Microgrids and Distributed Generation



The generation landscape is changing. More and more consumers and businesses are taking up incentives and investing in means of generating electricity on a smaller, more local scale. Governments, on all levels, are also looking at ways in which power generation can shift from central (often polluting) means of generation to efficient local (often renewable or carbon neutral) production. The grid was not designed for this input.
To maintain the integrity of the grid, the individual components must work in unison. The grid is designed with some leeway to be able to absorb disruption, though it is thanks to a set of highly technical components and increasing automation that the grid is able to function to the level of reliability and at the scale at which we have become accustomed.
At the consumer level, installing a solar panel, or other means of generating electricity for a single property isn’t disruptive to the grid. It is when these systems become part of a larger whole or penetrate the market sufficiently that the grid will have to be adapted to take this into account. Starting at the household level, the smart meter can form the link between the micro generator and the distribution grid.

As the grid expands, the generation landscape has to be considered and the systems need to be in place for the shift in power generation sources that we are seeing, beyond a household smart meter. DSOs and TSOs are slowly taking the steps to ensure the future proofing of the grids, however, progress is slow.

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