A Sandia National Laboratories research team in New Mexico says it will test its energy surety model microgrid at a military base.
The team is investigating how military bases can improve energy generation and transmission through a new microgrid system called the Energy Surety.
"In today's grid system, power generators (coal, nuclear, or gas) are located far from the load -- the place where people live, work, and use power," team leader Dave Menicucci said. "This requires much distributed wiring and has a potential for power disruption."
What the microgrid team envisions for military bases is a system that uses more small generation units and storage near the load and less generation at big plants. It would operate with or without the grid.
The researchers next spring will select a military base where a microgrid system will be installed and tested.
"The ultimate goal is to have microgrids at all military bases in the country and eventually in civilian communities," Menicucci said.
Copyright 2006 by United Press International
