Building a More Energy-Resilient Future Series #1
Energy Resiliency Through Performance
It’s no secret that the country’s energy grid is being pushed to its limit, from recent supply chain disruptions preventing repairs and updates to climate-induced extreme weather patterns creating ongoing power outages. When all is said and done, strengthening energy resiliency through performance optimizes microgrids so utilities and end users can restore electricity more efficiently and prevent outages from occurring, all while reducing carbon emissions.
Climate-induced extreme weather patterns, for example, are wreaking havoc on the aging grid year after year, with annual power outage costs averaging $55 billion between 2006 and 2019. And if we don’t address the problem, these costs are expected to climb to more than $480 billion by 2080 (in 2019 dollar values). Simply put, this level of cost and unpredictability is not sustainable.
Not to mention that these numbers don’t even consider the threats from cyber attacks or the logistical challenges that communities incur when they can’t rely on the grid for an extended period. It’s time for a new approach, one that’s resilient, rewarding, and more profoundly incorporates renewable energy resources.
Microgrids: A Resilient Energy Solution
Traditionally, decentralized self-sufficient energy hubs, or microgrids, have been out of economic reach for most communities due to the lack of an affordable way to harmonize the growth and scale required for cost-effective microgrid deployment. However, that’s rapidly changing, and microgrids are no longer considered a “would-be” fix; instead, they’re the plausible solution we’ve been working toward achieving.
Specifically, microgrids are like they sound—localized grids capable of acting autonomously, disconnecting from the traditional grid, and efficiently distributing renewable energy. This design means if the primary grid goes down for whatever reason, the disruption doesn’t need to reach the end user.
Microgrids provide flexibility and resiliency above and beyond the current grid network. The hurdle has always been the proper marriage of various software and hardware tools to balance and appropriately manage this energy distribution, something that Heila’s EDGE microgrid controls platform has achieved, giving users insight and control into every aspect of their energy system.
Optimizing Microgrid Controls
Heila EDGE enables you to connect and customize each piece of your distributed energy system, putting you in total control and providing you with the complete picture. This line of sight into your entire operation empowers you to make accurate and informed decisions based on comprehensive real-time analytics, whether monitoring a single function or controlling your entire system holistically.
Accuracy through customization leads to lower emissions, but it will also lead to lower costs. These savings make the Heila EDGE not only energy efficient but economically efficient as well. After all, savings and sustainability shouldn’t be an either-or decision. By making sustainable energy more accessible and providing transparency into immediate and long-term costs, our partners can make informed, ongoing decisions tailored to their needs and budget.
And while lower costs and reduced emissions have traditionally meant inconsistent energy, the Heila EDGE has proved otherwise, affirming that renewable energy can be reliable and resilient.
Smarter Microgrid Performance, Improved Energy Resiliency
Our energy experts work to build the future of clean, resilient, and sustainable energy by using innovative yet simple solutions for monitoring, analytics, control, optimization, and O&M for energy systems of all kinds.
The EDGE microgrid control platform provides unparalleled automation and modularity to dramatically reduce system complexity and cost. Through game theory, the revolutionary distributed control platform autonomously manages and optimizes resources to make microgrid systems more intelligent and increase resilience through performance.
From connectivity and customization to cost savings and reliability, the Heila EDGE delivers smart, always-on microgrid controls for improved system performance, more energy resiliency, and better ROI.
Check back soon for part two of this three-part series on building a more energy-resilient future.
Want to learn more about how the Heila EDGE delivers more energy resiliency? Reach out to us today!