Microgrids: The Reliable Solution to America’s Increasingly Unreliable Power Grid

The increasing recurrence of extreme weather events coupled with an aging grid means that prolonged power outages are the new normal. The good news is that Unison Energy is offering a solution that does work: microgrids.

Across the U.S., widespread power outages make the news every season. In 2022, Texas winter storms disrupted the grid, making it the state with the most people impacted by outages. Hurricane Ian made landfall as the fifth-strongest U.S. hurricane on record. California continues to cope with public safety power shutoffs in wildfire-prone areas of the state. As these events hit communities, businesses face an increased risk of power outages, leading to staggering financial losses. 

The increasing recurrence of extreme weather events coupled with an aging grid means prolonged power outages are the new normal. This has massive implications for commercial and industrial facilities. We know that most alternatives to the grid simply do not work during sustained power outages — diesel engines run out of fuel, solar energy can’t provide power when the sun isn’t out, and the combination of solar energy and battery storage is neither space- nor cost-efficient, nor sufficient for prolonged power outages of more than a few hours. 

The good news is that Unison Energy is offering a solution that does work: microgrids.

Introducing Microgrids

A microgrid comprises on-site power generation connected to one or more buildings that can isolate from the electric grid and operate during a utility power outage. Although the microgrid typically operates in parallel to the main grid, when outages occur, its controllers automatically open a breaker and enter island mode. The on-site generation provides power to support normal facility operations independently. When the utility power returns, the breaker closes again, and the microgrid is back in parallel operations.

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Unison’s Microgrid Solutions

At Unison Energy, we provide turnkey microgrid solutions that keep you at 100% operability no matter the state of the grid. 

Owned, installed, and operated by Unison Energy under an Energy Services Agreement model with zero capital expenditures from our clients, our microgrids provide:

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Unison Energy operates microgrids across the U.S. Consider the experience of a ShopRite supermarket in Bayshore, Long Island, that lost nearly everything to Hurricane Sandy. The facility entered a contract with Unison Energy — and when the utility went down for three days in 2019, its power stayed on. Instead of losing a million dollars on spoiled products, ShopRite was able to serve its community and continue selling groceries and prescription medicines. 

Don’t let utility problems prevent you from serving your customers. A Unison Energy microgrid solution protects your business from disruptive outages and ensures the lights stay on. 

For more information, contact us at sales@unisonenergy.com or www.unisonenergy.com.