Webinar Panel: Using Microgrids to Leverage Multiple DERs
Microgrids have emerged as a practical, future-ready solution for addressing the challenges associated with rising electricity demand, aging grid infrastructure, ambitious sustainability goals and escalating utility bills.
In a recent webinar, “Diversifying the Distributed Energy Mix to Create Microgrids and Holistic Power Solutions,” Matt Holstein and Katie Bronchetti from Schneider Electric explained how microgrids that leverage intelligent controls to integrate multiple distributed energy resources (DERs)—such as solar, batteries and generators—enable commercial, industrial, municipal and even residential customers to take control of their energy use.
The drivers of microgrid adoption
During the Schneider Electric-sponsored webinar, Holstein, who is microgrids channel manager for Schneider Electric, outlined three megatrends which are propelling microgrid growth:
- Decarbonization: Corporate, state and federal carbon-reduction commitments are accelerating the push for cleaner, local energy.
- Electrification: EVs, heat pumps and data centers are stretching grid capacity and raising demand for local generation.
- Reliability: Outages caused by wildfires, hurricanes and severe weather events are becoming more frequent, leading customers to seek resilient power options.
As a result of these drivers, commercial, industrial and institutional customers are increasingly investing in on-site generation and control to manage cost, emissions and risk, he explained, adding that many have become prosumers, not just consumers of electricity.
“A prosumer has active control of their power consumption but can also push back power onto the grid and flow power and benefits back up through the entire value chain,” Holstein said. “The new value chain of the new energy landscape is really a two-way, much more intelligent flow of power.”
Economic, sustainability and resilience value
Bronchetti, who is microgrids architect leader for Schneider Electric, presented multiple use case examples to show how microgrids that leverage multiple DERs can produce value.
She demonstrated how microgrids directly reduce costs by using batteries to reduce grid consumption during peak hours, shifting loads like EV charging to lower-cost times, maximizing on-site solar by storing excess in batteries and generating revenue through demand response and frequency regulation services.
In terms of sustainability Bronchetti explained how microgrids can maximize renewable use and carefully manage exports, so that organizations can meet carbon-reduction targets without costly curtailment.
“With the export management use case, the microgrid is going to manage all the DERs and even curtail renewable production to ensure that the [utility] export requirement is met in real-time,” Bronchetti said.
The panelists also explained how microgrids with multiple DERs provide critical backup capabilities, including:
- Storm preparation mode (charging batteries ahead of predicted outages).
- Safe, automated islanding and reconnection to the grid.
- Fuel-saving strategies that optimize solar and battery use with generators.
- Load prioritization to preserve critical operations during extended outages.
“We can't really schedule our outages, but we can schedule our preparedness for them” by leveraging multiple DERs controlled by a microgrid, Holstein said.
The project development journey
“Microgrids are complicated,” Holstein went on to say. However, “there's a tremendous amount of benefits to be had at these customer sites, and the complexity shouldn't dissuade any of us from approaching these projects.”
To that end, the speakers outlined the structured process that successful microgrid projects tend to follow:
- Define objectives across economic, sustainability and resilience priorities.
- Conduct feasibility studies and energy modeling to determine the right DER mix and system design.
- Conduct financial modeling to validate return on investment and utility bill savings.
- Design the system, including electrical layouts, and perform protection studies to ensure the safety and stability of the microgrid.
- Begin procurement and construction, led by experienced developers and contractors.
- Commence operations and optimization, leveraging ongoing support through a microgrid service plan.
Unlocking microgrid value
Microgrids offer commercial, industrial, and institutional customers a way to optimize costs, reduce emissions and enhance resilience by integrating multiple distributed energy resources. A structured development process—from defining objectives and assessing feasibility to design, construction, and ongoing operation—ensures these systems deliver measurable value.
For additional insights, include a more in-depth analysis of the use cases and a robust Q&A session, watch “Diversifying the Distributed Energy Mix to Create Microgrids and Holistic Power Solutions,” which is now available on demand.
About the Author
Kathy Hitchens
Special Projects Editor
I work as a writer and special projects editor for Microgrid Knowledge. I have over 30 years of writing experience, working with a variety of companies in the renewable energy, electric vehicle and utility sector, as well as those in the entertainment, education, and financial industries. I have a BFA in Media Arts from the University of Arizona and a MBA from the University of Denver.