energy production, distribution, and use. Drawing on the experiences of the pilot projects, suggested principles to guide a new regulatory regime specific to microgrids are proposed.

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“…To adopt these decentralized energy solutions, including distributed generation and isolated systems, it is possible to provide electricity in a more efficient, accessible, and sustainable manner for these communities [13]. For example, conventional diesel generators are used to produce electricity in more remote areas; however, this can lead to higher production costs and additional expenses related to their transportation and environment [14].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Techno-Economic Evaluation of Downdraft Fixed Bed Gasification of Almond Shell and Husk as a Process Step in Energy Production for Decentralized Solutions Applied in Biorefinery Systems

Carmo-Calado,

Hermoso-Orzáez,

La Cal-Herrera

et al. 2023

Agronomy

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The objective of the present study was to carry out a technical study of the gasification of almond shells and husks at different temperatures and, subsequently, an economic analysis for the in situ installation of a decentralized unit to produce electricity, through a syngas generator, that would overcome the use of fossil fuels used in this agroindustry. The gasification tests were carried out at three different temperatures (700, 750 and 800 °C) and the results for the tests carried out were as follows: a 50:50 mixture of almond husks and shells was found to have a lower heating value of value of 6.4 MJ/Nm3, a flow rate of 187.3 Nm3/h, a syngas yield of 1.9 Nm3/kg, cold gas efficiency of 68.9% and carbon conversion efficiency of 70.2%. Based on all the assumptions, a 100 kg/h (100 kWh) installation was proposed, located near the raw material processing industries studied, for an economic analysis. The technical–economic analysis indicated that the project was economically viable, under current market conditions, with a calculated net present value of k€204.3, an internal rate of return of 20.84% and a payback period of 5.7 years. It was concluded that thermal gasification is a perfectly suitable technology for the recovery of raw materials of lignocellulosic origin, presenting very interesting data in terms of economic viability for the fixed bed gasification system.

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Transitioning from diesel backup generators to PV-plus-storage microgrids in California public buildings

Cited by 15 publications

References 46 publications

Development of a PV/Battery Micro-Grid for a Data Center in Bangladesh: Resilience and Sustainability Analysis

Development of a PV/Battery Micro-Grid for a Data Center in Bangladesh: Resilience and Sustainability Analysis

Advancing California's microgrid communities through anticipatory energy resilience

Techno-Economic Evaluation of Downdraft Fixed Bed Gasification of Almond Shell and Husk as a Process Step in Energy Production for Decentralized Solutions Applied in Biorefinery Systems

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