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microgrids

Army tests 'microgrids' to get smarter about energy

The Army plans to install microgrids in Afghanistan as part of its mission to reduce its energy-related vulnerability in the field.

A three-month experiment will deploy a system designed to use fuel more efficiency and pave the way solar and wind power in the field, the Army said earlier this week.

Right now, the Army uses diesel generators to power its bases. Transporting that fuel for generators and its vehicles comes at a significant financial and military cost as fuel convoys are often targets for attack.

The microgrids the Army plans to install will include diesel generators that are able … Read more

Ford microgrid to combine solar with EV charging

What was once a Ford SUV factory will become a solar-powered facility turning out fuel-efficient cars.

Ford Motor on Thursday announced a plan with utility Detroit Edison to install a 500-kilowatt solar array and battery energy storage from Xtreme Power at Ford's Michigan Assembly plant in Wayne, Michigan.

The set-up is meant to make Ford's operations cleaner and serve as a smart-grid test case. Installation for the system, which will cost $5.8 million, is scheduled to start later this year, the companies involved said.

The electricity generated by the solar panels will feed into the grid to … Read more

Mitsubishi plugs in smart-grid pilot project

Mitsubishi Electric on Monday said it will invest about $76 million in a smart-grid project, part of a companywide push into equipment for modernizing the electricity grid.

The company will create two installations--a residential-size building and a commercial facility--which will have on-site power generation through photovoltaic panels and local energy storage with rechargeable batteries. The flow of energy will be managed and optimized by power electronics and smart meters to test the performance of the equipment.

Mitsubishi Electric said the projects are part of a corporatewide push to supply smart-grid technologies for the electric power industry and meet global demand … Read more