Course description
Foundations of Microgrids
The electric grid of the future will need to be more resilient, decentralized, and capable of integrating more distributed energy resources including on-site renewable energy technologies, energy storage and even electric vehicle (EV) charging. Microgrids are an important building block in designing this sustainable grid architecture of the future. This course covers fundamental concepts of microgrid design from a community-centric perspective and emphasizes a holistic approach to energy systems management.
This course:
- Provides knowledge and insights to critically evaluate microgrid systems design and related topics such as distributed renewable energy systems, energy storage demand response, and other load management techniques.
- Prioritizes a community-centric approach with a holistic approach to energy services, including not only electricity supply but also heating, cooling, and transportation applications.
- Emphasizes resilience and sustainability with a strong focus on strategies for economically integrating high levels of distributed renewable energy generation such as solar photovoltaic, wind, and small hydroelectric.
- Explores concepts and best practices through extensive real-world examples, including site visits to numerous operational microgrid systems.
- Provides insights from experts who design, build, and operate some of the most innovative and advanced microgrids in the world.
- Establishes a strong foundation of what to consider at all stages of developing a microgrid project, including flexible and iterative approaches to project conceptualization, data collection, design, and modeling.
Upcoming start dates
Who should attend?
Prerequisites
No specific technical background is required, but a general understanding of electric generation and transmission, as well as renewable energy, is helpful. We will offer opportunities to review basic energy principles and terminology for learners that do not have a strong technical background.
Training content
Introduction to Microgrids
- Getting started
- Defining what is and what is not a microgrid
- Types and use cases of microgrids
- Comparison of microgrids to other grid architectures
- Community perspectives on microgrids
Microgrid System Design
- Design methodology and metrics
- Planning and scoping out a project
- Data collection and management
- Conceptual design and modeling
- Project development and implementation considerations
Renewable Energy Integration
- Types of distributed energy resources (dispatchable versus non-dispatchable)
- Impacts of resource variability on small grids
- Load/grid demand considerations
- Renewable energy penetration
- Strategies for incorporating high levels of variable renewables
Storage and Power Electronics
- Energy storage technology overview
- Services provided by energy storage
- Sizing storage solutions
- Battery technologies and safety
- Power storage
- Thermal storage
- The changing economics of energy storage
Course delivery details
This course is offered through University of Alaska Fairbanks, a partner institute of EdX.
5-7 hours per week
Costs
- Verified Track -$199
- Audit Track - Free
Certification / Credits
What you'll learn
- Types of microgrids and the energy and infrastructure services they provide.
- Non-grid connected/off-grid or islanded microgrid projects and systems, systems sometimes also labeled as “mini-grids”
- Strategies for low, medium, and high contribution renewable energy systems integration
- Dispatchable and non-dispatchable power sources
- System control, regulation, and optimization
- Power electronics advances with inverters and energy storage devices to enable increasing proportions of variable renewable resources into microgrids.
- Learn about different system designs as well as control and optimization strategies for converter-dominated power systems ranging from simple droop frequency (or voltage) control to advanced smart grid enabling technologies.
- Explore the role of energy storage technologies such as batteries and flywheels coupled with the importance of inverter technologies and other power electronics in enabling very high penetration levels of renewable resources such as wind, and photovoltaics.
- Strategies and best practices for designing a microgrid system with a focus on scoping, data collection, and modeling.
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