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Woodbridge, CT: a First of its Kind Microgrid

United Illuminating

Woodbridge, CT: a First of its Kind Microgrid

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AVANGRID, the parent company of United Illuminating (UI), is leading the way in the nation on providing renewable and clean energy through solar, offshore wind, green hydrogen and finding new innovations for our existing energy infrastructure. AVANGRID operates in states like Connecticut – where, as part of the New England region, it relies heavily on natural gas to generate electricity. Here, United Illuminating worked with state and local leaders to create a first-of-its-kind microgrid, furthering Connecticut as a hub for renewable energy.

What is a microgrid?

A microgrid is an energy system that serves a specific community or entity, like a town, hospital, or college campus, that utilizes various forms of distributed energy to produce power for that area. Take for instance the microgrid in Woodbridge, CT. This microgrid is one of a kind: it’s the only microgrid in the world that uses a fuel cell, and the only fuel cell that is integrated into the existing power grid.

At the town’s Amity Regional High School, the Woodbridge fuel cell produces emergency power for the town’s microgrid and for the state’s electric grid, while simultaneously using waste heat to support heating needs at the high school. This means that the fully automated microgrid can separate from the surrounding grid during emergencies to power critical town facilities if utility service is lost.

This project came to fruition following Hurricane Sandy, which left the town without power for nine days. UI and town leaders worked together utilizing two programs from the state, one was the Microgrid Grant Program where the town received a $3M grant from the state, and the other was part of a Renewable Connections Program  – where the state approved UI’s construction, ownership and operation of 10 MW of renewable generation in its service area: including the 2.2 MW fuel cell in Woodbridge, 2.2 MW of solar, a 2.8 MW fuel cell in Bridgeport, as well as a 2.8 MW fuel cell in New Haven.

How does a fuel cell work?

Fuel cells convert gas, like hydrogen or natural gas, into energy that can be used for heat or electricity. Think of a fuel cell as a big battery with multiple cells that are known as the fuel cell stack. The stack is the heart of the fuel cell.

Like most batteries, each cell contains an anode, cathode and an electrolyte layer. The anode is the positively charged electrode where the fuel comes in and is separated into protons and electrons. The protons are sent through the electrolyte layer to the cathode, the negative where air (oxygen) comes in. The protons will mix with the oxygen on the cathode to produce water and heat, making the product of the electrochemical process completely green energy.

What is unique about the Woodbridge microgrid is that even when it is in “island mode,” UI can still have control of its distribution system, meaning when the fuel cell is not providing emergency power for the town, it is contributing 2.2 MW of Class-1 renewable energy to the state’s power grid.

Innovation in Infrastructure for a Reliable, Clean Energy Future

Let’s face it, living in New England and in the northeast region can also pose some weather challenges, especially in the wintertime. Given this reality, AVANGRID and its subsidiaries are looking for new innovations to increase reliability and a sustainable future. Microgrids and fuel cells are just some of those tools we can use to get there. With continued efforts such as these in Connecticut, the state can very well be a hub for clean energy, like green hydrogen, to the region by using this existing infrastructure.

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