Public Content Library

Adjacent to Washington DC, Montgomery County, MD is embracing microgrids to harden key public facilities. It is focusing on those facilities essential for the continuity of public services, especially during disasters or other events when those services are needed most. The Montgomery County Public Safety Headquarters is the county's primary administrative hub for a range of critical public services, including the county's transportation management resources, Fire and Rescue Service Headquarters, and components of the Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security. 

Utilizing both a clean burning combined heat and power system and a renewable technology, the County was able to replace aging building electric infrastructure and add new controls by leveraging a microgrid as a service approach with no upfront cost. This state-of-the-art system not only provides security of operations to the community, it does so without impacting operating costs to the County, while also reducing the County’s carbon footprint. The microgrid includes 2 MW of canopy- mounted solar, 865 kW of natural gas CHP, and the county's first fast charging EV station.

To read more about this project, check out the 2018 third quarter edition of District Energy magazine.