“Large and small companies, as well as various government and research departments, are moving aggressively to create or assemble new micro grids,” says Pike Reserch senior research analyst Peter Asmus.
He added that new microgrid components, usually in the form of small amounts of solar PV or a new advanced energy storage unit, are currently driving this trend. In the future, however, greenfield microgrid projects are expected to become increasingly prevalent.
According to a new tracker report from Pike Research, the number of active microgrid projects around the world continues to increase at a “brisk pace”, as does the total installed capacity of microgrids.
All told, the Microgrid Deployment Tracker documents 67 newly identified microgrid entries, equating to an increase of 571 megawatts (MW) in worldwide capacity, compared to the sum of past projects included in Pike Research’s tracking. Planned, proposed, under-development, and fully operating microgrids now represent nearly 3,200 MW of total capacity, according to the report.
One key driver of microgrid market growth, adds Asmus, is the defence sector: “The US Secretary of Defense [Leon Panetta, pictured] recently conducted a survey of Department of Defense (DOD) facilities that included an inventory of onsite electrical infrastructure focused on microgrid deployments.
“According to the Secretary of Defense, more than 40 US military bases currently have operating microgrids, have planned microgrids, or have conducted studies or demonstrations of microgrid technologies,” Pike Research noted.
