Power management company Eaton was selected by the U.S. Department of Defense to conduct a microgrid demonstration under the Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP) at Ft. Custer Training Center in Michigan.
This microgrid will include 1.375 MW of legacy diesel generation, as well as 720 kW of PV and 400 kW of energy storage once the project is complete.
The project team will be led by Electricore, Inc. and supported by Eaton, Consumers Energy and hosted by the Michigan Army National Guard. The project will develop a microgrid that can island from the utility grid to enhance power surety, energy resilience, distributed generation management and demand response, while contributing to the critical power needs of nearby military installations.
“The microgrid project at Ft. Custer will help the Department of Defense establish a replicable model for reducing the overall cost to implement energy surety goals in sites where bases are closely located,” said William Murch, director of service for Eaton’s microgrid energy system’s business. “Eaton understands the challenges associated with deploying grid-dependent power systems and will leverage our experience to help Ft. Custer achieve a secure, reliable microgrid system.”
ESTCP funded the project to demonstrate the ability of microgrids to maintain continuity of critical power resources during extended outages. The project will also showcase the potential for actively shared resources between Ft. Custer, a federally owned and state-operated Michigan Army National Guard training facility, and nearby federal facilities. Throughout the demonstration, advanced microgrid control features such as automated power quality management, real-time response to grid conditions and control of energy storage assets will be tested.
Eaton’s Electrical Engineering Services and Systems team, one of the largest and most experienced teams of power system engineers in the industry, will provide all necessary turnkey engineering services and power management solutions, including: equipment upgrades; installation of additional energy storage and natural gas generation resources; and implementation of microgrid control and communication components.
The project will also incorporate Eaton’s Power Xpert Energy OptimizerTM controller, which is engineered to help customers deploy stand-alone power systems using existing and new assets with the adaptability to easily meet future needs. Eaton’s controller provides a modular, scalable and repeatable approach to microgrid control.
Eaton’s Electrical Engineering Services and Systems team offers a comprehensive portfolio of services tailored for every stage of a power system’s life cycle, whether design, build or support.
Eaton’s electrical business is a global leader with expertise in power distribution and circuit protection; backup power protection; control and automation; lighting and security; structural solutions and wiring devices; solutions for harsh and hazardous environments; and engineering services. Eaton is positioned through its global solutions to answer today’s most critical electrical power management challenges.
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