Smart Microgrid Solutions

Wind and solar power generation are attracting attention as renewable energy sources independent from fossil fuel that is known to impose a heavy burden on the environment while also facing the risk of depletion in the future. The task of connecting these new energy sources to the existing power grid, however, does not come without challenges. The power provided has to be in a constant fine balance with the demand of the system, and advanced control technology is deployed throughout the power grid to optimize this equilibrium of supply and demand. Furthermore, these advanced systems act to maintain high quality of the electricity inside the power grid by regulating voltage, phase and frequency etc. to avoid the risk of blackouts. These systems allow consumers to tap into the power grid and utilize electricity in their daily lives without having to worry about electrical fluctuations.
Nidec ASI’s inverter and power quality solutions allow renewable energy sources to be connected to the existing power grid with very high levels of power quality. We also offer power conversion and systems solutions for various applications including power generation systems optimized for guaranteeing availability of electricity off-grid such as on isolated islands or in other remote places in the world.

One example of this is the Smart Microgrid project in Ollagüe, Chile. Ollagüe is a village nested in the Andes mountain range at an altitude of 3660m above sea level. This project started out with the goal of integrating photovoltaic- and wind power generation, a large scale power storage system used to compensate for the instability of these renewable energy forms, and an already existing diesel generator into a system capable of providing stable power. In order to engineer a cost efficient system of an optimal scale, the total power consumption of the village was calculated for various hours of the day based on the population and the facilities of the village while the yearly sunshine duration and the wind power of the location were estimated based on past data. Armed with this information, we decided on an optimal composition and design for the system and set out to develop, produce and install the equipment.
Accomplishing the goals of this project was made possible by Nidec ASI’s experience in designing and constructing grid-tied renewable energy systems used in various parts throughout the world. Through application of this experience along with our advanced technology, we were able to provide the inhabitants of Ollagüe with a means of e.g. reading books even when it is dark outside, and improving their quality of life in other ways by making it possible to utilize home appliances such as TVs and refrigerators which are seeing a steady increase in use in the village.