1. Military Microgrids
Ralph Martinez, PhD
Director: Regional Cyber and Energy Security (RCES) Center
The University of Texas at El Paso
rmartinez59@utep.edu
915-747-5433
17-18 October 2012
Re-Energize the Americas Conference

2. Energy Security in Electric Power Grids:
Utility, Community, Military Micro-Grids
Moderator: Ralph Martinez, Director, Regional Cyber and Energy Security Center,
The University of Texas at El Paso
Mike Coop, Chief Technology Officer, ThinkSmartGrid, LLC
Lisa Kaiser, Control Systems Security Program Director of Strategic Planning,
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Salvador Cordero, Engineer, Regional Cyber and Energy Security Center,
University of Texas at El Paso
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3. Topics
• RCES Experience in Military Microgrids
• What is a Military Grid?
• Military Installation
• Forward Operating Base
• Microgrid Modeling Methods
• Performance and Cost Benefit Analysis
• NREL Homer Models
• Electric Power Grid Modeling Tools
• Reality of Installation Military Grids
• Summary
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4. RCES Experience in Military Microgrids
• Regional Cyber and Energy Security (RCES) Center established in
February 2012 to address technical challenges in cyber and energy
security in electric power grids
• Ft. Bliss Renewable Energy Penetration Contract, June 2011 to
present
• Modeled entire Ft. Bliss power grid (1.1 M acres) in macro Homer models
plus solar PV arrays, fuel cells, gas turbines, and CHP systems
• Develop ETAP Microgrid models
• UTEP Campus Power Grid Modeling for Microgrids, April 20122 to
present
• Homer and ETAP models
• Raytheon Microgrid Modeling, August 2010 – January 2012
• WSMR Modeling and Cyber Security of Microgrids, October 2012
– September 2013
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5. What is a Military Grid?
• Military Microgrids have been around for a long time!
Navy, Marine Corps units help avert San Diego power outages, October 25, 2007,
By Petty Officer 2nd Class Mark Logico
SAN DIEGO – The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps helped San Diego residents avoid potential power
outages during the San Diego firestorm crisis, Oct. 24. “We appreciate the Navy and Marine
Corps’ response to our urgent request for electricity demand reduction,” said Michael Niggli,
chief operating officer for San Diego Gas & Electric. Within three hours, more than 30 U.S. Navy
ships shifted from pier-connected, shore powered to organic shipboard power, significantly
reducing more than 100 megawatts of electrical strain on the San Diego power grid.
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6. Microgrids Have Been Around for 30-40 Years
Hotels Hospitals
Un-interruptible Power Supply (UPS)
Portable Gas Generators
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7. A Microgrid Definition *
A Microgrid is a localized, scalable, and sustainable power grid consisting of an
aggregation of electrical and thermal loads and corresponding energy
generation sources capable of operating independent of the larger grid.
Microgrid components include; distributed energy resources (including demand
management, storage, and generation), backup power systems, control and
management, secure network and communications infrastructure, and assured
information management.
When renewable energy resources are included, they usually are of the form of
wind power, solar, hydro, geothermal, waste-to-energy, and combined heat and
power systems. Microgrids perform dynamic control over energy sources
enabling autonomous and automatic, self healing operations. During normal or
peak loading or at times of power grid failure the Microgrid can operate
independently from the larger grid and isolate its generation nodes and loads
from the disturbance without affecting the larger grid’s integrity. Independent
Microgrid operation can offer higher reliability and cost efficiency than that
provided by traditional grid control.
The Microgrid is both an energy market consumer and provider of electrical power.
Microgrids interoperate with existing power systems, information systems, and
network infrastructure. The Microgrid may take the several forms, such as a
utility metropolitan area, a shopping center, industrial park, college campus or a
small energy efficient community.
* Spectrum Management for Microgrids, R. Martinez, D. He, Grid-Interop, Conference, Denver, CO, 2009
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8. Microgrid (with Bulk Generation &
Renewables)*
Microgrid
* Microsoft: Smart Grid Ecosystem Reference Architecture (SERA), October 2009
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9. Microgrid Classification *
• Utility
Managed and owned by a utility. Microgrid has distributed generation resources in multiple
areas of the utility jurisdiction and includes several Microgrids that can be networked
and islanded from the utility grid. Includes different types and sizes of energy storage
systems and Microgrid renewables complement utility bulk energy generation. Peaker
generators used for renewable intermittency. Utility scale EMS.
• Community/Metropolitan/Regional
The word “community” implies a geographical region that includes residential
customers, but can include Commercial & Industrial. May have several Microgrids that
can be networked and islanded from the utility grid. Various geographical sizes with
local utility power.
• Commercial/Industrial
Established Microgrids, some with battery or UPS back-up. There are estimated 455
megawatts (MW) of these vintage Microgrids are currently online in the United States.
Unlike today’s conceptual state-of-the-art models, these initial designs for the heavy
and light industry still feature centralized controls and fossil-fueled generation sets. May
include strip malls and technology parks.
* Edited from “Microgrid Technology”, Pike Research Report, 2009.
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10. Microgrid Classification * (Cont)
• Institutional/Campus(es)
At present, estimated 322 MW of college campus Microgrids are up and running in the
United States, with more sophisticated state-of-the-art Microgrids in progress. In the
U.S., 40% of future Microgrids will be developed in this market segment, adding 940
MW of new capacity valued at $2.76 billion by 2015.
• Remote-off Grid Systems
This segment represents the greatest number of Microgrids currently operating
globally, but it has the smallest average capacity. While many systems have historically
featured diesel distributed energy generation, the largest growth sector is solar
photovoltaics (PV). Wind and solar farms are common in rural areas, but transmission
is a problem. Waste-to-energy systems are developing in this type of Microgrid.
• Military/Federal Complexes
Military Microgrids are just being developed in the DoD and Federal complexes.
Ownership may be by tenant or outside developer. They are integrating Renewable
Distributed Energy Generation (RDEG) to secure power without being dependent on
any supplied fuel or local utility. Federal building complexes with energy storage
systems are in this class of Microgrids.
* Edited from “Microgrid Technology”, Pike Research Report, 2009.
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11. RCES Center Modeling & Simulation
Approach for Microgrids
OPNET
Modeler
Cost Benefit Analysis Model
Homer ETAP
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12. HOMER Modeling Tool
Inputs Results
Loads, Financial Metrics:
Components, Grid LCOE, IRR, NPV,
Tie Payback, etc.
HOMER
Utility Rate
Performance Performance
Structure
Model Metrics:
Capacity Factor,
Component Financial Model Annual Output
Parameters
Sensitivity Analysis Other:
Costs Energy flows, Cash
flows, Graphs
Economics, System
Control, Emissions,
Controls
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13. UTEP Case Study: Solar PV System
Campus
7,250KW Load
PV
Production
Aug. 29 – Sep. 2
represent the 5
peak days of
3,825KW campus
operation within
the year.
On Aug.
29th, PVs are
capable of
producing 52.8%
of the campus
load.
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14. One-line diagrams for Microgrids with
ETAP
Grid
Grid
Circuit
Circuit Breaker
Breaker Bus
Bus
Transformer
Lumped
Load
Network
(Can represent a
Substation)
One-line diagram can consist of a:
Transformer
Lumped Load
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15. ETAP Modeling Tool Analysis for Microgrids
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16. Reality of Installation Military Grids
• Microgrid technology is not a problem in deployment of Military
Microgrids
• Federal and DoD land acquisition can involve several agencies and
delay deployments
• Silo organizations in military installation management and operations
are an issue
• Private finance developers for DoD projects are required
• Energy Management Systems (EMS) for Microgrids in military
installations need to be integrated with base operations and network
operation centers
• Interconnection and isolation with local utility providers may be
problematic
• Microgrid ownership must provide a local EMS for control and
management
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