Free tool helps small communities pick renewable energy sources
By Yuri Bult-Ito | UAF on Comments Off on Free tool helps small communities pick renewable energy sources
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UAF photo by Eric Engman Above a street in Kotzebue, electric distribution lines carry wind and solar energy to residents and businesses. Future expansions of renewables can be modeled in MiGRIDS Lite.
A free tool developed by a University of Alaska Fairbanks researcher can help communities with small-scale power grids plan for different energy resources.
Microgrid systems provide electricity in rural and remote communities in many places, including Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Canada, Australia, India, Kenya and the United Arab Emirates. Rural Alaska has more than 200 stand-alone microgrid systems. Many use renewable energy sources, and they make up 10% of such microgrids worldwide.
Diesel fuel is the primary source of electricity generation in microgrids. Due to high fuel costs, many communities are already using or looking into renewable energy.
Engineers, community planners and operators use grid modeling tools to estimate how their microgrids will respond to adding renewable energy resources. But these tools can cost tens of thousands of dollars and require a strong technical background.
That presents a significant hurdle for communities in rural and remote areas with limited capacity and budgets.
To address this, Bax Bond, a research engineer at the UAF Alaska Center for Energy and Power has developed a Python-based open-source tool that people can download. It is called MiGRIDS Lite, short for MicroGrid Renewable Integration Dispatch and Sizing Lite.
When users input data on the amount of power used and add a renewable energy source, and optionally, a battery storage system, MiGRIDS Lite models hourly electricity usage. That gives tool users a rough estimate of the effects of the additions.
This can help users determine which renewable energy source could be a good fit for their microgrid. People can also use the tool to educate communities about what types of renewable energy resources could work for them.
“Most grid modeling software is very technical and expensive, so it’s inaccessible to many rural communities,” Bond said. “MiGRIDS Lite, on the other hand, is simpler, free and available anywhere there is internet. This provides a way for people to explore their options without having high cost and minimizing technical barriers.”
