
This doesn’t mean that we’re headed for an ‘every man for himself’ world of off-gridders hoarding their locally-produced energy like tinned goods in a post-apocalyptic zombie movie. Energy independence vs sharing with community As battery storage prices come down, households become increasingly able – and likely – to take their energy matters into their own hands. For the first time, it is possible for virtually any homeowner to affordably meet at least a portion of their energy needs themselves instead of relying wholly on the electricity grid and far-away, large-scale power plants. The rise of affordable small-scale renewable energy – particularly rooftop solar – is revolutionising energy systems around the world. Affordable small-scale generation is changing our approach to energy Rooftop solar panel systems are the most noteworthy and common example of small-scale distributed generation. In recent years, however, a fourth component has begun to creep into conventional grids: small-scale distributed generation.

This has been the model for electricity grids since their creation about 100 years ago.ĭiagram overview of how a conventional electricity grid works. It is the size of the power plants and the distances that electricity travels (often hundreds or thousands of kilometres) upon which the ‘modern’ grid concept – now over a century old – is based. the ‘poles and wires’ (the electricity delivery infrastructure) and.energy consumers (homes, businesses, etc).The rise of distributed generators in the ‘macro’ gridĪ conventional electricity network (AKA ‘the grid’) is essentially comprised of three things: The points below detail the changes currently afoot in electrical systems around the world. In order to understand why microgrids are gaining popularity, it’s helpful to understand how larger electricity grids (‘macrogrids’) operate – and the forces that are currently at play in changing them. Background: Why community microgrids are a hot topic


#Are micro grids becoming more popular how to
This article covers community microgrid basics, from the reasons for their growing popularity to their components and applications – as well as an overview of how to join one. Increasingly, community microgrids are being eyed as an option even in areas where a larger grid already exists, mainly as a way to increase local energy independence and resilience. Community microgrids are a way for neighbourhoods, villages, towns and cities to meet their energy needs locally.
