North American Microgrids 2015: Advancing Beyond Local Energy Optimization

The microgrid market is undergoing a transformation from a niche application intended for military bases and remote communities to a grid modernization tool for utilities, cities, communities and public institutions. This change is expected to grow the market opportunity by over 3.5 times between 2015 and 2020, to over $829 million annually.

The recent wave of announced projects and state-level resiliency programs are enabling further development and standardization of microgrid technologies for the next generation of advanced, more renewable-heavy projects. Substantial regulatory and legislative changes to utility franchise rights and rate structures (already underway in states such as New York, Maryland and Illinois) are projected to increase microgrid value propositions, further accelerating adoption in the later years of the forecast period. As solar PV adoption rates increase, flexible microgrid solutions are becoming a significant component of renewable integration strategies in regions extending beyond high penetration states such as Hawaii and California.