GMLC 1.3.21 – Alaska Microgrid Partnership

Lead Performer: National Renewable Energy Laboratory – Golden, CO
Partners:
-- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory – Berkeley, CA
-- Oak Ridge National Laboratory – Oak Ridge, TN
-- University of Alaska, Fairbanks – Fairbanks, AK
-- Alaska Center for Energy & Power – Fairbanks, AK
-- Renewable Energy Alaska Project – Anchorage, AK
-- Intelligent Energy Systems – Anchorage, AK
-- Institute for Social & Economic Research – Anchorage, AK 
DOE Total Funding: $1,800,000 (funding is a joint EERE/OE initiative, BTO funds contribute to total)
Project Term: January 2016 – November 2018
Funding Type: DOE Grid Modernization Laboratory Consortium (GMLC) Lab Call

As a part of the Department of Energy’s Grid Modernization Initiative, the Grid Modernization Laboratory Consortium projects represents a comprehensive portfolio of critical research and development in advanced storage systems, clean energy integration, standards and test procedures, and a number of other key grid modernization areas.

Alaska—perhaps more than any other region in the country—faces unprecedented challenges in modernizing its rural energy infrastructure. Across the state there are approximately 200 isolated microgrid systems that are not connected to larger grids, with most of these systems relying almost exclusively on imported fuel (primarily diesel) to meet electrical, space/water heating and transportation requirements.  These communities, whose populations range from 50 to 6,000 people, are comprised primarily of native Alaskans, have some of the highest energy costs in the nation (up to ~10 times the national average), arguably the lowest power reliability, and are the least resilient, with impacts due to failure or supply disruptions often lasting days to months.

Because of their remoteness, microgrids are expensive to build and maintain, and the fuel imported into the communities is a high priced commodity. It is a goal of many Alaskans to integrate renewable energy, efficiency and storage into these microgrids—with the expectation that the new technologies will reduce a community's reliance on diesel fuel while improving reliability and resiliency. Currently about 40 communities have deployed some kind of renewable system; however, there are still significant challenges to overcome. Integrating intermittent resources into existing diesel systems, combined with fluctuating demand, can cause strain on the microgrid system if controls and hardware are not upgraded as well. Often, energy storage or demand management systems can be deployed to smooth the sometimes abrupt changes in generation or demand, but this is frequently accompanied with higher initial costs and leads to more complicated O&M requirements. The purpose of the Alaska Microgrid Partnership is to address these significant challenges and advance the development of the next generation of hybrid power systems for isolated communities.

The over-arching goal of the Alaska Microgrid Partnership is to reduce diesel fuel consumption by 50% in Alaska's remote microgrids without increasing system lifecycle costs, while improving overall system reliability, security, and resilience. Data sources and information will be developed and shared with other stakeholders across Alaska and the Arctic.

DOE Technology Manager: Marina Sofos, [email protected]
Lead Performer: Ian Baring-Gould, National Renewable Energy Laboratory