Top 10 Companies Employing Microgrid Solutions

Do you know those scenes in movies where one house uses too much power, and suddenly the rest of the city goes dark? It’s often used as a good gag, but it does reflect the reality for many on a massive interconnected power grid.

Everyone is vulnerable to disruptions and outages far beyond their immediate control. And for communities and facilities that cannot afford to be plunged into darkness, microgrids are quickly becoming the go-to solution.

The humble microgrid has been around since the first power plants were built, but a few things have had to change before they could operate alongside big public utilities.

These changes have included safe and long-lasting batteries, storage, and renewable energy sources like wind turbines and solar panels that can independently generate sufficient power. These major updates are helping to provide a lifeline – and a much better option – for those looking at microgrids as a solution.

In this post, we’ll cover ten of the best companies employing microgrid solutions for all types of end users and why these are paving the way in the energy industry.

What are microgrid solutions?

A microgrid is a smaller, scaled-down version of a typical central electric grid. They can be operated independently and power a single building or several.

Remote communities, industrial facilities, utilities, medical buildings, government offices, and corporate campuses are just a few examples of sites that can benefit greatly from microgrid solutions.

Currently, there are around 4,475 microgrid projects worldwide, and about 160 are in the United States. Although they only provide 0.2% of the electricity, that number is on track to double within the next three years.

Awareness of climate change is one of the major drivers behind the adoption of microgrids, as it makes it possible for energy consumers to shift as much of their usage as possible onto sustainable power sources.

3 Types of microgrid solutions

 

1. Commercial and Industrial Microgrids

Microgrids that power commercial facilities and industrial operations tend to be large-scale compounds requiring many solar panels, generators, battery systems, and other hardware elements.

2. Community Microgrids

Microgrids can also power residential communities, especially in remote areas. While these are often large projects similar to commercial and industrial microgrids, they can also be used for smaller neighborhoods or individual residences.

3. Off-Grid and Grid-Connected Microgrids

These two subcategories can be used in conjunction with any of the previous categories, but they describe two different approaches to microgrid implementation.

Off-grid microgrids, sometimes described as ‘island’ microgrids (as they are often used on literal islands,) are self-contained. They do not draw power from any larger, traditional power grid systems.

Grid-connected microgrids can receive power from offsite grids but can provide power independently when that connection is interrupted. A hospital, for example, might run off the local grid but can also have generators that provide power during an outage.

Benefits of microgrid solutions

Whether you’re developing a smart community with aims toward running off of sustainable energy or operating a critical industrial facility that can’t risk a moment of downtime, microgrid solutions offer several key benefits:

Increased energy efficiency

A microgrid can improve your energy efficiency by as much as 60%, making it far cleaner and more cost-effective than traditional grid power.

Greater sustainability when used with renewable energy

The more we understand the causes and effects of climate change, the more we understand the importance of choosing clean, renewable energy sources over fossil fuels. 

A wind or solar-based microgrid is one of the most environmentally friendly ways to generate dependable power.

Protection against weather-related outages

Climate change has also led to more impactful weather events, with weather-related power outages increasing by 78% over the past decade. Microgrids can operate autonomously, reducing your dependence on a local grid that can have multiple points of failure during a storm.

Affordability

Technological advances in battery storage and generator equipment have made microgrids much more affordable in recent years, rivaling the cost of traditional energy sources.

Providing power in remote areas

Communities and facilities in remote areas often receive unreliable service from grids set up to serve densely populated regions. Microgrids can ensure that these sites consistently meet all their energy needs.

Some features to look for in a microgrid solution would be controllable generation (like natural gas or fuel cells), non-controllable generation (solar panels or wind turbines), backup generators, battery storage, uninterruptible power supply, and remote monitoring and control capability. Individual solutions may provide several features or specialize in one important element.

Which type of energy service company is best?

When looking into the companies that offer microgrid solutions, you’ll come across two forms of energy service companies (ESCOs). These are operationally focused vs non-operationally focused. 

The difference lies in how they operate. Operationally focused services have in-house infrastructure already in place, often including engineers, service teams, production lines, and more.

Non-operationally focused energy service companies are the opposite, which could be a more flexible option for some. Both help with developing, designing and arranging projects that help you save money and reduce energy, but it’s important to consider which is the right one for you.

Top 10 companies employing microgrid solutions

For those looking to utilize microgrids, here are ten companies you need to be aware of.

1. GoSolar

As the name suggests, Go Solar Power specializes in all things solar and renewable energy. They assist with residential and commercial projects day-in and day-out, amounting to over 3000 hassle free installations.

They have mostly 5 star reviews and a quick turnaround time for those looking for something immediately.

Best for: Those in Florida, Texas, California, Georgia, North and South Carolina, Alabama and Louisiana.

Price: By inquiry.

Reviewer Says: “Very professional. Great deal and everyone was very helpful throughout the whole process.”

2. Galooli

Galooli specializes in remote monitoring and control of energy assets. The solution provides:

• An immediate real-time view of the status and performance of your system.
• Giving operators actionable insights for optimizing efficiency.
• Preventing maintenance issues.
• Reducing costs.

The solutions that Galooli offers are crucial for ensuring your microgrid is running smoothly, which could save you time, money, and resources.

Best for: Remote monitoring and site management. By simultaneously improving your visibility into site performance while reducing the need for in-person inspection, Galooli’s solution can extend the life of your assets, maximizing their cost-effectiveness and sustainability.

Price: By inquiry.

Reviewer Says: “This software enabled UNICEF to cut fuel usage by 50%. It has also helped us monitor fleet usage, fleet abuse, and fleet security. This system has done a lot for UNICEF.”

3. Bloom Energy

A green energy company headquartered in San Jose, California, Bloom Energy’s microgrid solution is based on its always-on Bloom Energy Server platform. 

The Bloom Energy Server is a distributed generation platform that uses solid oxide fuel cells to convert natural gas, biogas, or hydrogen into energy.

Best for: A self-contained microgrid energy source. Bloom Energy’s platform is clean and combustion-free and doesn’t rely on turbines or solar panels for generation.

Price: By inquiry.

Reviewer Says: “We’ve installed one of their units into one of our R&D centers. It’s been producing not only sustainably low-emission electricity, but on top of that, it’s really cost efficient.”

4. Gridscape

Gridscape’s focus is on providing small to midsize renewable energy microgrids. Their solution is basically a microgrid-in-a-box that contains the controller, battery storage, and other necessary equipment and can be expanded and upgraded as needed.

Best for: EV charging stations. Gridscape also provides EV fleet solutions, and their sustainable microgrid box is perfect for fleet charging stations and projects of a similar size and scope.

Price: By inquiry.

5. Siemens

Siemens is a German conglomerate that has been in operation since 1847, and they bring their resources and experience to bear in providing efficient, high-tech energy solutions. 

Their SICAM Microgrid Controller provides a full suite of autonomous functionality for microgrid implementations at any scale, including security, outage detection, and load management.

Best for: A flexible control system. The hardware components of the SICAM system are installed on-site and can be integrated with a wide variety of existing control and monitoring solutions.

Price: By inquiry.

Reviewer Says: “The solution offers an innovative, intelligent business ecosystem for companies.”

6. Distributed Sun

Distributed Sun helps advise, develop, finance, own and operate clean energy projects across a wide range of industries.

They provide energy and microgrid solutions to companies and communities and have developed clean energy assets in 11 US states (and counting!)

Best for: Helping you to achieve a net-zero footprint through their off-site renewable solutions, while assisting with finances too.

Price: By inquiry.

Reviewer Says: “We have a very unique situation and wanted a complicated design. Brandon and the team came up with a great design. Call them before anybody else and save yourself some time.”

7. BoxPower

This California company specializes in designing, installing, and managing resilient microgrid systems for remote areas. BoxPower’s solar-powered containers are designed to withstand extreme weather conditions and can be quickly relocated if needed.

Best for: Rural microgrids. BoxPower offers a tough, configurable solution that easily meets the needs of users in rugged and hard-to-reach areas.

Price: By inquiry.

Reviewer Says: “With their shipping containers and self-contained solar-powered units, BoxPower offers unique energy solutions.”

8. POMCube

POMCube’s products are intelligent energy storage systems that provide emergency or ongoing power for homes and commercial buildings. These all-in-one systems are easy to install and can store grid-generated or solar power, helping users reduce costs and take advantage of renewable energy.

Best for: Self-sufficient residential energy. POMCube’s iCAN systems are not full-scale microgrid solutions but can provide a house’s backup or supplementary power.

Price: By inquiry.

Reviewer Says: “It’s just like having regular grid-connected power, but it’s not grid-connected, it’s all sustainable.”

9. David Energy

As a modern retail energy provider, David Energy doesn’t just sell electrical power to commercial and residential users. They also connect their customers with demand response, arbitrage, and other energy market programs and provide a software platform that integrates with smart devices to improve efficiency automatically.

Best for: Helping you save time and money. David Energy’s software platform offers various features that can improve the efficiency and sustainability of your microgrid.

Price: By inquiry.

Reviewer Says: “If I don’t have to worry about something, and I know David Energy is taking care of it, that my systems are being monitored and that we are getting access to savings opportunities—that’s valuable.”

10. Duke Energy 

Duke Energy is a power company based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They strongly emphasize clean energy sources and can provide planning, financing, and maintenance for backup and remote microgrids.

Best for: Helping you figure out the logistics for your microgrid. Duke Energy has over twenty years of experience setting up and maintaining sustainable microgrids, so they can be a good resource to consult with if you’re still in the early stages.

Price: By inquiry.

Reviewer Says: “In about a year, we were able to dramatically increase our share of renewable energy use and help reduce the impact of our operations in a meaningful way.”

Improve oversight and increase energy efficiency

Microgrid power can be a great way for businesses and communities to achieve sustainable, reliable energy independence. 

It’s a big responsibility to take on the challenge of providing for your own energy needs, but the right solutions can make the job easier and improve the efficiency and dependability of your microgrid.

The ability to monitor your microgrid equipment remotely and respond immediately to any issues is key to avoiding problems and maintaining optimal performance. This makes remote monitoring and control solutions like Galooli crucial for any microgrid implementation.

To see how easy it is to gain visibility and control of your energy assets no matter where you are, try a demo of Galooli’s remote management solution.