Microgrid implementations are increasingly becoming the most sustainable and resilient option for industries to provide continual operation during natural disasters and blackouts. On May 7-9, Microgrid Knowledge hosted its annual conference on microgrids where stakeholders, experts, developers and technology providers came together to discuss best practices, successes, and lessons learned throughout 2017.
Across industries, the resilience of operations is a top priority to ensure the safety of employees and residents and the continuity of operations to meet financial obligations and keep the power on. It also provides a platform for increasing the deployment of renewable energy strategies, which reduce emissions, produce savings and provide a more reliable energy supply. This year, Veolia was honored to be actively involved in discussions on important topics like microgrids in urban redevelopment and contract models.
Veolia SMEs provided valuable education about our approach in several sessions and also took part in audiences throughout the conference and learned from their peers. Here are the top key takeaways we learned at Microgrid 2018.
Excitement in the Marketplace
Looking back at Microgrid 2018, we experienced substantial excitement for microgrid development for the near, mid, and long term horizon. It is clear that real opportunity is emerging across the country in terms of product innovation and customer demand. Based on the presentations and what we are personally observing with our customers, the pipeline for projects is strong and growing.
That being said, the reality is that microgrid projects can take a long time to come to fruition and the speed of deployment will depend on the project teams’ ability to navigate a multitude of potential roadblocks. Project teams must overcome typical challenges including navigating the all-important utility interconnection, rate tariff negotiations, and permits, which can be unique to location.
Third Party Business Models
One solution that has the potential to aid in deployment is the increased availability of third party business models. Highly specialized teams across engineering, technology, construction, finance, and operations are forming to deliver projects via a business model that has been termed “microgrids as a service.”
The microgrid as a service model helps alleviate upfront barriers such as capital availability, lengthy planning and procurement cycles. It also sets up projects for successful long-term operations & maintenance by ensuring that operating partners are actively engaged during project development.
As an industry leader, we’re excited at the potential to collaborate with our industry peers and bring these disciplines together to form cohesive, scalable, and turnkey microgrid solutions. What was presented at this year’s conference in terms of best practices and lessons display an exciting and innovative future for the deployment of microgrid projects across the country.
To learn more about microgrids and how to successfully implement them, download our Whitepaper “Navigating Utility Interconnection Requirements” today!