A community microgrid is a coordinated local grid area served by one or more distributed energy resources (DER), including energy storage, renewable and conventional generation, and demand response. Microgrids are able to island and stand alone in supplying power to a community, university campus, military base or critical facilities. Community microgrids increase reliability, reduce emissions, and create a more sustainable and secure grid.
Fuel cells have many characteristics that make them excellent candidates for microgrids, including baseload power, low emissions, competitive pricing, and interconnection with the grid for backup.
This presentation provided an overview of fuel cell solutions for stationary power in a microgrid configuration and possible grant funding and financing available for Class I renewable energy sources from Connecticut’s Microgrid Program.
- Carl Cottuli, Architect, Mission Critical Systems, Bloom Energy
- George Berntsen, Director, Electrical & Control Engineering, FuelCell Energy, Inc.
- Christopher Bleuher, Business Development Manager, Schneider Electric
- Veronic Szczerkowski, Bureau of Energy and Technology, Connecticut DEEP