Why Siemens and a California tribe are building a microgrid

一个社区的能力，“孤岛”本身的快速，无缝地从电网断开和自主发电越来越多地成为弹性的安装气候影响面前的支柱。

Just as extreme weather events such as Hurricane Sandy have exposed the vulnerability of the traditional electrical grid, they also have shown the resilience微电网的潜力。虽然2012superstorm knocked列于数百万整个东海岸地区电源，微网的几个著名的能够保持在线并提供电力。

By offering on-site energy generation that can operate both connected to and independently from the grid, microgrids give communities the option to become self-sufficient “energy islands” during times of grid disruption.

However, a community’s ability to isolate itself from the grid isn’t the same as simply being cut off from it, which is the case for many Native American reservations around the country. Extending utility distribution lines to remote locations can cost as much as $60,000 a mile, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, which means that solar energy and battery storage often is the most cost-effective option for many.

分布在大，偏远地区，许多当地的美国家庭不能从电网中受益。根据能源信息管理局，在美国本土保留家庭的14％左右用不上电，比全国平均水平高10倍。

A microgrid at Blue Lake Rancheria

Because they are responsible for serving all the needs of a community in typically very remote locations, reservations could be the perfectproving ground for microgrids。

“Reservations across the country are looking for ways to increase renewable adoption to become more sustainable as well as to provide their communities with more efficient, cost-effective and resilient power,” Pat Wilkinson, head of Siemens Energy Automation, told GreenBiz.

Siemens, a German engineering conglomerate, on Monday announced a partnership with Blue Lake Rancheria, a Native American reservation in Northern California, and Humboldt State University’s沙茨能源研究中心建立低碳社区微型智能电网"the government offices, economic enterprises and critical Red Cross safety shelter-in-place facilities across 100 acres.

Funded in part through a $5 million grant from the California Energy Commission’s Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC) initiative, the microgrid will be powered by a 0.5 MW solar photovoltaic installation, 950 kWh battery storage system, a biomass fuel cell system and diesel generators. It constitutes the largest solar array in Humboldt County, California, and is estimated to reduce 150 tons of carbon per year.

采用微电网软件

这将是第一个商业实现西门子的微电网管理软件（MGMS）技术，在二月推出，这使得微电网运营商预测电力负荷需求，并管理和控制分布式发电通过集成的天气和负荷预测的。

The microgrid will allow the reservation to operate independently of the power grid in coordination with the local utility, Pacific Gas & Electric.

“With Siemens' intelligent software, the Rancheria will be able to rely on a complex mix of generation and storage to work together to deliver efficient, reliable power,” Wilkinson said. “The software provides users a detailed view of their power system and is scalable to allow them to add sustainable power sources, like renewables, into an energy mix without fear of outages or power interruption.”

The software also manages the priority areas where power is needed in real-time. Wilkinson added. If the power were to go out at the Rancheria, for example, its critical facilities such as the Red Cross Safety Shelter need to be operational. The software allows the Rancheria to send power where it’s most needed to keep people in the community safe.

[了解更多关于微电网在VERGE圣何塞，十月26日至29日]

该兰切里亚是其一leading reservationsfor clean energy and climate action in the country. It has been recognized by the Obama administration as one of 16 communities to be named “Climate Action Champions.”

“The microgrid project will not only help demonstrate thenext generation of energy technology，但将有助于进一步兰切里亚减少温室气体排放，并为100英亩的预订提供可靠的电力，”威尔金森说。“新系统也将允许保留根据需要在紧急情况下电网的独立运作。”

This capability is important to the reservation, as it is a federally recognized Red Cross emergency shelter for the Humboldt community.

Helping the grid evolve

西门子拥有强大的专注于微型电网，威尔金森说，因为他们将是我国能源结构中的重要棋子。该公司已经正在与纽约和夏威夷，帮助社区建立微电网的实施计划。

“As the demands we place on our power systems continue to evolve, whether in relation to sustainability and environmental impacts or how we ride through catastrophic weather events, for example, our grids need to adapt,” Wilkinson said. “微电网解决方案是互补一个不断发展的电网，提供社区，像蓝湖，管理能源的创新方式的一部分。”