Berlin -
Yet another global name is expanding its microgrid play — Rolls-Royce — in an announcement last week that it has taken a stake in an energy storage and controls startup and will now offer turnkey microgrids.
Sonnen, a German provider of energy-storage systems, is planning to install microgrids to provide electricity for at least 15 emergency relief centers in hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico. Shipments have already started.
It's funny how small things often become appealing to a large audience. Take the iPhone, for example. When it was first introduced, most analysts said it would flop, yet it went on to redefine markets. The same could be said of microgrids.
Power outages caused by extreme weather events cost the U.S. economy between $18 and $33 billion annually. The need for greater resiliency in the nation's power grid has become even more important after millions lost power due to recent hurricanes.
