One article to understand the development history of microgrids

When was the first microgrid built?

According to Pike Research, the first “modern industrial microgrid in the United States was a 64 MW facility constructed in 1955 at the Whitling Refinery in Indiana,” but most people are not aware the concept is much older. The microgrid concept dates back to the beginning of our industry.

Could microgrids be the building blocks of future national grid systems?

Most importantly, the microgrid is capable of operating as an isolated grid if the main distribution grid should fail. This resilience is a key part of the concept. It has been suggested that microgrids might form the building blocks of future national grid systems.

What is a microgrid?

A microgrid is a mini-version of the electric grid, which fits the “micro” notion, but the origins of the word have been lost in history.

How a microgrid is developing in China?

In November 2018 the first microgrid type distribution network pilot project of Hainan Mei’an Science and Technology New City was connected to the grid, which promoted the progress of the microgrid in power system reform. Remote and island areas have been the best market for microgrid development in China.

How is microgrid different from traditional grid?

However, the grid structure and operating characteristics of Microgrid are much different from that of the traditional grid. Meanwhile the inertia of the grid decreases, which increases the difficulty to maintain energy balance and grid stability.

Which countries have developed a microgrid?

In the Europe, the USA, China, Japan and other countries, renewable energy development plans have been established. The research framework of Microgrid is gradually formed [3–5]. The distributed generators (DG), storage devices, and controllable loads are usually connected to the grid by voltage source inverters [6,7].