Page 72 - North American Clean Energy May/June 2019 Issue

energy efficiency
Blackouts in the Developing World
How microgrids are helping us cope
by Tomas Demcak
For residents of Maracaibo, March 7 to March 12 represented hell on earth. Power blackouts crippled the second largest city in Venezuela and left its residents struggling to nd ways to survive. With the sun beating down overhead, basic amenities disappeared overnight. Food spoiled in refrigerators, restaurants, and supermarkets, causing widespread hunger. Water became undrinkable without access to water ltration, causing its citizens to pay abhorrently steep fees for bottled water on the black market. Looting and riots marred the streets with violence, leading to hundreds of people seeking access to hospitals that couldn’t treat them. In just ve days, a power crisis e ectively crippled all semblance of a functioning society.
For well-developed cities in the West, a blackout typically means a couple hours
of minor inconvenience - smart phones will go uncharged, WIFI networks will go unconnected, and televisions will go unwatched. But in the developing world, when disaster strikes (be it natural or manmade) a power outage can quickly devolve into a humanitarian crisis. In the 21st century, however, we’ve designed a catastrophe-saving solution: the strategic implementation of microgrids.
Independent energy operation makes sense
Natural and manmade disasters are on the rise. Worse, they often occur in areas where populations are generally ill prepared to deal with the fallout. In many cases, a poor main power grid exacerbates the problem, forcing people to deal with extended blackouts in a time of extreme need.
A microgrid acts as a small, freestanding power source apart from the main power grid. Microgrids can range in size from a few small buildings, to a single battery pack connected with a smartphone. e ability to provide power while separated from the grid is essential when a region is experiencing a power outage. A
process known as “islanding” allows buildings to provide at least temporary power for essential services in case of an emergency, while still giving them access to the main grid under normal conditions.
Microgrids are already installed in many places throughout the world. In the United States, microgrid technology allowed for the continued running of hospitals, grocery stores, and gas stations in the aftermath
of Hurricane Harvey, saving the lives of countless Texans.
Rural communities, often hit hard by disasters, could see the most bene t from microgrid implementation. e ability to detach from faulty central grids and power themselves is essential when dealing with underfunded power companies or natural disasters.
If a conscious e ort is made to get communities to implement microgrids, it could prove to be game-changing. Take the Venezuelan blackouts for example: Strategic microgrids could have prevented the cataclysmic chain of events from occurring.
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Making the most of smart technology
As the world becomes more and more virtual, microgrids can tap into this technological potential much more easily than traditional power grids. In fact, some microgrids have gone completely virtual, allowing a community of users to share energy without the need for a physical connection.