POWERING RESILIENCE WITH MICROGRIDS
Small, independent pieces of our sweeping, interconnected grid — microgrids — give us greater resource stability, energy resiliency and control of our power. During normal conditions, they augment the grid with efficiency and reliability. If bad weather or high demand disrupt our power system, microgrids can temporarily supply power to industries and facilities that can’t go without it — effectively replacing the grid.
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MICROGRID CONTROLLER
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Now more than ever, universities work toward sustainability with the same effort they put toward fostering research, development and intellectual discoveries. Campus-specific microgrids can help support sustainability goals and are growing in popularity because of their benefits: integrating renewable energy sources, reducing carbon emissions and optimizing energy usage across buildings, labs and dorms.
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Utilities provide university campuses with power via the grid, balancing supply and demand as needed for the most effective and efficient use of energy.
Solar panels help campuses harness renewable, clean energy, improving campus sustainability by reducing overall reliance on fossil fuel-powered systems and processes. When forecasts are favorable, and if coupled with a battery system, solar panels can also help university microgrids store excess renewable energy for later deployment, keeping overall carbon intensity to a minimum.
A campus with battery backup systems can engage in energy arbitrage during good weather, storing renewable, clean energy within microgrids when output is high, then using it when demand is high. Battery backup systems also balance the grid with reliable energy and reduce the need for fossil fuels.
1. Energy Information Administration. “Electricity explained. Electricity generation, capacity, and sales in the United States.” Accessed 30 September 2024. https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/electricity/electricity-in-the-us-generation-capacity-and-sales. 2. Eurostat. “Renewables take the lead in power generation in 2023.” 27 June 2024. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/w/ddn-20240627-1.
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Honeywell building management solutions, alongside microgrid controllers and orchestration software like Honeywell Forge Sustainability+ for Buildings | Power Manager, provide campuses with the tools they need to maintain renewable energy storage, optimize energy loads for sustainable consumption and monitor other microgrid components for overall system resilience.
BUILDING MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
Honeywell Connected Power can help dorms, labs, libraries and other buildings manage energy (and thus, reduce emissions) by controlling plug-in power usage at an outlet level. The resulting asset management, energy savings, efficiency gains and load balancing from Connected Power can create energy efficiency gains that may translate into lower overall emission intensity for the campus.
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Each building on a university’s campus can baseline its current energy usage and reduce consumption with the Redaptive Energy IoT Panel. Energy reporting and conservation metrics work alongside other sustainability-focused solutions to help manage campus carbon footprints and identify the best opportunities for energy savings.
ENERGY IoT METER
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Switching to electric appliances can help university buildings reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Offsetting natural gas use, though, requires more electricity, so the overall utility demand will increase after these upgrades. With BMS and advanced software tools that use AI and/or ML, these demand increases can be mitigated or shifted to periods of the day that are less costly.
Many university campuses have considered LED lighting upgrades to generate quick financial returns by providing efficient and safe illumination across football fields, science centers, dining halls and other spaces. With on-site generation and proper microgrid controls, lighting solutions can be powered by renewable sources and automatically dimmed if energy needs to be prioritized elsewhere.
Honeywell Microgrid Controls adds value to university campus energy systems with its ability to optimize energy costs, the use of renewable energy and the cybersecurity of critical assets. Microgrid Controls can also connect to, balance and respond to the energy flows of campus assets to maintain proper control of stored energy.
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When extreme weather hits, college campuses — which host important activities, critical equipment and populations of varying sizes — need protection from power outages and failures. Microgrids are a sustainable, effective solution that help keep the lights on and provide power to single buildings or entire campuses with reliable access to and control of energy.
Utilities can’t provide university campuses with power because of severe weather, heightened demand or damaged infrastructure, etc. Completely off-grid campuses rely on backup systems and energy storage to keep operations as normal as possible.
| GRID UNAVAILABLE, USE BACKUP POWER | GRID UNAVAILABLE, USE BACKUP POWER | GRID UNAVAILABLE, USE BACKUP POWER |
When the main grid is unreliable or experiencing a failure because of bad weather, it will often be the case that campus solar panels are also underperforming. It is critical to have a comprehensive on-site generation solution that provides diverse energy sources as a hedge against grid and weather events.
When batteries are integrated into its microgrid, a campus can support energy demand during a grid outage, becoming the university’s prime source of power until the grid is restored. Energy optimization software that coordinates battery backup with campus energy consumption can prolong operations during a grid event, helping to prevent operational disruptions no matter how long the outage.
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Outages are never predictable and could be long lasting. Deploying a microgrid software solution that can orchestrate the generation and demand side of the campus can help optimize operations and enable continuous power even during long-lasting grid outages.
Connected Power is an energy management solution that can turn power to zero for all nonessential outlets during outages to help reduce campus demand and strain on microgrid generation assets. Connected Power also enables monitoring and control of all plug-in equipment with full outlet visibility, giving campus managers the ability to coordinate energy consumption across different facilities.
During grid events, knowing where your demand is and where it can be curtailed is critical to maintaining operations without overly straining the campus microgrid. The Honeywell + Redaptive solution is effective at this energy disaggregation as it can identify energy conservation opportunities before outages occur and deploy them when the grid is disrupted.
A campus’ efforts to electrify systems and reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions can come at the cost of the greater chance of disruption during a grid outage. By properly orchestrating these loads alongside the generation from the microgrid, the campus can intelligently curtail electric heating loads and maintain comfort until grid operations are restored.
Because LED lighting is highly energy efficient, its energy demands often do not significantly strain a campus’ microgrid. Employing smart features that dim lights or even turn them off can help relieve the bit of the demand placed on the microgrid these assets do generate. The reduced power load on backup systems during outages and emergencies enables microgrids to more effectively allocate limited power.
If power fails or the grid malfunctions, university campuses can rely on Honeywell Microgrid Controls to help maintain a reliable supply of power, extend the life of diesel backup generators and keep the charge of battery energy storage systems. Not only does Microgrid Controls deploy battery backup when consumption during an outage is high, but it also helps balance campus loads.
This conglomeration of office buildings, transportation systems and hospitals consumes significant energy to carry out essential functions. Orchestrating these power needs and making critical facilities robust to grid outages are considerable challenges. Many of the best systems include a microgrid with smaller distributed energy resources to provide power security no matter what happens with the grid.
DIESEL BACKUP & GENERATOR
So long as fuel is available, these systems are dependable and provide near instantaneous power backup in the event of a grid outage. They are a staple for most critical facilities, like hospital systems, where even minutes of power insecurity can result in severe consequences.
Utilities provide metro areas with power via the grid, balancing supply and demand as needed for the most effective and efficient use of energy.
Building management systems (BMS) that coordinate with microgrid controllers and orchestrators — like Honeywell Forge Sustainability+ for Buildings | Power Manager — provide building operators with the tools they need to monitor and coordinate energy demand, energy storage and energy generation to optimize the system and improve resilience.
Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) help store excess electrical energy that can be used when the grid is offline for continued operations. This solution smooths demand curves, charges during demand troughs and discharges during demand to help avoid expensive peak charges. Batteries with time-of-use pricing can also enable energy arbitrage for greater financial value.
To make meaningful changes to the energy efficiency of a building, it is important to disaggregate energy demand into the various components. Honeywell Connected Power helps customers track and control energy usage down to the wall outlet level with granular consumption data, giving facility managers richer insights on where energy efficiency opportunities lie, plus the ability to act on those insights.
Honeywell and Redaptive help disaggregate energy usage to an electric panel level, making visible the consumption of different circuits within a building. Operators can then diagnose where energy usage is higher than average and apply appropriate solutions. Honeywell Forge Performance+ for Buildings | Predictive Maintenance can help identify if assets are running outside of desired ranges.
The trend to electrify heating systems creates new demand for electricity that grid operators must consider in their load-balancing activities. Electrification efforts are good for the environment, often replacing natural gas-fired systems with electricity that is inherently cleaner, but they place greater strain on the grid and incrementally increase the chance of grid disruptions.
Many facilities have considered or have already completed LED lighting upgrades as it is one of the most financially attractive energy efficiency measures. LEDs are easy to control with building management systems and automation routines, adjusting so lighting is provided only when it is needed. This optimization strategy can incrementally reduce the strain on the grid.
Honeywell Microgrid Controls is a solution that helps metro areas maintain operational resiliency while managing unique energy needs. Its autonomous algorithms can connect to and balance loads' energy flows, ensuring energy assets run safely and securely. Microgrid Controls also helps provide outcome guarantees, service and support -- including turnkey offerings of battery energy storage systems.
STOCK IMAGE OF DIESEL BACKUP SYSTEM
STOCK IMAGE OF CONNECTED PLUG LOAD?
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Power continuity is a must for metro-area facilities, especially hospitals. When bad weather hits and outages occur, microgrids can help the cornerstones of metro areas avoid worst-case scenarios by swiftly replacing primary power sources and keeping medical equipment and data systems online with decentralized, independent energy.
Utilities can’t provide metro areas with power because of severe weather, heightened demand or damaged infrastructure, etc. Completely off-grid, metro areas rely on backup systems and energy storage to keep operations as normal as possible.
| GRID UNAVAILABLE — USING BACKUP POWER | GRID UNAVAILABLE — USING BACKUP POWER | GRID UNAVAILABLE — USING BACKUP POWER |
Coordinating the supply and demand of a microgrid is crucial, especially during grid outages. Honeywell’s Microgrid Controls and Honeywell Forge Sustainability+ for Buildings | Power Manager software can employ machine learning tools to optimize operations, extend the availability of backup resources and create a seamless transition from grid power to microgrid power and back again once the grid is restored.
Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) can function just like diesel backup systems, providing electricity the moment a grid event occurs. Finding ways to stretch the charge of a battery through the intelligent reduction of building energy demand can make batteries a more robust backup solution.
Understanding critical usage at the panel level and coordinating usage through the BMS can help satisfy critical loads during an outage. This prioritization of energy distribution helps maintain operations in times of crisis. Honeywell Forge Performance+ for Buildings | Predictive Maintenance provides more assurance that your operations are running smoothly when in islanding mode.
Not only does Connected Power help reduce plug-in energy consumption and give building operators in metro areas full outlet visibility to monitor and control all plug-in equipment, but it can turn power to zero for all nonessential outlets during outages, relieving demands placed on the microgrid and supporting the continuity of operations during the outage.
When power fails, a diesel backup system can supply needed electricity and enable operational continuity and uninterrupted services. This system can run continuously if there’s a stable fuel supply; coordinating the generation profile of diesel backup alongside building loads can extend the fuel supply and enable ongoing operations through long-lasting grid outages.
The best facilities put robust controls into place for their electrified heating systems to curtail noncritical heating until the grid is stabilized. Reducing or eliminating electric heat pump demand has the added benefit of alleviating the strain placed on microgrids during an outage.
The best facilities put robust controls into place for their electrified heating systems to curtail noncritical heating until the grid is stabilized. Reducing or eliminating electric boiler demand has the added benefit of alleviating the strain placed on microgrids during an outage.
With proper controls, a grid outage can trigger a set of automated responses across buildings to turn off or dim LED lights, providing illumination only where it is needed most. As with electrified heating systems, reducing the demand burdens placed on the microgrid creates a hedge, extending the capabilities of the microgrid while the grid is brought back online.
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This solution provides a customizable and configurable controller with frequency control, fuel saver, backup power and facility peak shaving capabilities. In case of grid failure, Microgrid Controls equips metro areas with the ability to monitor and optimize renewable power sources, maintain the charge of generators for a reliable power supply and help keep energy usage below the microgrid's threshold.
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CONNECTED POWER
HOT WATER HEATER
REDAPTIVE ENERGY IOT PANEL
DIESEL BACKUP
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Electric Hot Water Heater
Redaptive Energy IoT Panel
Connected Power
POWER PLANT
Fair Weather
Extreme Weather
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SEVERE WEATHER ALERT : GRID POWER UNAVAILABLE — USE BACKUP POWER
Industrial buildings like manufacturing plants and distribution centers require considerable energy to support heavy equipment, 24/7 operations and large premises. Avoiding high operational costs from considerable energy consumption is a priority, so industrial buildings are beginning to upfit current processes and spaces with energy-saving, energy-optimizing and energy-generating solutions from Honeywell.
power factor CORRECTION SYSTEM
NATURAL GAS TURBINES
Utilities strengthen power generation operations by helping balance demand with a reliable, efficient, effective supply of energy.
When coordinated alongside a natural gas turbine, battery systems can provide peak shaving and energy arbitrage opportunities. The system stores energy that was obtained cheaply through on-site generation or by purchasing cheap power from the utility during off-peak periods, and then uses this energy during peak periods without paying high energy costs.
In some areas, energy prices can be high enough and natural gas prices can be low enough that it makes sense for an industrial building to produce its own power on site. These gas-fired turbines or reciprocating engines can be configured in a Combined Heat and Power (CHP) application to provide both electricity and heat to the customer processes.
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Utilities are becoming more interested in the challenges that harmonics can create on their grid. Some utility companies are starting to require Power Factor Correction Systems at facilities or else assess a power factor charge.3 With a Power Factor Correction System, industrial buildings’ electrical systems can maintain voltage stability and avoid these utility charges.
3. U.S. Department of Energy. “Reducing Power Factor Cost.” Accessed 30 September 2024. https://www.energy.gov/eere/amo/articles/reducing-power-factor-cost.
POWER FACTOR CORRECTION SYSTEM
The best industrial buildings rely on building management solutions, microgrid controllers and orchestrating software like Honeywell Forge Sustainability+ | Power Manager to optimize energy costs and overall energy use. Advanced software can help buildings identify and manage areas of high consumption, automatically taking actions that can help reduce energy demand without sacrificing operations.
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Bad weather can increase the risk of grid outages. Even if an industrial facility is not impacted by grid outages elsewhere, an on-site microgrid system can still take action to increase readiness if an outage occurs. The stakes for these facilities are high. Power outages can cause trouble for industrial buildings in the form of downtime, material loss and even supply chain disruption. Independent, on-site power from microgrids can help mitigate these potential challenges with reliable energy and load management.
| GRID IMPACTED, USE BACKUP POWER | GRID IMPACTED, USE BACKUP POWER | GRID IMPACTED, USE BACKUP POWER |
Utilities can’t provide industrial buildings with power because of severe weather, heightened demand or damaged infrastructure, etc. Completely off-grid industrial buildings rely on backup systems and energy storage to keep operations as normal as possible.
Honeywell Forge Sustainability+ for Buildings | Power Manager can prepare battery systems for islanding operations, helping enable operational uptime. Power Manager can start charging the battery even if it’s not financially optimal to do so. A higher state of charge can prolong operations during a grid outage. Balancing this trade-off in an intelligent, automated way provides value to industrial buildings.
BMS, microgrid controller and Honeywell Forge Sustainability+ for Buildings | Power Manager can optimally prepare the facility as poor weather and outages loom. By reducing noncritical loads and redirecting excess power to charging the battery system, the industrial facility can be hardened against a potential grid outage and enable operations to prevail if a grid event does occur.
Just as power factor correction systems provide benefits to the grid, they also provide benefits to the microgrid. When the industrial facility is not facing an outage, the fact that this equipment is on site will make it easier for the microgrid to serve on-site demand in the event of a full-scale grid outage.
In normal conditions, on-site, gas-fired generation often runs near maximum capacity with excess power supplied by the grid. But when poor weather and grid outages occur, Honeywell’s microgrid controllers and Honeywell Forge Sustainability+ for Buildings | Power Manager can intelligently reduce loads to keep demand below maximum capacity, let it fully island and respond to unexpected peak loads.
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The energy demands of critical facilities, like hospitals, universities and industrial buildings, are typically supported by local utilities operating traditional and renewable generation methods. Fossil fuel-fired power plants, wind farms and solar panels supply the grid with steady, reliable energy that can be used where it’s needed, when it’s needed.
TRADITIONAL GENERATION
WIND FARMS
Utilities strengthen power generation operations by helping balance demand with a reliable, efficient, effective supply of energy
Wind turbines convert the kinetic energy of the wind into electricity. This renewable generation has seen widespread adoption by utilities as the installed cost of these facilities continues to decrease. Wind farms create sustainable power without emissions but can only produce that power when wind speeds fall within a certain range.
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Photovoltaic cells in solar panels harness sunlight to generate electricity. This clean and reliable generation method, like wind resources, is intermittent and more difficult for utilities to forecast production compared to fossil fuel-based generation plants.
STOCK IMAGE OF SOLAR PANELS
Power plants burn coal, fossil fuels, oil and natural gas to generate electricity. Nuclear energy is also used in traditional generation. These reliable, popular methods provide the power various facilities need to operate efficiently around the clock. In the U.S., ~60% of utility-scale generation was from fossil fuels while 19% was from nuclear energy— Europe’s nuclear energy generation was closer to 23%.1,2
2. Eurostat. “Renewables take the lead in power generation in 2023.” 27 June 2024. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/w/ddn-20240627-1.
STOCK IMAGE OF POWER PLANT
1. Energy Information Administration. “Electricity explained. Electricity generation, capacity, and sales in the United States.” Accessed 30 September 2024. https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/electricity/electricity-in-the-us-generation-capacity-and-sales.
Power plants burn coal, fossil fuels, oil and natural gas to generate electricity. This reliable — and popular — generation method provides the power various facilities need to operate efficiently around the clock. For example, in 2023 in the United States, approximately 60% of utility-scale electricity generation was from fossil fuels.1 Another major energy source often used in traditional generation is nuclear energy. In the United States in 2023, approximately 19% of utility-scale electricity generation was from nuclear energy; in Europe, that number was higher at nearly 23%.2
While utilities and grid operators go to great lengths to protect grid reliability even under the most taxing conditions, severe weather and high demand can put heavy stress on the grid and result in unplanned outages. During an outage, utilities make every effort to restore grid functionality as quickly as possible, but those periods are often marked by unreliable and intermittent power supply until the grid is restored.
During severe weather, heightened demand and damaged infrastructure, power generation may be unavailable. When this happens, metro areas, university campuses and industrial buildings should rely on microgrids.
POWER GENERATION UNAVAILABLE, USE MICROGRIDS | POWER GENERATION UNAVAILABLE, USE MICROGRIDS | POWER GENERATION UNAVAILABLE, USE MICROGRIDS
Bad weather can often be correlated with high and turbulent winds. Under these conditions, the wind turbines will feather their blades and stop rotating to prevent catastrophic damage from occurring. This action, though, can mean a reduction in the available supply of generation during severe weather, compounding the challenges of meeting demand and preventing a grid outage.
STOCK IMAGE OF WIND TURBINES (STORMS?) FEATHERING?
In moments of severe weather that include substantial cloud cover, solar panels become largely ineffective, reducing the overall supply available for utilities to dispatch. Utilities and grid operators face particular challenges during these events because of the reduced availability of resources like solar and wind occurring at precisely the time when substantial supply is needed the most.
STOCK IMAGE OF SOLAR PANELS (cloudy?)
Fossil fuel-based generation tends to remain online during harsher weather conditions, but if the transmission or distribution system fails, then the power plant will be unable to connect its generation to a demand source. The most severe weather events and high demand, though, can even impact traditional generation and create widespread, long-lasting and costly grid outages.
