Microgrids

What is a microgrid

A microgrid is a self-contained electrical network that allows you to generate your own electricity on-site and use it when you need it most. For this purpose, your microgrid will connect, monitor, and control your facility’s distributed energy resources (DER) while enhancing performance, sustainable footprint and resilience You can operate microgrids while connected to the utility grid or in disconnected “island” mode. When the grid goes down or electricity prices peak, microgrids respond.

The three main benefits of microgrids ?

Microgrids enable greener operations by integrating on-site renewables such as wind and solar.
Save energy expenses by optimizing demand, storing electricity and sell it back to the grid during peak demand.
Improve reliability, thus keeping your facility’s power on during grid outages.

How do microgrids work?

A microgrid co-locates electricity generation and consumption. Unlike the utility grid, which generates electricity in a centralized power plant and then distributes it along hundreds of miles of transmission lines, a microgrid generates electricity on-site. For electricity generation, microgrids typically use some combination of backup diesel generators and renewables such as solar panels. Microgrids can incorporate battery systems to store electricity and deploy it during outages or when grid demand spikes.

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Who can benefit from a microgrid?

Today, organizations of all kinds are turning to microgrids and distributed energy resources for financial and sustainability benefits. We’ve worked with a diverse set of customers: from municipal governments and military bases to nature preserves and vertical farms. Any organization seeking to gain control over energy costs, advance sustainability, and increase resiliency can benefit from a microgrid.

How much does a microgrid cost to build?

Microgrids range dramatically in complexity and size. The exciting answer for organizations is “it’s free” because an energy-as-a-service approach eliminates your upfront costs. A microgrid, in a more traditional way, is a CapEx and an OpEx model. In a project mode, it’s high CapEx and low or no OpEx, in an Energy-as-a-service business model, it’s high OpEx. EaaS is a financing model for microgrids that allows you to avoid upfront costs. Similar to a software-as-a-service model, with EaaS you avoid capital expenditures and instead pay only for ongoing service.

Find products

EcoStruxure Microgrid Advisor

EcoStruxure Microgrid Operation

Grid-Tie String Inverters

Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)

Building Management Systems

Resources

EcoStruxure Microgrid Operation opens in new Window
Manages microgrid power production and demand to prioritize renewable energy.

EcoStruxure Microgrid Advisor opens in new Window
Connects, monitors, and controls facilities DERs to optimize economic performance.

Schneider Electric? microgrid feasibility study opens in new Window
Gives a clear picture of a proposed system’s costs and benefits.

EcoStruxure Microgrid Solution for Small & Medium Buildings opens in new Window

Expand your Business at ease with Microgrids opens in new Window

Integrate renewables to strengthen resiliency at your site opens in new Window
Lidl Finland

Watch how Lidl benefits from an integrated EcoStruxure? Microgrid and EcoStruxure Building Operation solution that delivers a high level of energy efficiency and runs on 100% renewable energy.

South Australian Produce Market

Watch how SAPM’s partnership with Schneider Electric was essential to deliver a world-class microgrid solution that will enable significant net savings and have environmental benefits.

IMT Grenoble, France

Schneider Electric helps make an ambitious Microgrid campus project a microgrid “living lab” for nearly 3000 students and users.

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Boston One Campus

By leveraging the Microgrid-as-a-Service business model, Schneider Electric implemented an advanced microgrid solution at Boston One Campus, which adds resilience and optimizes costs to facility operations.
Microgrids for data centers

Enhance uptime while reducing costs and carbon.

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Efficient and Sustainable Future e-book

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Making Solar Smarter e-book

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How AI powers today’s advanced microgrids

Understand the latest technological advancements of autonomous and dynamic control powering today’s microgrids.

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EcoStruxure Microgrids

What is a microgrid

How do microgrids work?

How much does a microgrid cost to build?