Diversification is key to building more sturdy grids
In 2012, there was a wake-up call that the way energy is produced today needs to be modified. A hurricane crashed into the mid-Atlantic region, affecting close to 50 million people. This disaster cut off access to electricity for a month and as a result, more people started calling for reconsideration of the methods of generating electricity.
There was a need to fortify the grid so as to avoid disasters in the future. To fortify the grid, it seemed diversification was the key. An effective way to solve this problem was the invention of micro-grids. Micro-grids are smaller grids that can be disconnected from the main grid, and be run independently to generate power. To be effective, these micro-grids need to be adaptable and capable of running on other energy sources.
⚡️An effective micro-grid should be able to run on fuel and solar power as well as on wind and natural gas.
Micro-grids are already in use in the United States, especially in areas that experience stormy weather. The invention of micro-grids kept rising in popularity, and by 2015, there were 300 such smaller grids in America, with many more in construction.
Today’s micro grids can connect to the major grid but they can also work independently in case of emergencies.