There is no clear common language or understanding around microgrids. Having a common framework is a vital part of having productive conversations about microgrid policy and deployment strategies. Having a simplified way to reference different microgrids makes it that much easier to understand each other when we’re talking about the future of microgrids. Without a clear taxonomy, we risk our energy future being dictated by what’s available today, missing out on opportunities to develop new types of microgrid solutions tomorrow.
To help define what microgrids are and the role they can play in transforming our energy system, Think Microgrid (a policy advocacy group for the microgrid industry) recently released Taxonomy Brief 2024. The brief organizes microgrids into three “families” based on the size of the system and how it connects to the grid, who the microgrid serves, and ownership of the microgrid.
A microgrid can serve an individual home, a community, or an entire military base depending on its size and configuration. They all share the common characteristic of being able to be an island and being able to interact with the grid in a flexible way as a single resource, but they're interacting with the grid at very different scales.
It is this diversity that can both drive and hinder microgrid development. While microgrids are not a new concept, technological advancements in recent years have progressed to the point that a system that once was practical for only certain highly motivated customers may now be accessible to a wider audience. However, outdated regulations and policies are too often putting up artificial barriers that ultimately limit those possibilities. The taxonomy is intended to help highlight the kinds of microgrids that we want to exist, but that might not exist today just because of policy, not technological barriers.
Moreover, the taxonomy will get more people engaged in conversations about how microgrids can serve as resilience, climate, and equity solutions. It’s a reference that can provide a little bit more of a coherent understanding of the microgrid landscape.
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