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Why microgrids with hydrogen for backup power will create significant benefits for consumers and utilities. The energy grid in the U.S., particularly in regions like California, Texas, and the Northeast, […]
The post Microgrids with Hydrogen: Supporting Energy Systems for the 21st Century appeared first on POWER Magazine.
A Colorado company that serves rural communities with solar power-based microgrids announced an investment that would provide more than 100 installations across two states in India.
Husk Power Systems on Feb. 17 said it had closed $ 4.2 million in debt financing from the India Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) to build as many as 140 microgrids in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, areas where Husk has operated smaller power generation projects since 2008.
Husk officials said that in addition to the IREDA loan, the company expects to raise an another $ 18 million in debt this year to support project deployment, and also is starting fundraising for a Series D equity round. Husk in its announcement said the company, which has primarily served communities in India and Africa, expects to have about 1,300 small power projects in operation by 2025 across multiple markets.
“The IREDA financing demonstrates the Government of India’s vision in making microgrids an integral part of its net-zero goal put forward at COP26,” said Manoj Sinha, Husk’s CEO and co-founder.…
The post Greenhouses and Microgrids Should Grow Together appeared first on POWER Magazine.
As consumer preferences continue to shift toward purchasing locally sourced and organic produce, demand is growing for commercial greenhouses, or controlled environment agriculture (CEA), as the industry is labeled. This shift in preference to locally grown food is changing the way supermarkets and restaurants source their fruits and vegetables.
COMMENTARY
Many restaurants throughout the country boast menus that are not only farm-to-table, but local-to-table. What many consumers may not realize is, for produce to be considered “locally grown organic,” it must have been grown within 400 miles of the point of sale. That may seem like a long distance for produce to travel, but without local CEA facilities, greens at any given supermarket may have traveled thousands of miles from places such as Central or South America.
The push for more locally sourced produce is not a fad but an enduring trend among increasingly discerning consumers.…
The post Solar Microgrids Offer Pathway to Decarbonize Mining appeared first on POWER Magazine.
Mining is an energy-intensive industry; digging, crushing, and processing minerals takes a lot of power, and mines often operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Like other industries, mining companies are seeking solutions to reduce their emissions; both for the sake of the planet and in response to increasing pressure from customers to take a more environmentally friendly approach.
Increasingly, manufacturers that use minerals want to produce goods using more sustainable processes across their entire supply chains. While raw materials, such as rare earth metals, are essential to products such as consumer electronics and electric vehicles, manufacturers are looking to suppliers to reduce the overall carbon intensity of their operations.
Brazil has rich reserves of metals, producing and exporting about 80 mineral commodities, which help to make the country the sixth-largest mining industry in the world (Figure 1). However, mines are often located in remote, off-grid locations, giving mine operators limited options for decarbonization.…
The post The POWER Interview: Microgrids Open New Business Models appeared first on POWER Magazine.
Microgrids offer an “all of the above” approach to distributed generation, incorporating a variety of technologies into their design. As microgrids continue to evolve, incorporating renewable power resources, fuel cells, battery energy storage, diesel and gas generator sets, microturbines, and other technologies, they also provide the opportunity to expand the business models for power producers.
Don Wingate, Vice President Utility & Microgrid Solutions at Schneider Electric, recently provided POWER with his insights about the microgrid market. He noted that technology advancements are allowing more rapid deployments, and also “more repeatable and scalable solutions that can fit different applications.”
Wingate talked about the use cases for microgrids, and how decentralized power generation can provide lower energy costs, while also increasing power quality and providing resilience and reliability. He noted the growth in deployment in areas prone to natural disasters, and also as a way for businesses to enhance their bottom lines.…