Page 20 - College Planning & Management, June 2017

Facilities CAMPUS SPACES
Off the Grid
Microgrids offer college campuses energy independence, resiliency and lower power bills. Are you ready to take your school off the grid?
BY AMY MILSHTEIN
MICROGRIDS ARE THE FUTURE OF ENERGY distribution and colleges and universities are leading the way. Instead of relying on a remote power source,
microgrids allow entities that are already co-generating electricity to create a resilient system independent of their utility. In some cases, they can sell extra energy back to the utility or negotiate lower rates year-round.
Microgrids may even make it possible to rely completely on re- newable energy, according to “Renewable Energy 100: The Course to a Carbon-Free Campus” a report from Environment America
Research & Policy Center. While 100-percent renewables — think solar, wind, biomass and algae — remains a far-reaching goal, the technology offers value right now.
But first, what is a microgrid? According to the Department of Energy, a microgrid is a local energy grid with control capability, which means it can disconnect from the traditional grid and oper- ate autonomously. A microgrid, for the most part, operates while connected to traditional grid but can break off, or island itself, and operate on its own. It can be powered by distributed generators, batteries and renewable sources.
20 COLLEGE PLANNING & MANAGEMENT / JUNE 2017
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PHOTO COURTESY OF EASTERN MENNONITE UNIVERSITY