A host of new government programs supporting microgrid deployments have been launched in the last 12 months, especially on the East Coast of the United States, as revealed in a new Tracker report from Navigant Research. According to the report, total identified microgrid capacity has grown from 4,393 megawatts in the second quarter of 2014 to more than 12,000 MW today.
The majority of these projects are proposed or are under early development, and are not actually delivering energy services today, but they are expected to come online within the next few years, the report says.
“If one looks at the microgrids that are currently online, North America still leads, with a market share of 66 percent, the same as the data presented in 2Q 2014,” says Peter Asmus, principal research analyst with Navigant Research. “In terms of projects planned or underway, however, the 2Q 2015 Tracker supports the idea that Asia Pacific will probably emerge as the market leader over the long term.”
In terms of segments, the report finds, the remote segment is the clear leader in terms of both numbers of projects and overall capacity, representing 46 percent of the total microgrid market. This represents a doubling of its market share compared to data collected in 2Q 2014.
The report, Microgrid Deployment Tracker 2Q15, tracks data on known grid-tied and remote microgrid projects in the operating, planned/under development, and proposed stages in six principal geographies.
An executive summary of the report is available for free download on the Navigant Research website.