Let's connect! Utility interconnection agreements 101

摘要

If you're planning to build a microgrid, you are going to get to know your local electric utility really well. You almost certainly have an account with that utility as a power purchaser. That's a simple relationship: Electricity flows from them to you; money flows from you to them. But when you add a gas turbine, or reciprocating gas engines, or backpressure steam turbines, a microturbine, a fuel cell or renewable energy behind your own electric meter, your relationship with the utility becomes vastly more complex. You can now impact their grid voltage, frequency, the direction that power flows and more. So you need to establish an agreement about how you'll manage your own power-generating equipment in ways that won't cause problems for the utility or their customers.