Green Energy
Powering the future: the rise of the microgrid
David Rimmer, microgrid business leader UK&I at Schneider Electric, takes a deep dive into the potential of microgrids to help meet sustainability goals.
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any businesses and organisations across sectors as diverse as energy, heavy industry, life science and data centres are turning to microgrids to revolutionise their energy strategies and find crucial cost savings. While the UK and Europe’s aging power grids have little resilience in the face of disruption, instability, or severe weather, this innovative solution is set to shake up the energy industry for good and put power back in businesses hands. What’s more, with the race to net zero truly underway, microgrids can be a core way for businesses to switch to green energy sources and meet sustainability goals.
Despite attempts to reduce power consumption globally, the IEA estimates that the demand for electricity will continue to rise by an average of 3.4% a year through to 2026. For example, the IEA believes that electricity consumption from data centres and artificial intelligence (AI) is set double over the next couple of years. It’s time to get our energy in order for the sake of our peace of mind and the planet. By decentralising energy through microgrids, we will shift businesses and other organisations towards energy independence and sustainability.
So, how do microgrids work and why are they so important in the energy transition? How can businesses implement this technology effectively? And what needs to happen to facilitate wide scale integration of microgrids into the global energy mix? Let’s dive into the world of microgrids.
What are microgrids?
A microgrid is a self-contained electrical network that allows businesses to generate their own electricity on-site using a mix of renewables. Microgrids connect, monitor, and control a facility’s distributed energy resources (DER) enabling leaders to enhance energy performance, resilience, and sustainability.
22 | electrical wholesalerFebruary 2025
ewnews.co.uk
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