The seventh annual HOMER International Microgrid Conference will be from October 7-9 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Acknowledging the explosion in popularity of microgrids worldwide, the conference will explore the lessons that can be learned from pioneering microgrids in remote locations and examine what insights can be applied to new grid-connected projects. In addition to domestic applications, leading microgrid innovators will present case studies from Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and the Arctic, and illustrate the variety that is emerging in the roles that microgrids serve and the ways in which they are valued.
The conference attracts engineers, distributed energy developers, equipment manufacturers, policymakers, planners and government officials from diverse cultural and economic environments. Speakers will discuss combined heat and power projects, solar + storage projects for utility cost control, microgrids for resilience, the ways in which microgrids are remaking Puerto Rico’s electric grid in the wake of Hurricane Maria, the role of microgrids in African economic development, and a variety of other topics covering microgrid regulation, finance and technology.
Keynote speakers include Maxine Ghavi, Group Senior Vice President and Head of the Grid Edge Solutions Product Group at ABB, who will talk about “The Role of Microgrids at the Grid Edge: Global Best Practices;” John Exel, who leads the Global Facility on Mini-Grids at the World Bank; Dr. Dan Kammen, who chairs the Energy and Resources Group at the University of California, Berkeley; Peter Asmus, Director of Research at Navigant; and Dr. Peter Lilienthal, CEO of HOMER Energy, to mention a few.
“I believe that as many cities and large corporations consider building out distributed energy projects as microgrids, we have a lot of important lessons to learn from early adopters in harsh arctic environments and off-grid communities in the developing world,” says Dr. Peter Lilienthal, HOMER Energy co-founder and CEO. “As more diverse customers become interested in microgrids, we are seeing new value propositions emerge, such as demand charge reduction and resilience,” he added. “We always try to shed light on a broad range of microgrid projects at our conferences so very different people can learn from each other.”
The conference will feature two special events in addition to the main conference. On Sunday, October 6, there will be a tour of the advanced research microgrid at the Schneider Electric corporate headquarters in Andover, Massachusetts. On Wednesday, October 9, there will be a full day of training on the HOMER software. The HOMER trainings are certified for continuing education credits by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP). The training will cover the fundamentals of designing and modeling off-grid and grid-tied microgrids - solar-plus-storage systems for example - using the HOMER software. Participants will learn how to size hybrid distributed energy systems and identify the most economically optimal designs. The seventh annual HOMER International Microgrid Conference is a must for distributed energy professionals who want to advance in this field.
Visit the conference website, http://microgridconference.com, to learn more and to register.
