Ameren Corporation announced completion May 18 of what it calls “one of the most technologically advanced utility-scale microgrids in North America.” The $5 million facility, located at Ameren's Technology Applications Center (TAC) adjacent to the University of Illinois campus in Champaign, Illinois, is one of the only utility-scale microgrids in the US capable of serving live customer loads on an actual utility distribution feeder.
Ameren says its microgrid is one of the few in the world that operate at utility-scale voltages, between 4 kilovolts and 34.5 kilovolts, with multiple levels of control, and is the only known microgrid in the nation capable of seamlessly transitioning the power source for an entire distribution circuit from exclusively distributed generation sources to the traditional grid.
The Ameren microgrid can produce up to 1,475 kilowatts, enough to power more than 190 homes. The leased generation assets located on site include:
• Northern Power Systems Wind Turbine – 100 kilowatts
• Yingli Solar Array – 125 kilowatts
• Caterpillar Natural Gas Generator – 1,000 kilowatts
• S&C Electric Company Battery Storage – 250 kilowatts