Before the storm: how microgrids can future-proof our power supply
With extreme weather events increasing due to climate change, experts about from the unpreparedness of the electricity network. To boost its resilience, researchers all across Europe are advancing DC grids, and unlocking solutions like solid-state transformers and hybrid microgrids: "They would enhance grid efficiency and help local supply mission-critical facilities"
"When you want to buy an apartment, you are very concerned about the quality of tiles on the floor, the quality of plumbing, the quality of fixtures in the bathrooms, the quality of the appliances in the kitchen. But how many people ask whether this building adheres to the latest seismic safety codes?," notes Kamal Kishore, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General (SRSG) for Disaster Risk Reduction and Head of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR). His point is clear: we often overlook critical resilience factors in infrastructure planning, yet as climate change drives more frequent and severe disasters, the consequences of such oversight are becoming increasingly dire.
Recent findings from the UNDRR's Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction indicate a dramatic surge in the frequency and severity of climate-related disasters over the past two decades. Between 2000 and 2021, 83% of major power outages in the U.S. were due to extreme weather events, while globally, economic losses from disasters reached $2.97 trillion between 2010 and 2019. Moreover, extreme weather-related power disruptions increased by 78% between 2011 and 2021, underscoring the urgent need for resilient infrastructure. "Extreme weather events that used to occur once in a century now happen every 20 years, and in a number of major disasters such as cyclones and earthquakes, we have seen that 40% of infrastructure damage is in the power sector, in the energy systems," Kishore highlights. As the current power grid is not designed to withstand the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather "we have to come up with plausible worst-case scenarios and develop preparedness planning according to those scenarios. This means that if you invest in infrastructure, you must also put aside money for its maintenance. If you don't do so, it comes back to haunt you".
In the event of extreme events such as cyclones or earthquakes, maintaining power supply is critical for emergency response and recovery efforts. According to Saeed Manshadi, Associate Professor at the College of Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering Department of the San Diego State University, renewable energy sources and microgrids are already playing a crucial role in ensuring energy supply during natural disasters. "Given that renewable energy sources are locally available, we can install local battery and solar as distributed energy resources to energize microgrids as building blocks for the future smart grid. Under national disaster scenarios, while most of the time distribution and transmission lines are down, microgrids enable self-sufficient and self-healing capabilities for the local grid."
Compared to traditional centralised grids, new generation microgrids are particularly effective in disaster-prone regions. "Microgrids enable grids to locally supply mission-critical facilities under blackout conditions. If they are self-sustainable, meaning they have enough battery storage and renewable energy resources available, they can maintain essential services," explains Manshadi. In areas vulnerable to hurricanes, wildfires, and floods, microgrids can prevent catastrophic power outages and allow communities to function autonomously until the main grid is restored. "Think of a situation where you're in a very hot zone, flooded with Wi-Fi disruptions, or hit by a hurricane, and the main grid fails. Microgrids provide localised control, allowing essential infrastructure — like hospitals and emergency shelters — to continue operating".
However, in order to fully exploit the potential of green microgrids as useful tools in disaster resilience, a number of technical obstacles must be overcome. The major is to deal with a century-old energy delivery system, based on AC (alternative current), while in order to maximise yield and not waste energy and money, renewable energy based microgrids must operate through DC (direct current). One of the most promising advances in resilient energy solutions is the development of hybrid microgrids, which integrate renewable energy sources with advanced power management technologies. Eduardo Garcia-Martinez, Technical Director of Tigon, a European project aimed at enhancing the reliability and resilience of decentralised renewables-based power systems, explains: "If there is an issue with the external AC grid, our microgrid can operate autonomously by shutting down the AC connection. With integrated battery storage and renewable energy generation, it ensures continuity of supply even in case of a blackout". A key breakthrough of this project is the implementation of a 3,000-volt DC voltage level. "Most DC microgrids today operate from 700V to 1,500V. We are pushing the limits with 3,000V, which allows us to transfer more power with lower current, increasing efficiency while reducing material costs and the need for extensive copper wiring," he highlights.
Another solution developed within this EU-funded project is the integration of solid-state transformers (SST), which facilitate seamless energy conversion. "The SSTs enable DC generation and DC loads to be integrated more efficiently, avoiding unnecessary AC-DC-AC conversions that waste energy," García explains.
This approach enhances grid efficiency and resilience by minimising energy loss and stabilizing decentralised networks — an essential step in mitigating disaster-induced power failures. "We've already achieved the main milestone of generating 3,000V. Now we need to integrate photovoltaic generation, batteries, and interconnections with other DC microgrids to prove feasibility," García notes. If successful, this could pave the way for widespread adoption of hybrid microgrids useful in climate disaster prevention.
Kamal Kishore, who has been observing and addressing issues related with catastrophic events around the world for 30 years, adds, "A microgrid is great in terms of its modularity, and hence, less interconnection. This modularity is a source of resilience, so investing in microgrids is essentially investing in local resilience". Manshadi agrees: "Microgrids can supply their own community within the boundaries and supply mission critical facilities under the blackout. Especially if they are self-sustainable". But the benefits of microgrids extend beyond resilience. As Kishore points out, they also contribute to energy affordability: "Green power generated by microgrids brings costs down. While technical challenges remain — such as storage capacity — over the lifecycle of energy infrastructure, the investment in renewables and decentralized grids makes eminent sense. A very attractive proposition, particularly in the context of renewables, where you produce energy locally, and you consume it locally".
Despite the promise of microgrids, major policy and financial hurdles remain. "We need more policies supporting distributed energy resources," Manshadi stresses. "Utilities are already overwhelmed with disaster risk and decarbonisation mandates. Policymakers need to enable third-party entities to take part in the expansion of distributed energy solutions". Kamal Kishore echoes this sentiment, emphasizing the need for long-term investment in resilience: "We need greater public awareness, not just for efficient post-disaster responses, but to prevent risks from emerging in the first place".
By Martino De Mori
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