Microgrids: The Future is Here!

Brooklyn Microgrid - that's the name of a startup in New York City that promises to revolutionize energy systems in residential neighborhoods and entire cities. The concept is simple yet brilliant: the energy generated by solar panels can not only be used to power your home but also sold to others. While solar panels on rooftops may no longer surprise many, the idea of smart and mutually beneficial energy distribution is truly innovative.

How Does It Work?

The creators of Brooklyn Microgrid based their idea on what are known as "transactive grids." These grids utilize a combination of equipment and software that allows for accurate and straightforward energy accounting and purchasing between individuals. Instead of large energy companies, they offer small local entities based on home solar power stations.

This solution offers at least two significant advantages:

- Cost savings due to the emergence of a large number of energy producers.

- Utilization of an environmentally friendly and renewable energy source - solar radiation.

Through the transactive grid, individual buildings have been connected to form microgrids. Smart contracts, blockchains, and open accounting ensure reliable monitoring of electricity consumption by each user (and timely payment for it). To further streamline transactions, a special cryptocurrency called Ethereum is being developed.

Upon closer examination of the project, it becomes clear that it offers even more benefits:

- Buying energy from local producers is better for the region, as the funds remain with local entrepreneurs, and a portion of them, in the form of taxes, goes into local budgets.

- Automation tools and software allow for better control over energy usage at home, leading to savings.

- The simplification of addressing disruptions during calamities is significantly enhanced, and the consequences are less catastrophic (for example, in case of an outage, electricity will not be cut off to just a couple of houses, at most - to a neighborhood).

At this stage, the first microgrids are already operating in Brooklyn. In the near future, they are planning to expand to other areas of New York City, and eventually, to all communities in the state.