Island electricity systems are isolated from a larger electricity network, so they must supply their own electricity at all times without depending on a larger grid system for reliability and power quality management.Ĭaribbean islands, including those that partner with the Clinton Climate Initiative and the Islands Energy Program of Rocky Mountain Institute-often recognized as Rocky Mountain Institute-Carbon War Room (RMI-CWR)-exemplify isolated microgrids. The same incentives leading to an increased uptake of connected microgrids-improved reliability, greater sustainability, and lower costs-are also driving the transformation of isolated microgrids, such as island grids. Microgrids can be connected to the larger electricity grid however, in the event of a widespread outage, microgrids will disconnect from the main grid and continue to operate independently to maintain electricity supply to the homes and businesses that are connected to the microgrid’s electricity network. This enables microgrids to meet clean energy goals economically, while also achieving their primary purpose of providing adequate redundancy to ensure electricity supply reliability. The journey down the cost curve now means that solar and wind are cost competitive with traditional fossil fuel technologies. In recent years, the costs of solar and wind energy have fallen significantly. They also present an opportunity to glean insights across various microgrid configurations, namely connected or isolated hybrid systems that integrate a high amount of variable, renewable energy resources. Hundreds of microgrids are in operation today, and they are growing in number around the world. One way to address this risk is to develop microgrids-small networks that generate electricity for local consumption. And while a temporary loss of electricity at home is an inconvenience, in critical facilities such as hospitals and military bases, it can be life threatening-causing disruption to essential services or military readiness. In nations big and small, a reliable electricity supply underpins the economy and is central to daily life in today’s world. Behind the equipment and vast network of connections are the system operators, the people who ensure that our electricity needs are met at every second. Electricity grids are the largest machines in human history, comprised of diverse equipment used to generate and transmit the power that enables our modern lifestyle.
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