Page 82 - A Comprehensive Guide to Solar Energy Systems

Chapter 4 • Solar Power in the USA—Status and Outlook 77

4.4.4 A Vision for the Future of the US Grid—The Internet
of Interoperable Microgrids

In response to increased solar and rE penetration on the grid, local communities in the US
are creating customer-centric models for power generation, distribution, and purchasing
that diverge from the traditional investor-owned utility (IOU).
These new models, which are highly responsive to individual and community pref-
erences, are and will increasingly be enabled by the Internet of Things. Just as one can
now monitor sleep cycles, track personal fitness, and control room temperature through
smartphone apps, individuals and communities will soon be able to monitor energy
consumption and production from local sources, and use this data to make efficient and
effective demand response and purchasing decisions.
The centralized IOU brought electricity to every corner of the US. In today’s world of
individual choice, however, central generation can be viewed as a “one-size fits all” system
in which consumers have little to no control over the energy source, how power generation
aligns with demand, and pricing.
Net metering, time of use rates, and flexible ramping may soon be seen as a “band-
aid,” rather than a long-term solution for the needs of the modern US grid. New con-
ceptions of the electrical system are needed. An emerging alternative to the traditional
grid is the microgrid. The microgrid integrates increased distributed energy resources as
part of the optimal operation and management of an interconnected system. microgrids
may be the next evolution in grid operation as they enable increased renewable energy
integration, improved system resilience, and local economic revitalization. In addition,
microgrids enable new means of realizing the financial value of renewable energy and
demand response.
It is time for a reboot. The advent of Internet of Things (IoT) network connectivity en-
ables the rise of data-driven, community-tailored microgrids, and fleets of microgrids with
local distributed energy resources (DErs) that can be responsive to community preferences,
serve as a tool for local economic development and work in parallel with the grid. In addi-
tion, these microgrids can internally balance DEr variability to provide export consistency
and overcome other technical issues through innovations such as the Consortium for Elec-
tric reliability Technology Solutions (CErTS) microgrid architecture [49].
Emerging modeling software and graphical user interfaces (GUIs) will need to be em-
ployed to advance the grid of the future—an interoperable system that unifies distribution
system management with transactive energy purchasing.

References

[1] E (n.d.). Electricity in the United States. U.S. Energy Information Administration. Available from:
https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/index.cfm?page=electricity_in_the_united_states.
[2] Quandrennial Energy review: Second Installment (2017, January 06). US Department of Energy.
Available from: https://www.energy.gov/epsa/downloads/quadrennial-energy-review-second-
installment.