What are the practical applications of microgrids in industry and commerce?
A microgrid is a small, self-controllable power system that can combine distributed energy sources (such as solar, wind, gas power generation, etc.) with energy storage systems (such as batteries) to achieve independent power supply and grid-connected operation. The microgrid has many advantages. For example, it can achieve energy independence and does not rely on the transmission of the power grid, which has great advantages for power generation in remote areas and islands.
There are large and small islands scattered around the five continents of the world, and island power supply is a very common application of new energy microgrids. By deploying power generation equipment such as solar panels, solar energy is collected and converted into electrical energy to provide stable and continuous power for the residents’ lives, public facilities, and commercial places on the island to meet daily basic power needs. The electrical energy provided by the microgrid drives the desalination equipment of seawater to solve the problem of the shortage of fresh water resources on the island and ensure the water use of residents. Fisheries support, communication guarantee, and tourism facilities on the island all require distributed energy storage to store excess electrical energy when there is sufficient sunlight and release it when there is insufficient light or during peak power usage to balance the power supply and demand.
In modern farms, microgrids can also play an important role. For example, in some large modern farms, the microgrid guarantees the uninterrupted operation of the automated irrigation system, so that the crops can get timely and sufficient water supply; and some farms use the microgrid to provide electrical energy for new agricultural machinery such as electric tractors, realizing a green and environmentally friendly agricultural production mode. The microgrid guarantees the continuous and stable operation of the irrigation system, greenhouse control equipment, and breeding equipment in the farm without being affected by the fluctuations of the large power grid. During the busy farming season, agricultural machinery such as harvesters and planters of agricultural machinery need a large amount of power output, and equipment such as agricultural product processing, cold storage and preservation, hatching equipment, intelligent greenhouse well pumping, etc., all require stable and reliable power reserves.
Most mines and oil fields are distributed in remote areas, without access to the municipal power grid and with a large load power consumption. Whether it is a new power grid access or heavy oil and diesel power generation, the cost is relatively high, and the power supply guarantee is relatively low. The solar microgrid can effectively reduce the power cost and can greatly improve the reliability of the power supply. Stable power is provided to key equipment such as mining equipment and oil pumps in oil field areas to ensure the continuity of mine and oil field operations and avoid production interruption due to power outages. In some large open-pit mines, the solar microgrid provides stable power for the excavating equipment, which not only reduces the operating cost but also reduces the carbon emissions; the solar microgrid guarantees the power needs of the wellhead equipment and the monitoring system, improving production efficiency and safety.
In general, the microgrid uses the unique natural conditions in remote areas to turn disadvantages into advantages and makes a significant contribution to the continuous power output of industry and commerce in remote areas. Therefore, the popularity of microgrid applications is continuously increasing, and the application of green and clean energy is blooming everywhere.