ORNL researchers have developed an orchestrator to automate management of interconnected microgrids powered by renewable energy, allowing them to support each other if one part becomes compromised. Microgrids, which can operate independent of the larger grid, provide vital access to medical equipment and food in communities with unreliable electricity.
ORNL engineers have spent three years working closely with international non-profits and universities to help the Puerto Rican town of Adjuntas develop viable microgrids. Researchers demonstrated the orchestrator in the GRID-C networked microgrid testbed, finding that networking Adjuntas’ microgrids can significantly extend their operating time. Researchers are now working to demonstrate the orchestrator in Adjuntas and scale up the technology to handle more microgrids through a partnership with New Sun Road, a small business developing a low-cost microgrid controller for community microgrids. The ORNL team is also helping create a community resiliency center in Adjuntas for device charging during power outages, such as the one that left Adjuntas in the dark for more than 6 months after Hurricane Maria.