WSU Students Install Microgrid on Nearby Reservation

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Washington State University senior electrical engineering students have designed a microgrid for an administration building on the Tulalip Indian Reservation. 

The year-long project is a collaboration with the Snohomish Public Utility District (PUD) and the Tulalip Tribes, a sovereign nation working to reach energy independence. The senior design team was supported as part of WSU’s activities for the U.S. Department of Energy US-India CollAborative For Smart DiStribution System WIth STorage (UI-ASSIST).

A microgrid provides building occupants with power even during a main grid outage because they are powered by an independent energy collection system. The design utilizes solar power collected from panels on the roof of the building and on the proposed covered parking lot. The solar power will be stored in a battery storage system for use during outages or as a reserve for cloudy/rainy days. In order to establish an energy-efficient layout for the microgrid, the team utilized energy resource optimization software 

According to the team, without carbon emissions, a solar-powered storage system yields more sustainable power than a diesel generator and is far more economically friendly.

Energy sovereignty, sustainability, resilience, and education were among the goals outlined by the Tribes and WSU team in designing the microgrid. 

The ultimate goal of this partnership is to increase energy resilience allowing the tribes’ government to continue operations and provide space for necessary medical equipment to remain active. Consequently, the microgrid is a first step towards energy sovereignty, a larger goal of the tribe, and would provide a chance to teach younger generations about clean, renewable energy. 

Last year, a similar project was completed when a microgrid was installed for the San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians to help the community with energy resiliency, especially for its critical facilities. 

The microgrid has been developed in partnership with Gridscape and Industria Power and will help the San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians (SPBMI) power critical infrastructure, specifically in the face of natural events and planned outages. The system will utilize electricity that has been produced locally and is an integrated renewable energy system.

Environment + Energy Leader