“You can’t build a microgrid alone. You need a complete electrical study, integration of different sources and the collaboration of several professionals,” said Iberê Carneiro, Microgrid Engineer at Hexing Group.
On the path to energy transition, a technology is advancing silently but decisively. Microgrids, with the capacity to operate autonomously or connected to the main electricity grid, have proven to be a promising alternative for providing clean, safe and decentralized energy, especially in remote areas.
During episode #131 of Solar Talk Podcast, experts such as Iberê Carneiro de Oliveira, Microgrid engineer at Grupo Hexing, and Luiz Carlos Pereira da Silva, coordinator of Unicamp's Sustainable Campus, explained how this system works, its challenges, complexities and opportunities.
Market challenges and opportunities
With the promise of making the electrical system more efficient, resilient and decentralized, microgrids have been gaining ground in debates about the energy transition in Brazil. Capable of operating autonomously or connected to the main grid, these structures represent a strategic alternative for isolated communities, industries and public institutions.
For integrators and distributors, the field is open to new opportunities, from supplying equipment to developing complete projects for these areas. “Of course, you have many challenges. When you are going to invent, you will imagine as many possible scenarios as possible, but you may have a scenario that you cannot have. Failures too, because you just have to read, but it is to have a better answer. Including the decision control and monitoring systems, ensuring good performance”, stated Luiz Carlos.
The complexity of integration
The diversity of sources, however, requires a sophisticated control structure. Each type of generator, whether a solar panel, a wind turbine or a diesel generator, has different electrical behaviors. The key to the microgrid is what experts call a “grid former”, usually a piece of equipment called a PCS (Power Conditioning System), which is responsible for defining the system’s frequency and voltage parameters.
“There are generators that operate in island mode only, but there is also the generator for USCA functions, which when you synchronize, it can read the network, which is outside its circuit breaker and can synchronize to the point where it can inject energy,” explained Carneiro.
Furthermore, the operation of a microgrid requires studies on grounding, protection, short circuits and robust communications between equipment.
Operating modes: PQ, VF and VSG
During the episode, Iberê detailed three fundamental modes of operation of PCS equipment:
- PQ: provides only active and reactive power, without the ability to form a network;
- VF (Voltage and Frequency): forms a network, but cannot operate in parallel with the main network;
- VSG (Virtual Synchronous Generator): simulates the behavior of a synchronous machine, allowing more stable and adaptable operation in different contexts.
These features allow the system to adapt to different situations, from complete isolation to joint operation with the centralized system.
A solution for isolated areas
An emblematic example of the potential of microgrids in Brazil was the installation of the system on Lençóis Island, in Maranhão. According to Pereira, the project was pioneering and demonstrated how different sources, such as solar, diesel generators, and even wind energy, can be integrated to ensure continuous supply in places without access to the central grid.
In the podcast, experts recalled the positive impact of the microgrid installed in communities. According to reports, the change caused a silent revolution in the daily lives of residents. “People became more excited, bought refrigerators, televisions, air conditioning and the network had to be expanded shortly after,” highlighted Bruno Kikumoto.
Reliable electricity supply drives improvements in residents’ comfort and quality of life, as well as boosting the local economy. Purchasing household appliances, previously unfeasible, has become commonplace, even requiring infrastructure expansion in record time.
But the benefits don’t stop there. Microgrids also represent an environmental and social advance. In locations far from major cities, traditional energy supply usually depends on the use of diesel generators, an expensive, polluting and logistically unstable alternative. “Sometimes, there’s a diesel shortage for a month or more, the generator breaks down and there’s no specialist to fix it. They’re left without power for months,” Pereira reported.
Ao replace generators with hybrid or fully renewable systems, microgrids reduce pollutant emissions and make energy supply safer, more reliable and autonomous. In addition, they open up space for community autonomy, strengthening local development with more resilient and sustainable infrastructure.
According to data mentioned in the episode, there are around 700 million people in the world without access to electricity. In Brazil, this number reaches 1 million without any access and between 3 and 5 million with precarious supply.
It is estimated that around 60 million Brazilians live in this condition, with the electricity grid at their doorstep, but without the financial means to pay the bill. Microgrids, therefore, are not just a technical solution; they represent hope for equity, development and inclusion for thousands of Brazilians who still live on the margins of modernity.
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An answer
New technologies necessarily require more specialized personnel to operate and maintain these systems. The report did not address this issue. If microgrids are more necessary in more remote areas of the country where it is assumed that there is no demand for qualified personnel in these new technologies to operate and maintain these complex systems, what is being done or thought of to resolve this important issue in the case of installing more systems like the one in Lençóis?