New Report Provides Case Studies for Five Alaska Remote Microgrids

A new report developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in collaboration with Renewable Energy Alaska Project provides case studies of five remote Alaska microgrids.  

During the research for the report, community microgrid operators and managers interested in adding renewables to their energy systems were interviewed to understand their needs and challenges. Interviews with communities that have successfully installed renewable energy provided information on how they overcame challenges and the lessons they learned.

The report notes the importance of local buy-in, education, and technical involvement; procuring external funding sources; intercommunity collaboration; installing bespoke systems; working with reliable equipment suppliers; and having a local “project champion.”

The goal of this report is to orient and inspire Arctic communities that want to begin their renewable energy transition, by providing helpful examples and points of contact.

Read the report titled Distributed Renewables for Arctic Energy: A Case Study.

 

Three 1.5-megawatt wind turbines, from a total of six, stand on a hill overlooking Kodiak. Photo by Amanda Byrd.