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Community Energy Development:
Unique value proposition, unique challenge

Sustainability and resilience projects present a unique opportunity for local communities -- and also a unique set of challenges. 

Investments in local energy assets can serve multiple purposes -- from saving money to improving resiliency of critical facilities.
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​Too often such projects are developed on an isolated "silo" basis -- focusing on a narrow set of objectives, rather than on the big picture. The results? Missed opportunities, wasted money, and unmet local needs.

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Integrated planning and development, however, isn't easy. Complexities can frustrate communities' efforts to pursue greater benefits. That's where Microgrid Institute can help.

The Microgrid Institute Community Energy Development Program was formed to help community leaders and other stakeholders navigate the challenges of planning and implementing local sustainability and resilience projects. From strategic vision to contracting, our principals and partners work closely with local community leaders to:
  • Define project objectives, and maintain consistent focus on achieving them
  • Perform stakeholder outreach and engagement, and manage team communications
  • Manage multi-disciplinary projects and processes
  • Lead public-private partnerships
Using this approach, Microgrid Institute helps communities to avoid the unintended consequences of "silo" planning, and bring greater benefits at a lower cost. Contact us to learn more about the Microgrid Institute Community Energy Development Program. 

RELATED INFORMATION

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New Paltz Community Energy
​Outreach and Education Website


PRESS RELEASE
WEBINAR: MODELING CLEAN RESILIENT POWER FOR MARYLAND COMMUNITIES
Montgomery County, Md.: Microgrid Institute will host a free public webinar on Thurs., Feb. 5, 2015, at 2:00 EST, to provide information and address questions about the Olney Town Center microgrid R&D project. 

Register to attend this free webinar:

Online: http://bit.ly/1utV2OO
Phone: Peter Douglass (320) 493-1923
Email: pdouglass@microgridinstitute.org    

Background: The Olney Town Center microgrid R&D project team – which includes Microgrid Institute, Green Energy Corp., Schneider Electric, North Carolina State University, and Pepco Holdings Inc. – is working to research, design, simulate, and test advanced control systems for a prospective community microgrid at Olney in Montgomery County, approximately 20 miles from Washington, D.C. Additionally, the project will compare and contrast the Olney model against a second prospective microgrid deployment in Prince George’s County. 

During the webinar on February 5, the project team will provide an overview of the project with details about its objectives and approaches to microgrid technology development. ... READ MORE

PRESS RELEASE
MICROGRID INSTITUTE LAUNCHES COMMUNITY ENERGY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

June 6, 2014

Ft. Lauderdale: Microgrid Institute today launched the Community Energy Development Program, during the Go Solar Fest conference and exhibition at the Broward County Convention Center.

“Communities across the country are working to improve their resilience, preparing for the next disruptive storm,” said Michael Burr, Director of Microgrid Institute. “But community energy projects are multi-faceted and complex, impacting many interdependent systems and services. Achieving local resilience and sustainability calls for specialized expertise and information that can be difficult to find.”

The Microgrid Institute Community Energy Development Program will establish a single source of knowledge, expertise, and support to help communities in each phase of local resilience project planning and implementation. By bringing these resources into a one-stop shop for community leaders, the Program will raise the chances for project success -- while reducing project costs. MORE

STATE POLICY
Maryland Microgrids Roadmap
Comments: Resiliency through Microgrids Task Force
Maryland Energy Administration, April 3, 2014

"A singularly important role for policymakers in Maryland is to establish policy goals and regulatory frameworks that foster innovation in serving local energy requirements – not only with microgrids, but with a full range of demand-side services." MORE
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Resilience through Microgrids
Trends and Opportunities for States and Communities

Presentation: NASEO 2015 Energy Policy Outlook Conference (Feb. 4, 2015)

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Go Solar - Resilient Communities Presentation (11 MB PDF)
File Size: 2009 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Solar Microgrids for Local Resilience
Achieving community goals with solar energy, microgrid technologies, and strategic planning and development.

Presentation, June 7, 2014

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Community Renaissance
When one age ends, another begins
By Michael T. Burr

Utility 2.0 and the Dynamic Microgrid
Superstorm disruption calls for a new utility architecture
By Mani Vadari, Modern Grid Solutions, and Gerry Stokes, Brookhaven National Laboratory
With advanced distribution technologies, grid architecture is changing in fundamental ways. Distributed energy resources, combined with smart grid technologies, set the stage for dynamic microgrids to bring system resilience and efficiency. MORE

Community Clean Energy and Resilience Project Evaluation Methodologies and Resources
Working guide to project evaluation methodologies, criteria, and other resources (Updated February 2015).

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