Delta Electronics and DTE Energy Partner on Utility-Scale Microgrid Near Detroit

Taiwanese firm Delta Electronics is building a microgrid at its Detroit-area office, creating a living laboratory that will test grid-interactive strategies and demonstrate the green power management company’s microgrid solutions.

The microgrid will integrate existing on-site energy infrastructure, including 425 kW of rooftop solar, a 2.8-MWh battery energy storage system, eight Level 2 EV chargers and one 400-kW DC fast EV charger.

Built in partnership with Detroit utility DTE Energy, the microgrid connects to the grid via a 13.2-kV medium-voltage interconnection. Such interconnections are typically used for large-scale utility operations, such as substations.

This direct connection allows Delta to move significant power bidirectionally, while testing how energy assets interact with utility infrastructure under real operating conditions.

“Grid resiliency is quickly becoming one of the defining challenges for communities, businesses, and utilities alike,” Austin Tseng, president of Delta Electronics Americas, said in a statement. “With our Detroit microgrid, we are operating real energy infrastructure under real grid conditions to understand how systems respond, are controlled, and can contribute to grid stability.”

Advanced energy management

The microgrid will also leverage Delta’s smart energy solutions, including energy management software and a 3-MW power conditioning system, which controls battery charge and discharge cycles and converts power from AC-DC.

The system will also include a solid-state transformer (SST). Unlike traditional passive transformers, the SST employs digitally controlled power conversion designed to provide faster response times, real-time voltage adjustments and more precise microgrid coordination when loads change.

“Rather than individual technologies in isolation, this system responds dynamically to grid conditions, facility needs, and utility signals. This approach is increasingly relevant for data centers and commercial operators navigating constrained grid environments and rising electricity costs,” Tseng said.

Delta plans to add five energy storage circuits, including two back-to-back 5 MWh units by the end of the year. They will simulate large electrical loads, enabling Delta to test scenarios like black-start capability, off-grid operation and grid-loss recovery without needing an actual MW-scale load.

Delta also plans to install a 300-kW gas turbine to allow researchers to study interactions between solar, battery storage and gas generation under varying grid conditions.

A living lab

A number of companies and research institutions are running living microgrid laboratories, including Siemens, Cummins, the University of Regina in Saskatchewan, Stanford University and the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota.

Once fully operational, the Delta Electronics installation will run daily under live grid conditions, helping reduce strain on public infrastructure during peak demand while collecting real-world performance data on commercial energy systems.

"Laboratory testing shows how a technology performs on its own," William Mao, vice president of energy solutions for Delta Electronics Americas, said in a statement. "What it does not reveal is how systems interact when they are tied into a live grid. Day-to-day usage provides the data and experience that directly shape how resilient, grid-interactive energy systems can be designed and deployed at scale."

The site will also serve as a demonstration facility where customers can evaluate microgrid strategies under actual operating conditions.

DTE seeks 1,000 MW of new renewables

DTE Energy has made significant investments in renewable energy and energy storage in recent years. Their goal is to power nearly 6 million homes with wind and solar power by 2042.

Earlier this month, the utility issued a request for proposal for a total of 1,000 MW (1 GW) of renewable energy projects to be operational in the state of Michigan by the end of 2029.

They are holding a webinar to discuss the RFP on May 26. More details are available here.