Although a growing number of microgrid solutions now feature renewable energy technologies such as solar photovoltaic (PV) panels or wind turbines, both power sources are intermittent, resulting in variable and unpredictable energy generation throughout the day.

This is why our advanced microgrid solutions can include natural gas power generation. With this additional on-site energy generation capacity, you benefit from reliable access to backup and load power, even during many grid outages and other grid failures.

Read on to discover additional benefits of using PowerSecure’s microgrids equipped with natural gas energy generation technology.

When Natural Gas Power Generators Are the Right Fit for Microgrid Design

Natural gas power generators for microgrids make sense when high reliability, 24/7 dispatchable power, and rapid deployment are necessary. They are commonly selected for facilities requiring dependable, dispatchable generation that can support both base-load and backup applications. These are generally mission-critical facilities, such as data centers, hospitals, dispatch centers, and police and fire stations. Proper planning and the availability of natural gas pipeline infrastructure can influence and dictate the feasibility of using natural gas for commercial, industrial, and institutional sites.

Industrial natural gas microgrids often find natural gas power generators cost-effective and efficient to operate, while commercial and institutional sites can use natural gas as a bridge for reliable power needs apart from the grid.

Natural gas microgrid power generation can serve as one component of a broader microgrid strategy, when paired with diesel, renewables, and battery storage. Having a comprehensive microgrid strategy will help organizations to meet their goals for resilience, sustainability and reliability.

Natural Gas Engineering: Reimagined & Redefined

As organizations look for innovative ways to reduce their impact on the planet, our commercial natural gas generators offer the ideal balance of operational performance and environmental sustainability:

  • When coupled with on-site solar, wind or battery storage, your natural gas power station can provide your facility with 24/7 uninterrupted access to energy — whether you’re looking for base load power generation or emergency backup power. For organizations that require 100% uptime, our natural gas technology can provide invaluable peace of mind.
  • The fuel cells in our advanced microgrid solutions can use natural gas or renewable natural gas derived from organic feedstocks. As a result, you can dramatically shrink your carbon footprint while simultaneously reducing your reliance on grid electricity generated from other fuels.

Additional benefits of using our natural gas engines for power generation include:

  • Savings: The ability to generate and store your electricity allows you to decrease your reliance on utility power, resulting in measurable financial savings. Equally important, our natural gas generators and fuel cells adhere to the strictest quality controls — resulting in minimal maintenance requirements and, thus, higher savings across the board.
  • Redundancy: Even when the sun sets, the wind stops and the grid goes down, you can have reliable access to emergency backup power around the clock. This is why PowerSecure microgrids built with natural gas capacity appeal to data centers, military installations, medical facilities, government agencies, utility providers and other organizations for which continuous and uninterrupted power are non-negotiable.
NATURAL GAS ENGINE

Integrating Natural Gas Power Generators Into Scalable Microgrid Systems

Natural gas generators are commonly integrated into microgrid systems with switchgear, controls and monitoring platforms that operate as part of a coordinated microgrid rather than as standalone assets. Maintaining resilient microgrid power generation requires scalable natural gas generation as part of the system design. A modular system design allows organizations to scale capacity, add redundancy, or adjust operating strategies over time.

The success of using natural gas and its operational performance depends on system-level design, not just generator specifications. Engineered natural gas power systems require proper commissioning and integration to help ensure generators provide continuous power generation and perform reliably during both grid-connected and islanded operation.

The result is a flexible and scalable microgrid system providing resilient onsite power. Natural gas microgrid integration helps to sustain resilient onsite power systems in a typical hybrid microgrid, which can include diesel, solar, wind, and battery storage.

PowerSecure specializes in fully engineered integrated distributed energy solutions to help businesses, asset managers and utility operators control their costs and minimize their environmental impact. Our engineers design every energy system in-house from autonomous microgrids to emergency backup power to renewable energy solutions to end-to-end energy efficiency improvements.

This engineering integration provides for long-term operability across a system’s lifecycle. As your partner our comprehensive power distribution service includes 24/7 monitoring for optimal resiliency and business continuity. We also can design, develop and deploy proprietary hardware technologies and integrated software solutions to enable basic and advanced microgrids.

 

Frequently Asked Questions About Natural Gas Power Generators

What are natural gas power generators used for in microgrids?

Natural gas power generators are used in microgrids to provide dispatchable onsite generation for base-load power, backup power, or both. Gas-fueled onsite power systems are commonly selected for facilities with continuous power requirements such as fire and police stations, hospitals, and data centers.

The role of natural gas microgrid applications in your organization’s power plan will be defined by system design and operating priorities, rather than serving as a one-size-fits-all power source. Onsite natural gas power generation is one of many solutions, such as diesel, solar, wind and battery storage.

How do natural gas generators support microgrid resilience?

Natural gas generators can operate during grid disruptions when integrated into microgrid systems. The role is to support microgrid power redundancy and continuity for connected loads based on system design and operating strategy. Resilience outcomes depend on how generation, controls, and infrastructure are engineered to work together under different conditions. If planned correctly, natural gas generators can connect to pipeline infrastructure, providing extended runtime during prolonged outages.

Can natural gas power generators operate alongside other energy resources?

Yes. Natural gas generators are often integrated with other energy resources depending on site objectives in a microgrid system solution. Natural gas can fill in and bridge gaps from intermittent power resources, such as solar and wind, ensuring a consistent supply of energy for an organization.

System coordination for a microgrid is managed through controls and monitoring platforms. Integration strategies can be tailored to site sustainability goals and may evolve and scale over time as operational needs or energy strategies change.

What factors should organizations consider when selecting natural gas generation?

Some factors to consider when selecting natural gas generation are load requirements, uptime expectations, regulatory conditions and fuel infrastructure availability. Natural gas can play a critical part in an organization’s strategic energy plan. This includes factoring in long-term operations and maintenance as considerations for energy reliability. Evaluating how natural gas generation fits into a broader energy strategy will help to ensure alignment with both near-term requirements and long-term planning.

How are natural gas power generators monitored and maintained?

Natural gas generators are monitored and maintained through specialized monitoring platforms that can track system performance and operational status. Ongoing service and maintenance help to ensure reliable operations throughout the system lifecycle. Ongoing monitoring supports proactive issue identification, helping facilities address potential performance concerns before they impact operations.

Let Us Design the Perfect Natural Gas Solution for Your Microgrid

If you’re looking for an affordable, reliable and sustainable solution for your facility’s energy management goals, we can help.

To learn how our natural gas-enabled microgrid solutions can provide your organization with measurable financial and environmental savings, contact PowerSecure today for a free consultation.

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