GridNode Microgrid Solutions
Global energy trends of electrification, decarbonization, digitization, and decentralization are changing the current energy landscape. These trends combined with customer’s demand for solutions that provide increasing reliability, resiliency, sustainability, energy independence and energy cost reduction has led to the growing demand for microgrids.
GE’s GridNode Microgrid Solution provides real-time control and energy optimization that enables customers to obtain the maximum return on investment (ROI) from their systems.
The GridNode Microgrid Solution includes control and automation features such as operations management, transition management, dispatch control and energy optimization, operations planning, and market participation.
Customers Outcomes
- Increased Reliability enhancements through real-time detection of unstable system behavior and isolation of the affected system ensuring your most critical infrastructure stays online until normal system operation is restored
- Improved Resiliency by providing a system that can self-isolate from the affected grid and continue to support its loads independently for desired periods of time
- Energy Cost Reduction through a solution that can efficiently manage and optimize your energy resources based on real-time energy market prices, operational costs and energy resource mix
- Increased Revenue by enabling your system to provide ancillary services to the grid such as Frequency Control, Reserve Capacity, and Demand Response
- Energy Security by effectively controlling, monitoring and optimizing your local energy assets reducing your need to rely on a centralized supply
- Increased percentage of Renewables Integration through an energy management solution that supports the transition to new renewable energy targets and policies
- Reduced Emissions from on-site generation sources through the optimal dispatch and management of your energy resource mix
- Reduced Levelized Cost of Hydrogen (LCOH) through the optimization energy resources and advanced integration with the electrolyzers
GridNode Microgrid Solutions
Global energy trends of electrification, decarbonization, digitization, and decentralization are changing the current energy landscape. These trends combined with customer’s demand for solutions that provide increasing reliability, resiliency, sustainability, energy independence and energy cost reduction has led to the growing demand for microgrids.
GE’s GridNode Microgrid Solution provides real-time control and energy optimization that enables customers to obtain the maximum return on investment (ROI) from their systems.
The GridNode Microgrid Solution includes control and automation features such as operations management, transition management, dispatch control and energy optimization, operations planning, and market participation.
Customers Outcomes
- Increased Reliability enhancements through real-time detection of unstable system behavior and isolation of the affected system ensuring your most critical infrastructure stays online until normal system operation is restored
- Improved Resiliency by providing a system that can self-isolate from the affected grid and continue to support its loads independently for desired periods of time
- Energy Cost Reduction through a solution that can efficiently manage and optimize your energy resources based on real-time energy market prices, operational costs and energy resource mix
- Increased Revenue by enabling your system to provide ancillary services to the grid such as Frequency Control, Reserve Capacity, and Demand Response
- Energy Security by effectively controlling, monitoring and optimizing your local energy assets reducing your need to rely on a centralized supply
- Increased percentage of Renewables Integration through an energy management solution that supports the transition to new renewable energy targets and policies
- Reduced Emissions from on-site generation sources through the optimal dispatch and management of your energy resource mix
- Reduced Levelized Cost of Hydrogen (LCOH) through the optimization energy resources and advanced integration with the electrolyzers
What is a Microgrid
"A microgrid is a group of interconnected loads and distributed energy resources (DERs) with clearly defined electrical boundaries that acts as a single, controllable entity with respect to the grid. A microgrid can connect and disconnect from the grid to enable its operations in both grid-connected or islanded mode" – US DOE Microgrid Exchange Group, 2010
Why a Microgrid
Today’s energy trends of Decarbonization, Digitization, Decentralization, and Electrification are changing the energy landscape. In addition, customer demand for clean, reliable, and economical energy is growing. Microgrids provide a way for customers to achieve various outcomes across different segments.
GridNode Microgrid solution is a flexible and scale-able platform that incorporates various real time control and optimization functions based on the customer’s requirements and desired outcome. The GridNode platform is vendor agnostic, having the capability to integrate GE and 3rd party devices.
GridNode Microgrid Solution Functions
Control Functions
Customer Benefits Include:
Autonomous Control and Flexibility
- Ability to transition between the Grid-connected mode and Islanded mode
- Ability to seamlessly transition from the Islanded mode to the Grid-connected mode
- Ability to dispatch microgrid resources in order to manage power flow at the POI
- Coordinate dispatch of various DERs to control the frequency of the island and control power flow during Grid Connected Mode
- Ability to dispatch microgrid resources to manage power factor at a reference point (e.g., POI)
- Ability to provide a firm the PV output on a real time basis
- Ability to dispatch microgrid resources in order to support the Voltage or Frequency of the Grid
- Ability to control microgrid resources to regulate feeder voltage or the voltage at a reference point on the grid
- Managing the reserved capacity of the microgrid to enhance remaining life of the island
- Coordinate dispatch of various DERs to control the voltage of the island and control power flow during Grid Connected Mode
- Ability to curtail PV output to manage the power generation of the microgrid
- Ability to generate a day-ahead load forecast for optimal dispatch planning
Optimization Functions
Customer Benefits Include:
Energy savings, renewables enablement, emissions reduction
- Simplified/easy to use mode based DER optimal dispatch function
- Optimization Modes: Economics, Priority, Max Time of Life and Peak Shaving
- Incorporates load and renewable generation forecast
- Incorporates Grid Pricing
- Manages Reserve Capacity and BESS State of Charge
- Ability to consider Power Export and Grid Services
Microgrid Energy Management System (MEMs)
Customer Benefits Include:
Ability to actively manage, schedule, plan, and monitor your optimal dispatch plan
- Optimization Modes: Economic Dispatch, Peak Shaving, Minimize Emissions, Minimize Grid, Maximize Time of Life, and Maximize Renewables
- Provides a day-ahead (24hr) schedule, with 15min granularity
- Incorporates load and renewable generation forecasts
- Incorporates Grid Pricing
- Optimizes across DERs and Loads
- Manages Reserve Capacity and Battery SOC (Hard and Soft Limits)
- Provides Event Based Optimization changes
- Ability to compare various optimization scenarios prior to activating
- Ability to consider Power Export and inclusion of grid services
Advanced Functions
Customer Benefits Include:
System Reliability
- Ability to perform adaptive fast load shedding to facilitate seamless unplanned islanding for reliability-centric microgrids
Market Participation
Customer Benefits Include:
Revenue Generation and Renewables Enablement
- Ability to integrate your system into the energy markets
Business Model
As with most projects a microgrid project requires effective planning, analysis, and execution. Projects can range from large scale new installations consisting of engineering procurement, and construction of buildings, new DERs, electrical and mechanical equipment, protection and controls, as well as services to retrofits of existing systems with new microgrid controls. When required, GE partners with industry leaders to develop and design a system around our customers desired outcome. This approach enables GE to deliver a full turn-key solution.
GE works with partners to provide a turn-key solution to our customers
Services
GE's engineering and consulting services team provides a wide range of capabilities to assist you with implementing your microgrid project.
Our dedicated team of experienced engineers can provide end-to-end solutions or specific activities based on the specific project requirements. From new installations to understanding the best way to upgrade an existing system, GE’s engineering team has been trusted to analyze, design and implement modern power systems. Our broad range of services include activities such as:
Discover GE's solutions with the interactive Microgrid Explorer
