Background of Defense Microgrid Research

Are DoD installations pursuing microgrids to meet energy resiliency goals?

Department of Defense Instruction 4170.111 requires installations to be more energy resilient, and as a result, many installations are pursuing microgrids to meet their energy resiliency goals and requirements. This report provides a resource for stakeholders involved in analyzing and developing microgrid projects at DoD installations.

Why does DoD need a microgrid system?

DOD needs to advance microgrid systems for several reasons. First, DOD has energy assurance and resilience needs that significantly exceed most civilian requirements, and it therefore requires a separate system for energy production and storage.

What is a microgrid report?

This report provides (1) an overview of the microgrid planning, assessment, and design process for DoD installations and (2) is a resource for energy managers, policymakers, contractors, and other stakeholders involved in microgrid projects.

Why are military microgrids deployed?

Military microgrids are deployed for various reasons such as to increase electrical power security to meet mission requirements, reduce energy life cycle costs, increase utilization of renewable energy resources, and provide a supply of electrical power to remote areas .

Can microgrids improve energy resiliency?

(Marqusee, Schultz, & Robyn, 2017) Microgrids can enhance energy resiliency by providing energy surety (i.e., loads have certain access to energy) and survivability (i.e., energy is resilient and durable in the face of potential damage).

Can military microgrids be resilient?

The paper presents a systems engineering modeling and analysis method to design military microgrids resilience in the face of disruptions and equipment failures. The method focuses on minimizing mission impact due to threats to energy security and can be applied in the early design phase of a microgrid when only architectural data are available.