The need to increase reliability and resiliency and integrate sustainable energy resources to basic energy services is increasing interest in microgrid development. This market is transitioning from early staged projects to full-scale commercialization.

This interactive course teaches the fundamentals and particulars of microgrids.  You will learn their benefits, applications, examples, configurations, challenges, policies, funding, parts, pieces, components, and next steps in the industry.

Come wanting to understand more about microgrids and leave with a solid foundation of the intricacies of the next big tech for Grid 2.0. 

Learning Outcomes

• Recognize the various applications of microgrids and contrast the purpose and value each provides
• Review and compare actual microgrids
• Examine the benefits of microgrids for society and their impact on the industry
• Discuss options for financing or investing in microgrid installations
• Identify their configurations, controls, communications, and protection schemes
• Engage in a discussion on existing and developing microgrid technologies
• Review microgrid impacts on the environment, local resiliency, and a stronger grid

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2023

The Definition, Variety, and Applications of Microgrids

• How a microgrid fits into the larger smart grid concept
• Defining a microgrid
• The evolution of the grid from its inception, eventual interconnection, the grid we have today and the next phase
• The long list of microgrid benefits for grid operators, local facilities, the environment, and national security
• Hardening the grid for national security and recovering from national disasters using microgrids
• Using microgrids for grid support and ancillary services like contingency reserve obligations and fast frequency response
• How facilities like critical city services can use microgrids to drastically increase power redundancy, flexibility, and contingency planning
• Microgrids helping to meet decarbonization goals
• The services that microgrids provide to grid operators during an outage
• Considerations when selecting a site, facility, or partner
• What are distributed energy resources?
• What are the various types of microgrids and the purpose and value each provides?
• Behind the meter microgrids
• Microgrids located at generation or transmission facilities
• Residential microgrids
• PV Co-located microgrids
• Microgrid examples
• The next step in microgrid evolution, distribution level microgrids and Mars

Microgrids Financing and Contracts

• Options for funding grid scale microgrid projects
• Scenarios to consider when building a contract
• Things to consider when developing a program
• What are the largest costs of a microgrid?
• Strategies and technologies to decrease installation time and cost

Challenges, Regulations and Policies

• Design challenges, voltage drop, load tap changers and reverse power
• Site configuration challenges
• Fairly balancing grid resilience and perceived customer preference
• FERC permitting and Department of Environmental Quality implications
• NERC and Power Pool requirements
• 1547 Standards
• State House Bill legislation

Microgrids Configuration, Protection and Controls

• Understanding the layout and configuration using a simplified one line
• The purpose of the parts and pieces of a microgrid, i.e., switchgear, bus, interconnection relay, battery, solar, generator, communications rack, PLC, controller, radios, transceivers, UPS, HMI, etc.
• Difference between parallel, series and generator, motor, engine
• Sequence of events during an outage or a call for grid ancillary service
• Interconnection and anti-islanding protection protocols, i.e., transfer trip, hot line blocking and synchronization

Brent Olsen, President, 3 Phase Consulting

Brent has 25+ years of experience working for large electric utility industries including Arizona Public Service, Salt River Project, and Portland General Electric.  He has worked in distribution, transmission and generation engineering and is currently a Project Manager for Specialized Energy Operations where he manages the installation of generation facilities, microgrids, and various research and development projects.  He leads a user group of utility professionals who follow and discuss business and technological changes in the electric utilities industry.

Brent is an electrical engineer specializing in utility power systems with a master’s in Energy Policy and Management and an MBA.  He is also a PMP, has a degree in Spanish and is the two-time winner of PGE’s Project Manager and Project of the Year awards, each for innovative microgrid projects.