Urban mini-grids

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=82 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>IEA PVPS Task 11 - PV Hybrids and Mini Grids</B></FONT><B>     |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="IEA PVPS Task 11 PV Hybrids and Mini Gr"><U><B>H</B></U></A><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="IEA PVPS Task 11 PV Hybrids and Mini Gr"><U><B>ome</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id32.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="PV Hybrid Systems"><U>PV Hybrid Systems</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id34.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Minigrids"><U>Mini-grids</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id35.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Village microgrids"><U>Village microgrids</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id36.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Diesel mini grids"><U>Diesel mini grids</U></A>   |   <B>Urban mini-grids</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFCC66" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=398 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>Urban mini-grids</I></div> <div> Urban mini-grids are envisaged to be local distribution networks in developed areas that have an established electricity grid.  The mini-grid can operate autonomously with local generation sources or interconnect to operate in parallel with the central grid.   The mini-grid distribution network is designed to conventional standards (which vary by country) and is (usually) owned and operated by a regulated utility.</div> <bR> <div> The primary motivations for implementing urban mini-grids are to allow the integration of high levels of distributed and renewable generation sources into the grid and to increase reliability and availability of electric power through the provision for autonomous operation.  </div> <bR> <div> At this point urban mini-grids are at the R&D stage with some demonstration projects in progress.  There are technical challenges to maintaining mini-grid stability and power quality during autonomous operation and to achieving a disturbance-free transfer between autonomous and grid parallel operation.   In addition, there are regulatory hurdles to overcome and there is still a need to develop a compelling financial case for urban mini-grids. </div> <div>  </div> <div> <IMG SRC="0a1fb130.gif" border=0 width="763" height="531" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <B>Hachinohe Japan - demonstration urban mini-grid</B></div> <div> Biofuel generators, battery storage, PV, and wind turbines (Figure: <A HREF="http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/RecentIssue.jsp?punumber=8014" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/RecentIss"><U>IEEE Power and Energy Magazine May/June 2008</U></A>)</div> </td> </tr></table></body>