When Peter Asmus began helping three communities create community microgrids in California, a number of challenges cropped up. First of all, proponents of the microgrids were idealistic and enthusiastic. But they weren’t very aware of the issues that could bog them down. “What’s interesting about community microgrids: They have the broadest public support and are the most difficult microgrids to implement,” said Asmus, executive director of Alaska Microgrid Group. The community members often don’t know how electricity works. They don’t know the rules that affect microgrids, such as the over-the-fence-rule, which makes it difficult to transfer power over a public right of way or street. And, as the number of stakeholders increases, so does the complexity of the project. People have different visions of what they’d like to see in a microgrid, said Asmus.

Like communities, companies pursuing microgrids also face challenges. Often, they’re not sure what they want in a microgrid. They often fail to plan for future technology or to view projects from a holistic standpoint, said Alok Singhania, a partner at Gridscape Solutions. “Ninety percent of people we talk to have a […]