WITH DEMAND ON THE NATIONAL GRID INCREASING, ARE MICRO GRIDS THE SOLUTION?

With the UK targeting net zero by 2050, a sharpened focus on sustainability is seeing the gradual transition away from fossil fuels towards renewable energy sources. Additionally, the broader electrification of various sectors and a shift towards electric vehicles is expected to lead to a significant rise in electricity consumption. Consequently, the demands on the National Grid could be substantial – with many in the industry concerned whether demand will exceed supply.

These concerns are heightening the importance of identifying other ways of powering communities – with micro grids beginning to be seen as a viable alternative. But before discussing how they could be implemented across the UK and their viability, it’s important to understand exactly what micro grids are.

What is a micro grid?

A self-contained electrical network that can operate independently or through connection to the utility grid, a micro grid gives users the opportunity to generate their own electricity on-site and use it when needed.

By incorporating distributed energy resources (DER), micro grids help building owners, facility managers, and property developers save on energy expenditure by sending any excess electricity back to the National Grid during periods of peak demand. Consequently, this optimises energy management while improving reliability.

Micro grids are becoming more popular in the UK

While still a relatively new innovation, micro grids are being utilised in a couple of remote locations across the UK. Indeed, the implementation of micro grids on the Isles of Scilly has seen the islands transition from a reliance on expensive and environmentally-harmful diesel generators to the utilisation of renewable energy sources.

Consequently, the islands now generate a substantial portion of their energy from solar panels and wind turbines – reducing the islands’ carbon footprint while lowering energy costs for the residents.

Similarly, the installation of micro grids on the Orkney Islands has seen the islands become a testing ground for renewable energy technologies – harnessing the abundant tidal and wind resources and integrating them into the micro grids. As a result, the Orkney Islands now produce more renewable energy than they can consume – making them a net exporter of clean energy.

Enhanced renewable energy integration

While renewable energy integration is an essential aspect of the UK’s journey towards net zero in 2050, the often-intermittent nature of renewable energy sources, such as wind or solar power, provides a substantial challenge for the current grid system. Able to utilise advanced software to enable higher penetration levels of small-scale distributed energy resources, micro grids offer a more resilient energy supply and improved network reliability.

As highlighted above, micro grids offer superb opportunities for renewable energy integration. Able to harness natural resources generated by wind turbines, solar panels, and other renewable energy sources, micro grids can distribute clean energy to communities.

As a result, the dependence on fossil fuels is reduced and the environmental impact of energy production is mitigated.

Improved energy distribution

By connecting small-scale power sources to the local grid, micro grids ensure a more reliable electricity supply and reduce potential transmission losses.

This means small local communities, such as the ones on the Isles of Scilly and the Orkney Islands, can access a more reliable and resilient power system – reducing the risk of power outages and other disruptions.

Solving the problem of isolated communities

As highlighted by the Isles of Scilly and the Orkney Islands, some smaller communities may not always have access to the interconnected electrical grids that provide bulk and reliable electricity.

Consequently, they can often have to rely on diesel generators for electricity and typically require large stores of imported natural gas and oil for heating. These are often shipped or flown in from long distances – increasing the community’s carbon footprint as a result.

While energy systems such as this can help smaller communities survive the challenges that come with such isolation, they are not ideal as relying on shipments of fossil fuels is expensive, can leave residents vulnerable to fuel shortages, and poses unique reliability challenges.

The implementation of micro grids enables small communities to transition to cleaner and more sustainable energy sources while generating and distributing their own electricity. This gives residents greater control over their energy usage and, crucially, their environmental impact.

However, micro grids aren’t a national solution just yet…

While micro grids offer a more sustainable and efficient alternative, the integration of micro grids into the existing grid system will face substantial challenges – such as addressing potential conflicts in energy distribution and pricing, and ensuring interoperability between micro grids and the National Grid.

Furthermore, although micro grids have proven successful in some small-scale implementations, the scaling up of these innovative systems to meet the energy demands of larger communities and conurbations will require significant investment in infrastructure, collaboration between communities, energy providers, and regulatory bodies, and further advancements in technology.

There is also a vital need for metering data to be shared more transparently to enable the average usage of particular types of users to be estimated and avoid overestimations. Data is absolutely essential for the design and implementation of reliable and efficient micro grids, helping decision-makers to identify how grid connections will be utilised, how big the micro grids need to be to supply all required energy, the most optimum performance levels, and whether they will need to have a maintenance connection back to the National Grid.

However, these challenges bring incredible opportunities. Micro grids, although in their infancy, offer significant potential for energy democratisation – giving communities greater control over their energy usage and production while reducing carbon footprints, lowering reliance on the National Grid, and contributing to a greener and more sustainable future.