This is just what the doctor ordered for the folks who went through Superstorm Sandy! Microgrids with solar, storage, and generators can be community-owned, just like solar gardens, and can provide the resiliency needed to survive the recent uptick in severe weather and blackouts.
- Joy
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On the afternoon of Sept. 6, 2013, intense thunderstorms blew into Borrego Springs, causing heavy rain, flash floods, high winds and severe lightning in the area. Lightning from the storm struck and shattered a power pole on the only transmission line serving the community, cutting electricity to all the town’s 2,780 power customers.
- Joy
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On the afternoon of Sept. 6, 2013, intense thunderstorms blew into Borrego Springs, causing heavy rain, flash floods, high winds and severe lightning in the area. Lightning from the storm struck and shattered a power pole on the only transmission line serving the community, cutting electricity to all the town’s 2,780 power customers.
SDG&E
repair crews quickly arrived on the scene and worked throughout the
night to restore power to all customers. But this wasn’t a
run-of-the-mill power restoration, as crews were able to make use of a
special advantage: SDG&E’s Borrego Springs Microgrid. A first of its
kind in the area, this Microgrid uses new smart grid technology –
including local power generation, local energy storage, and automated
switching – to create a more robust, resilient grid that can dynamically
react to the changing environmental and system conditions. The
Microgrid is connected to the grid, but can disconnect and function
independently during emergencies, supplying vital electricity to the
local community through its on-site resources. The project is partially
funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and the California Energy
Commission.
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