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Are you interested in the sustainability of future energy systems?

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Summary of the article titled Microgrid communities: disclosing the path to future system-active communities from 2022 by Martin Warneryd and Kersti Karltorp, published in the Sustainable Futures journal.

This is a great preparation for our next interviewee, Rod Matthews in ⁠episode 188⁠ talking about community microgrids.

Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see how the community can be an active part of the energy system. This article examines the role and development of microgrid communities as key contributors to a sustainable and resilient energy future, focusing on their transition from passive consumers to system-active participants.

As the most important things, I would like to highlight 3 aspects:

1. Microgrids transform communities into active energy participants, fostering their role in sustainable energy transitions.
2. The development and success of microgrids are significantly influenced by local regulatory environments and regional conditions, as seen in Sweden and California.
3. Microgrids enhance local resilience and sustainability, offering economic advantages and supporting renewable energy integration into existing grids.

Find the article through ⁠this link⁠.

Abstract: To increase sustainability in future energy systems, both technical and social measures must be taken. Microgrid communities offer local balancing of supply and demand, while also integrating the community as an active part of the energy system. This study investigates two cases of microgrid communities; how they were realized and what wider effects they offered its communities and other stakeholders. The study shows that the microgrid collaboration between community and utility offers a new organizational division that can overcome the traditional locked-in position of the utility. This brings forward communities as system-active participants and a sustainably beneficial energy system for the future.

Connecting episodes you might be interested in:

• ⁠No.071R – Towards intelligently sustainable cities?⁠
• ⁠No.120 – Interview with Matt Ferrell⁠ about renewable energy opportunities;

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