Tdworld 18384 Comed Microgrid
Tdworld 18384 Comed Microgrid
Tdworld 18384 Comed Microgrid
Tdworld 18384 Comed Microgrid
Tdworld 18384 Comed Microgrid

Microgrid Maintains Power Supply During Emergency Simulation

April 24, 2019
Bronzeville microgrid provides power in island mode, drawing upon DER.

The Bronzeville Community Microgrid can keep power flowing in an emergency, ComEd recently announced after conducting a test. The “simulated islanding” test checked the resiliency of the microgrid by mimicking events that have the potential to affect power delivery, including weather calamities,  cyber attacks and acts of terrorism.

Projects like the Bronzeville Community Microgrid support efforts to integrate additional renewable generation, including wind and solar, while enhancing resiliency for communities.

Essentially a small power grid with defined boundaries, a microgrid can operate in conjunction with the main grid or disconnect from it and operate in island mode when there’s an interruption on the main grid. The tests ComEd conducted demonstrated the microgrid’s ability to provide power in island mode while drawing upon distributed energy resources (DER), including battery energy storage and solar photovoltaic PV, to serve customers.

“The Bronzeville microgrid not only demonstrated the value it offers the community when the grid is impacted by a disruptive event, but also in supporting integration of renewable energy,” said Terence R. Donnelly, president, ComEd. “This test is an important milestone for ComEd and the Bronzeville community, and numerous supporters in government, academia and industry. We’re grateful for the support of an exceptional group of partners, including Illinois Tech, University of Denver, Argonne National Laboratory, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Quanta Technology, SIEMENS, and the U.S. Department of Energy.”

During the test, a portion of ComEd’s electric grid operated from DER. The residences, businesses and public institutions served by this circuit in Bronzeville received power from a locally sited battery energy storage system, solar energy and mobile generation. Customers experienced no difference in the level of service during the test and were not separated from the system at any time.

The microgrid will ultimately connect with an existing microgrid on the campus of Illinois Tech, resulting in one of the most advanced urban microgrid clusters in the nation. Donnelly said: “The microgrid cluster creates a unique opportunity to study how to maximize the value of the interaction between two microgrids in the ongoing effort to enhance grid resiliency and security.”

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