Renewable vitality microgrids are more and more being examined to serve large-scale operations, together with communities. And now a brand new report is making the case for working the nation’s third-largest transit system primarily with renewables.
The report follows a push by environmental teams over the previous few years to dam plans for a 140-MW gas-fired microgrid for NJ Transit, a bus and rail system that serves 5,325 sq. miles of New Jersey.
In early 2021, environmentalists received a victory when NJ Transit withdrew its wind allow software that might have allowed the microgrid to run solely on pure fuel.
Later that 12 months, NJ Transit issued a request for proposals (RFP) to a short-listed group of microgrid builders in search of designs to construct and function the microgrid. The RFP states that the profitable bid should be in line with the state’s objective of reaching 100% carbon-neutral electrical energy by 2050.
Proposed in response to Tremendous Storm Sandy in 2012, the $577 million microgrid will likely be in-built Kearny, New Jersey, and can function an integral a part of the rail system between New York Metropolis and northern New Jersey.
I ponder who would be the bid winner and how much energy will likely be used within the microgrid design. The RFP anticipates {that a} contract will likely be awarded in June and the mission will likely be operational by August 2028.
Report requires hybrid microgrid
Given the uncertainty concerning the closing type the microgrid will take, Enpower NJ and Clear Vitality Group commissioned Strategen Consulting to discover what a hybrid microgrid might do. Hybrid microgrids use a mixture of renewable and fossil gasoline assets.
Issued this month, the report concluded that probably the most cost-effective and environmentally sound configuration can be 97 MW of photo voltaic, 76 MW of four-hour battery storage and a 32 MW backup fuel turbine.
A hybrid microgrid would offer $328-$376 million extra in future worth than a pure gas-only microgrid, in line with the report. The quantity was obtained by calculating the prevented environmental prices and market earnings achieved by utilizing renewable vitality as an alternative of pure fuel till 2050.
Totally different streams of earnings
The number of energy sources inside the hybrid microgrid will give it a monetary edge, in line with the report, as a result of it’s much less topic to pure fuel worth volatility and has extra flexibility to use wholesale markets. of electrical energy.
“The parts of the choice renewable energy-based hybrid microgrid system have the benefit of various income streams. The vitality produced by the 97 MW photo voltaic a part of the system can present energy to the grid throughout regular days, whereas the vitality storage system can present photo voltaic integration, vitality arbitrage, and ancillary providers within the type of synchronized reserves. Each the photo voltaic and the storage parts also can present capability within the PJM market at their respective values successfully carrying carrying capability (ELCC), and could also be eligible to take part in future state-sponsored incentive applications,” the report mentioned.
Is it dependable?
Within the case of a grid outage, the microgrid ought to be capable to serve about 40% of NJ Transit’s regular each day service for 2 weeks. Can a hybrid microgrid try this?
The report says the hybrid mannequin handed an hourly robustness check in three of 4 load eventualities that thought of photo voltaic availability throughout historic storms that prompted outages. of electrical energy.
The report additionally famous that photo voltaic and storage installations have come a great distance for the reason that NJ Transit Microgrid was proposed in 2015. That 12 months the US had solely six photo voltaic plus storage initiatives put in, with a mixed capability of 96 MW. As compared, 2021 noticed the set up of 70 methods with a mixed capability of two,920 MW.
The report defends the hybrid microgrid towards different doable clear vitality alternate options, corresponding to hydrogen and renewable pure fuel (RNG), arguing that the long run prices and availability of the fuels are unsure. For instance, RNG might solely substitute 6-15% of US pure fuel in 2040, in line with the report.
Massive land requirement
The photo voltaic array would require 300-350 acres of land; the report says NJ Transit has greater than 500 acres of land that may very well be used for photo voltaic panels and extra if the panels are positioned close to or on prime of the tracks.
NJ Transit pays for the microgrid with a $409.8 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration and a 25% match from the state. If the microgrid makes use of renewable vitality and storage, it might probably additionally profit from federal tax incentives accessible by the Inflation Discount Act of 2022.
Whether or not renewables alone can present the dependable electrical energy wanted for a fancy microgrid stays controversial within the microgrid neighborhood. To study extra, take a look at this debate, “The Inexperienced Vitality Balancing Act,” from Microgrid 2021.
Concerned about microgrids? Be a part of us in Anaheim, California Could 16-17 for Microgrid 2023: Lights Up!
