Zooming In: How Microgrids Keep the Power On

Without fail, the power at my parent’s house goes out at least four times a year. Whether the cause is a thunderstorm, downed tree, or electrocuted cow (that really did happen once), I grew accustomed to that familiar “powering down” sound that fills many people with dread. For me, all this meant was a walk down the road to my grandma’s house, where her generator was usually up and running. But what if there was a better solution for communities than a fuel-based backup generator? Spoiler alert: There already is.

Imagine a system that can not only tide over a building while the central grid is compromised but an additional, smaller grid that can produce power on its own and connect and disconnect from the central grid at a whim. This system is called a microgrid, and they’re already popping up across the U.S.

This infographic by Larry Tsuei for Energized by Edison shows how microgrids utilize local power sources to ensure consistent electricity is delivered to a community.

Beyond ensuring consistent power for a single building, microgrids ensure that entire communities or areas receive constant access to electricity. For example, consider your local hospital. This is a large facility with multiple buildings that absolutely need electricity to function. The hospital’s campus likely has a generator, but that’s its only backup power source. If the facility instituted a microgrid, the hospital could still be connected to the central grid system, but with the capability to go into “island mode,” separating from the utility's system and producing power on its own.

Enel X snapped this photo showing a microgrid that the company operates in Brooklyn, New York.

At their core, microgrids ensure that the lights stay on. The U.S. Military is already implementing them on bases, and medical facilities and corporations around the country are installing them to protect their capabilities and assets. According to Cushing Terrell, microgrids can use versatile resources to produce and provide power. These grids are often based on a combination of energy production, battery storage, and backup generators. This means more opportunities to use cleaner, more local energy that may not connect to the traditional centralized grid otherwise.

Even if your household or workplace is not connected to a microgrid and probably never will be, microgrids help to stabilize energy production and distribution across the U.S. grid, possibly lowering your energy bill. As we electrify our lives, this consistency and grid resiliency will become more important for all of us. And hey, you never know, a local cow could walk into a hanging power line at any time and make your life quite inconvenient for a little while. I can promise that you’ll wish you had a microgrid then! Thanks for reading.