Going Big on Renewable Natural Gas for Microgrids
Renewable natural gas, or RNG, is emerging as a new frontier for microgrids and a way to resolve one of the industry’s core dilemmas. How can it assure the lights stay on without relying on fossil fuels? Business models are just beginning to emerge for renewable fuel...
What to Include in Your Business Backup Power Plan
“The grid continues to be stressed from increased demand, an aging infrastructure, the growing adoption of electric transportation, and adoption of renewables,” Allan Schurr, chief commercial officer of microgrid specialist Enchanted Rock, told EnergyTech. “These...
Microgrids Can Power the Transition to a Net-zero Economy by 2050
The movement to decarbonize the grid by 2050 marks the largest shift in global energy philosophy since the Industrial Revolution. The journey to that goal has challenged our long-held views of the electricity system, tested our political will and revealed how flaws in...
Microgrids: Possible Solution to Overloaded Texas Power Grid
The power outages in February left all of us worried about the reliability of the Texas power grid. One possible solution being looked at is increasing the number of microgrids. A microgrid can be a natural gas generator or other power source that provides backup...
Gas-Loving Texans Pile Into Home Solar, Batteries After Freeze
Natural gas isn’t being left out of the trend, either. Enchanted Rock, which manages gas-fired microgrid systems for businesses and commercial buildings, saw a 300% increase in inquiries after the crisis. Although the company’s system are typically used during...
How Distributed Energy Can Harden the Texas Power Grid
Another solution is to turn to natural-gas-powered microgrids. That’s how Enchanted Rock managed to cover 97.3 percent of the outage-hours of its 200-plus Texas commercial and industrial customers over the course of February’s disaster, according to Allan Schurr, the...
Backup Generation Booms as Electric Reliability is Rattled
Enchanted Rock, a 100-person backup generation company in Houston, powered 94 H-E-B stores in Texas during the freeze, said Allan Schurr, its chief commercial officer. The company’s generators fueled one store in Hutto for 101 consecutive hours, keeping lights on and...
Texas on the Verge of an Energy Catastrophe: How Microgrids are Helping
While their numbers are still few, microgrids kicked into action as early as last week when it became apparent a crisis was nearing. “Every megawatt really matters right now,” said Allan Schurr, chief commercial officer at Enchanted Rock. Microgrid company Enchanted...
ComEd Taps Enchanted Rock for Bronzeville Microgrid
Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) has selected Enchanted Rock to provide 5.5 MW in dispatchable natural gas-fired generation to support the Bronzeville community microgrid under development in Chicago. “Enchanted Rock will help us ensure the Bronzeville microgrid provides...
Reviews Mixed on Regulatory Proposal to Advance Microgrids in California
California regulators are getting an ‘A’ for effort as they pursue pioneering rule changes to support microgrids, but beyond that, industry stakeholders diverge in their views as the proceeding nears a significant milestone (19-09-009). At issue, is a proposed...