Global Summit to Examine Latest Microgrid Advances and Opportunities

May 6, 2014   (IRVINE, CA) --  Interest in microgrids as a strategy for ensuring energy security and reliability is growing worldwide, especially in the wake of events such as Hurricane Sandy. Military installations, hospitals, data centers and remote off-grid regions that must have dependable power are increasingly turning to the microgrid paradigm.  According to a recent report by GlobalData, the global microgrid industry is anticipated to reach a value of US$18.9 billion in 2020 from a 2012 value of US$5.3 billion – demonstrating a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 17.2%.*

To help energy professionals maximize effectiveness and ROI of this emerging technology area, the Microgrid Global Summit, May 20-23, 2014 in Irvine, California, will bring together a group of industry professionals from around the world for four days of focused information sharing, case study updates, regulatory discussions, and one-on-one networking.  The aim is to better understand the opportunities and challenges of the microgrid paradigm, and how utilities and end users alike can leverage it for improved energy reliability, quality, and revenue generation.

Organized by the Advanced Power and Energy Program at UC Irvine, the development of the event was closely guided by an Executive Steering Committee consisting of:

• Dan Ton, Program Manager, Smart Grid R&D, U.S. Department of Energy
• Mark E. Irwin, Director of Technology Development, Advanced Technology Department, Southern California Edison
• Walter L. Schindler, Managing Partner, SAIL Capital Partners
• Franklin H. Holcomb, Chief, Energy Branch, U.S. Army Engineer Research  and Development Center
• Joel Rinebold, Director of Energy Initiative, Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology
• Jeffrey G. Reed, Director, Business Strategy and Development, Southern California Gas

Fifty-three speakers from a range of utility, end user, government, and technology stakeholders will discuss such issues as operational realities and safety, business models and market opportunities, regulatory challenges, system design and management, cyber security, interconnection and interoperability, and recent case studies of microgrid deployment worldwide.

“The importance of the microgrid from managing reliability and renewables to managing costs is burgeoning,” states Professor Scott Samuelsen, program host.  “A portfolio of stakeholders is required to both understand and systematically address the complexities associated with the opportunities that smart microgrids portend.”

Organizations confirmed to participate in the Forum include Southern California Edison, the U.S. Department of Energy, San Diego Gas & Electric, U.S. Department of Defense, Cal ISO, Lockheed Martin, Schneider Electric, Siemens, Honeywell, Sandia National Laboratories, Pareto Energy, SAIL Capital Partners, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and ETAP, among others.

The conference will be preceded by a one-day workshop on microgrid design and feasibility analysis, led by HOMER Energy CEO Dr. Peter Lilienthal.  There will also be a pre-conference tour of the microgrid demonstration project on the campus of the University of California, Irvine and the Irvine Smart Grid Demonstration (ISGD).

“The fifty year old campus is an acclaimed model of energy efficiency, LEED certified buildings, and advanced metering and management,” says Professor Samuelsen.  “The campus design and infrastructure are perfectly structured as a proven microgrid test bed, and the ISGD project is shrewdly positioned to leverage the assets and potential of the microgrid in the smart grid future.”

The agenda for the Global Summit includes in-depth seminar sessions on:

• Integrated Microgrid Design and Optimization Tools
• Defining and Refining the Microgrid Business Model
• Technology Innovations Driving Utility 2.0 and Microgrid Adoption
• University Campus Microgrids: Pushing the Envelope, Leading the Way
• Microgrid Distributed Generation, Interconnection, and Interoperability
• Microgrids in the Broader Energy Context
• Microgrid Power Control Advances
• Regulatory and Public Policy Drivers and Advances
• Microgrids in Developing Countries, Pitfalls and Pathways to Success
• Microgrid Management and Optimization 
• National Lab Testing & Evaluation Initiatives 

Early bird registration is available through May 6, 2014.  For full information, visit www.microgridglobalsummit.org.

About the Advanced Power and Energy Program, UC Irvine

The Advanced Power and Energy Program at the University of California, Irvine addresses the development and deployment of efficient, environmentally sensitive, sustainable power generation and energy conversion worldwide. At the heart of this endeavor is the creation of new knowledge brought about through fundamental and applied research, and the sharing of this knowledge through education and outreach. Industry is actively engaged and vital to this effort.  For more information, visit http://www.apep.uci.edu

MEDIA CONTACT:

Will Decker
Manager, Program Development and External Relations
Advanced Power and Energy Program
University of California
Irvine, CA  92697-3550  USA
[email protected]
949-824-7302 (ext. 11-130)

* Microgrid in Smart Grid – Market Size, Key Issues, Regulations and Outlook to 2020
(March 2013, GlobalData)