Resilient Palisades is asking all residents, including those with and without solar panels, to take a survey so that TP can better understand if a microgrid would be feasible here. Take the survey: (Survey)
A microgrid is distributed energy resources within clearly defined electrical boundaries that acts as a single controllable entity.
According to Resilient Palisades co-founder Ryan Craig, the proposed Pali Microgrid would follow a two-phase approach.
“The first phase consists of installing solar plus storage islandable ‘nanogrids’ at thousands of homes, businesses, schools and congregations throughout the Palisades,” Craig said. “The second phase will consist of joining these ‘nanogrids’ into a community microgrid. By adding the community microgrid as the second stage of this project, we hope to take advantage of the efficiencies microgrids can offer and provide increased resiliency for the remainder of the community.”
A survey and its results are needed by Resilient Palisades, a nonprofit environmental group based in the Palisades, in order to send requests for proposals to solar, storage, control systems and general contractor vendors, and to secure volume discount pricing on each element.
“Our goal is to return to the community in the fall with two to four package options for solar + storage + control that we will affirm are best prices in the market,” Craig said. “And the bonus is that all packages will be compatible with the microgrid. So, when DWP is ready to throw the switch, bingo.”
Craig told CTN, “We want everyone with or without solar to complete the survey. That will tell us where we are.
“We believe any previously installed solar could join by adding compatible storage (a battery, like a Tesla Powerwall) and a control system,” said Craig, who noted that the DWP is scheduling a meeting with the group. He believes they will cooperate.
“This multi-year project to develop a community microgrid in the Palisades has the potential to lower our electricity bills, reduce emissions, and improve the resilience of the Palisades, which experiences a high number of blackouts, putting some of our most vulnerable neighbors at risk.”
He said that if Resilient Palisades is successful, the Pali Microgrid would be one of the first of its kind in California and the country. Once again, click here for the Survey