Microgrids: An emerging paradigm for meeting building electricity and heat requirements efficiently and with appropriate energy quality

Abstract

The first major paradigm shift in electricity generation,delivery, and control is emerging in the developed world, notably Europe,North America, and Japan. This shift will move electricity supply awayfrom the highly centralised universal service quality model with which weare familiar today towards a more dispersed system with heterogeneousqualities of service. One element of dispersed control is the clusteringof sources and sinks into semi-autonomous mu grids (microgrids).Research, development, demonstration, and deployment (RD3) of mu gridsare advancing rapidly on at least three continents, and significantdemonstrations are currently in progress. This paradigm shift will resultin more electricity generation close to end-uses, often involvingcombined heat and power application for building heating and cooling,increased local integration of renewables, and the possible provision ofheterogeneous qualities of electrical service to match the requirementsof various end-uses. In Europe, mu grid RD3 is entering its third majorround under the 7th European Commission Framework Programme; in the U.S.,one specific mu grid concept is undergoing rigorous laboratory testing,and in Japan, where the most activity exists, four major publiclysponsored and two privately sponsored demonstrations are in progress.This evolution poses new challenges to the way buildings are designed,built, and operated. Traditional building energy supply systems willbecome much more complex in at least three ways: 1. one cannot simplyassume gas arrives at the gas meter, electricity at its meter, and thetwo systems are virtually independent of one another; rather, energyconversion, heat recovery and use, and renewable energy harvesting mayall be taking place simultaneously within the building energy system; 2.the structure of energy flows in the building must accommodate multipleenergy processes in a manner that permits high overall efficiency; and 3.multiple qualities of electricity may be supplied to various buildingfunctions.