Community Resilience Microgrids

Community Resilience Microgrids
Summary
One could make the argument that virtually all microgrids share a goal of improving grid resilience. While acknowledging this dilemma, this report seeks to provide market estimates centered on recent programs and projects specifically linked to resilience in communities in light of recent natural disasters and technology mishaps. Some microgrids may serve multiple purposes, ranging from increasing reliability to renewables integration as well as economic optimization. That is the beauty of this flexible distributed energy resources (DER) networking platform.
Perhaps the primary difference between community resilience microgrids (CRMs) and other microgrid segments is that the CRM segment is being stimulated by specific government programs that are providing funding and regulatory support. In many cases, this is a necessity for this specific microgrid segment, since CRMs are plowing new ground in terms of customer relationships to host distribution utilities. Among the challenges facing this microgrid market are:
Mixed customer classes, making for regulatory complexity
Customer equity issues, especially when utilities are involved with providing CRM services
Lack of grid resilience metrics and values
Unique financing challenges when addressing community-scale projects
Despite the obstacles, the CRM market still represents opportunity. According to Navigant Research, global CRM implementation revenue is expected to grow from $162.9 million in 2015 to $1.4 billion by 2024 under a base scenario.
This Navigant Research report examines the global market for community microgrids and utility and third-party CRMs. The study provides an analysis of the policy and regulatory issues that either advance or retard the development of CRMs, some of the technologies necessary to create such distribution networks, and key players in this space. Global market forecasts for the incremental capacity and implementation revenue of community microgrids and both utility and third-party CRMs, broken out by segment and region, extend through 2024.