TSL has 24 years of experience in providing low cost reliable energy and RE solutions for customers both in India and abroad. In the search for more reliable and versatile solutions incorporating various RE sources such as solar, wind, biomass etc, we have developed Smart RE Microgrid Solutions.

Micro Grid – An Outline

A small energy system that can operate independently or in conjunction with the main electrical grid (macro grid) can be termed as Micro grid. It is a small-scale power grid capable of balancing captive supply and demand resources to maintain stable service within a defined boundary. So, any localized station having its own power resources, generation and loads and definable boundaries qualifies as a microgrid.

Microgrids can support integration of intermittent energy sources (wind and solar) Power may be stored and shaped and conditioned

Microgrids can be further categorised as,

Remote “Off-grid” Microgrids: Microgrid systems that are not connected to a local utility network (grid) which are designed for remote sites, islands etc.

Campus Environment/Institutional Microgrids: Microgrid systems fully interconnected with a local utility grid, but can also maintain some level of service in isolation from the grid, such as during a utility outage. Typical examples serve university and corporate campuses, prisons, and corporates.

Military Base Microgrids: Microgrids actively deployed with focus on both physical and cyber security for military facilities in order to assure reliable power without relying on the Macrogrid.

Nanogrids: A nanogrid comprised of the smallest discrete network units with the capability to operate independently. It can be defined as a single building or a single energy domain.

Microgrid projects are driven by factors as below

Need for electrification in remote locations and developing countries
Customer need for more reliable, resilient, and sustainable service
Grid security and survivability concerns
Utility needs for grid optimization, investment deferral, congestion relief, and ancillary services
Demand for dependable and lower-cost energy supplies than are locally available (especially at remote sites, such as islands, military or mineral/resource installations, and isolated communities relying on expensive, high-polluting fuels)
Environmental, efficiency, and renewable energy benefits

Basic components in microgrids

Energy Sources

There are a variety of generation source that can feed electricity to user. These sources are divided into two major groups – conventional energy sources (ex. Diesel generators) and renewable generation sources (e.g. wind turbines, solar).

Smart Microgrid control (SMC)

As the name indicates the microgrid control systems are smart, efficient, reliable, and secure solutions for guaranteeing uninterrupted energy delivery. They control and protect both renewable and conventional generation and provide the user with the best of both worlds. SMC, let you manage energy storage to maximize renewable generation and ensures applications like peak load shifting and load sharing.

Energy Storage Module (ESM)

Energy storage can perform multiple functions, such as ensuring power quality, including frequency and voltage regulation, smoothing the output of renewable energy sources, providing backup power for the system and playing crucial role in cost optimization. It includes all electrical, pressure, gravitational, flywheel, and heat storage technologies.

Point of common coupling (PCC)

It is the point in the electric circuit where a microgrid is connected to a main or macro grid. Microgrids that do not have a PCC are called isolated microgrids which are usually presented in the case of remote sites (e.g., remote communities or remote industrial sites) where an interconnection with the main grid is not feasible due to either technical and/or economic constraints.

Loads

It simply refers to elements that consume electricity which range from single devices to lighting, heating system of buildings, commercial centres, etc. In the case of controllable loads, the electricity consumption can be modified in demand of the network.