The market for microgrids

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The electrification gauntlet is this: The more we electrify, the more we ask of the grid. New demands on the grid are coming right as it’s facing some of its biggest challenges, like interconnection delays, transmission congestion, and extreme weather.

But there’s a way to take some of the strain off the grid when it doesn’t deliver what you need – Build your own! Microgrids, as they’re called, are electrical networks that can function independent of the larger grid.

So how do they scale? And what counts as a microgrid, anyway?

In this episode, Shayle talks to Tim Hade, co-founder and chief development officer at Scale Microgrids. (Scale was a launch sponsor of Latitude Media, which co-produces this show. This interview is independent of that sponsorship and was scheduled prior to Scale becoming a sponsor). 

Tim and Shayle talk about the state of the microgrid market. They discuss topics like:

• Why microgrid switchgear is a major bottleneck right now
• Whether the Chinese supply chain for microgrid parts will bounce back, or new manufacturing will spring up in Europe and the U.S. to replace it
• The effort to standardize microgrids to increase adoption

Recommended Resources:

• Canary: Puerto Rico’s first community-led microgrid is ready to launch
• Canary: A giant solar microgrid is coming to New York City’s JFK airport

Sign up for Latitude Media’s Frontier Forum on January 29, featuring Crux CEO Alfred Johnson, who will break down the budding market for clean energy tax credits. We’ll dissect current transactions and pricing, compare buyer and seller expectations, and look at where the market is headed in 2024.