Powering Through the Storm: Microgrids Operation for More Efficient Disaster Recovery

Abstract

Disasters, whether natural or man-made, compromise the quality of life for all involved. In such situations, expeditious recovery activities are deemed imperative and irreplaceable for the restoration of normalcy. However, recovery activities rely heavily on the critical infrastructures that supply basic needs like electricity, water, information, and transportation. When disasters strike, it is likely that the critical infrastructures themselves are affected significantly, hampering efficient recovery processes, thus presenting a Catch-22 conundrum. In this article, we present examples from different parts of the world where distributed energy resources, organized in a microgrid, were used to provide reliable electricity supply in the wake of disasters, allowing recovery and rebuilding efforts to occur with relatively greater efficiency.