The MicroResilience solution: mitigating grid outage impacts for rural customers

Customer access to electricity can be eliminated during periods of sustained network outage in areas where remote location or relatively low demand do not necessitate redundancy in grid infrastructure. This recurring impact to customers in such areas can have significant impacts on vulnerable or critical customers who are increasingly dependent on electricity supply for heat and transport above traditional applications. Northern Powergrid is leading demonstration of the innovative MicroResilience concept at trial sites. The MicroResilience project is deploying Battery Energy Storage (BES), innovative power electronics interface technology, advanced DER Management System (DERMS) controllers and novel communications in the trial of autonomous resilient microgrid operation. The deployed technology delivers automated procedural steps to support transition from Grid-to-Island, Ongoing Islanded operation, and Island-to-Grid resynchronisation. This paper presents learning from the MicroResilience project, providing steering and best-practice for other DSOs that face similar grid resilience challenges.