Microgrids - Hybrid Energy Systems

RES Hybrid Systems

Our company specializes in the construction of MICROGRIDS, i.e. self-sufficient hybrid energy systems. A microgrid is local, independent and smart. It forms an integrated network of electricity, heat and gas. It connects multiple generation, storage and dynamic consumer units. Interconnected and controlled by advanced algorithms and scenarios, they form one perfectly operating "organism." MICROGRID allows to significantly reduce energy consumption and minimize environmental impact.

Our offer covers the sale, installation and service of the entire MICROGRID as well as its components. Even in the case of the purchase of one component, we are in favor of designing and supplying equipment that can be integrated into a MICROGRID in the future because all roads lead to hybrid solutions and sooner or later such solutions will have to be introduced not only for economic reasons.

Frequently asked questions / FAQ

What are microgrids?

A microgrid is a local cluster of energy sources and loads within a specific area, such as a building, campus or neighborhood. Microgrids often maintain the power supply during grid failures. They also act as a tool to help energy consumers manage costs, participate in the energy market and reduce carbon emissions. Typical microgrids are difficult to describe because they vary in size, depending on the needs they serve. They also vary in the type of energy generation they use, depending on the owner's preference, price and resource availability. A sunny location, for example, may justify solar panels. A building that requires constant power, such as a hospital or data center, may include high-efficiency cogeneration in its microgrid. Some microgrids contain energy storage units, others do not.

What role do microgrids play during a power outage?

Microgrids can maintain the flow of energy to their consumers by controlling islanding and synchronizing individual components and disconnecting from the commercial (power system) grid. MICOMA-controlled generation resources in a microgrid - such as solar power, energy storage, wind power, cogeneration and hydrogen - communicate and start up to provide power to the local client. In an advanced microgrid, the transition from grid to microgrid is virtually uninterruptible, so that people in microgrid-protected facilities may not be aware that the grid is suffering a power outage.

Who benefits from microgrids?

Any modern and prestigious facility or complex of facilities that use local energy, especially those that need reliable, clean and cost-effective energy.

Microgrids are used by a wide range of entities - communities, hospitals, universities, businesses, military facilities, critical facilities (such as data centers, fire stations or water treatment plants), agricultural facilities, airports, harbors and transportation systems, government owned buildings and remote locations that do not have access to the commercial grid.

What are the types of microgrids?

There are two basic types of microgrids: commercial grid-connected (on-grid) and islanded (off-grid). Grid-connected microgrids are common in Europe and other places with well-developed energy infrastructure. Being grid-connected allows a microgrid to buy energy from the grid when it is the best choice - for example, during times of the day when grid energy prices are low. Conversely, the microgrid can sell energy when prices are high or the grid is overloaded, ensuring a stream of revenue for the microgrid owner.

Most microgrids are stationary, but mobile versions can also be made on trailers or self-propelled chassis that can be transported to disaster areas or for the armed forces. Sometimes microgrids are described based on the dominant fuel or technology they use - renewable microgrids, fuel cell microgrids or natural gas-fired microgrids. Modular microgrids are those that can be built in a Lego-like fashion over time when expansion is warranted. Containerized microgrids are those that are partially assembled at the factory for easy on-site installation. Nanogrids are small microgrids that serve a single building or house.

Can microgrids reduce energy costs for consumers and businesses?

Microgrids can both reduce costs and pensure a stream of revenue to their owners. They reduce costs by effectively managing the supply of energy. They provide revenue by selling energy to the grid at times when the price is highest. This gives owners a new kind of control in energy markets. They don't just consume energy, they can generate and control it through their microgrids.

Advanced microgrids are also "smart" in their use of energy prices. Electricity prices change throughout the day depending on expected and historical demand. These are dynamic tariffs available in our country for businesses. A sophisticated microgrid controller, known as the brains behind the system, can take advantage of this fluctuation on behalf of its clients. The microgrid does this by orchestrating the play of its assets as grid electricity prices rise and fall. When demand for grid power is high and grid prices rise, the controller can signal the microgrid to use more of its own resources to avoid paying higher prices. If the microgrid has excess power, it can sell it back to the grid.

Because it uses its assets to maximize value over time, the microgrid serves its clients in both short- and long-term price planning. The extent to which it can do this, however, will depend on the sophistication of the microgrid controller and the terms of its contract with the DSO.

Microgrids can also participate in the power market i.e. the second track of the energy market, where we sell net available power i.e. readiness to deliver energy to the grid. According to the results of the auctions, prices at the power market auctions are already reaching 0.4 million PLN / MW / year and the volume contracted for 2027 is nearly 20 GW.

As you can see, a microgrid can not only reduce costs but can also generate large profits for its owner.

How does a microgrid affect the environment?

Many companies and communities are setting clean energy goals to save energy and reduce the environmental impact of power generation.

Microgrids can use a wide range of green energy production technologies. These include solar, wind, fuel cells, combined heat and power (CHP) and energy storage technologies. Natural gas generators, used in many CHP plants, are part of the cleaner side of fossil fuels.

Microgrids smartly integrate these renewable energy sources into the grid. They seamlessly balance variable renewable energy production with traditional generation assets. In this way, the microgrid overcomes the downside of solar and wind power, which consists in the fact that they generate energy only when the wind blows or the sun shines. Without human intervention, the microgrid can use other resources when renewable energy is unavailable.

Advanced microgrids can also be programmed to achieve specific sustainability goals to the maximum extent possible, such as limiting CO2 emissions or reducing the use of coal in microgrids.

Conclusion

Only hybrid and open-to-development systems have a bright future

The microgrid benefits customers and society in many ways. It keeps the "lights on" when the commercial grid fails. It offers a way to modernize the distribution network, strengthen infrastructure and protect vulnerable users. With advanced and automated energy management, the microgrid can increase clean energy consumption and can create economic value for owners. And finally, using a microgrid gives us the opportunity for flexible development and independence from a single raw material or supplier. After installing a microgrid controller, we can connect any generation and consumer units to it and the controller will automatically manage our microgrid to exploit its technical possibilities to the fullest, taking into account the current price of energy in the market.

Remember, we always look holistically and prospectively. We take into account all areas and technologies and we make the solution proposal flexible enough to adjust the system in the future depending on the market and political situation.

Comprehensiveness, flexibility and lack of boundaries - these are the hallmarks of a finely selected microgrid.

Don't wait for others to do it, feel free to contact us!

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