The market for microgrids

Catalyst · 26 Oct 2023 · 44m

What this episode covers

Tim Hade, co-founder and chief development officer at Scale Microgrids, explains that microgrids are distributed energy resources capable of islanding, distinguishing them from simple backup generators by their ability to interact with the grid during normal operations. He identifies four key components—solar, storage, dispatchable generation, and switchgear—and highlights switchgear supply chain bottlenecks, with lead times extending to 60-70 weeks, as a major market constraint. Hade argues that while resilience is currently undervalued, making solar-plus-storage systems islandable adds only a 25-30% premium, potentially unlocking broader adoption if regulatory frameworks like the IRA's microgrid investment tax credit are sustained and standardized.

Mentioned

Companies
Scale Microgrids, Energy Hub, Schneider Electric, Canary Media, Latitude Media, Energy Impact Partners
Products
Micro Grid Flex

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