Microgrids in Action: Building Resilience for Critical Infrastructure

By Dan Roscoe, CEO of Roswall Development

As energy demands continue to rise and our aging power grids face increasing strain, maintaining resilience in critical infrastructure—such as airports, hospitals, and government buildings—has become more vital than ever.

Power outages, grid disruptions, and fluctuating energy costs pose significant risks to these essential services. One solution gaining traction across industries is the adoption of microgrids—localized, independent energy systems that can operate autonomously from the main grid, ensuring uninterrupted service and energy security.

This blog will explore how microgrids improve the resilience and efficiency of critical infrastructure, with a focus on real-world case studies and the broader economic and environmental benefits.

What Are Microgrids and Why Are They Critical?

Microgrids are localized energy systems capable of generating, storing, and distributing power independently of the main grid. They often integrate renewable energy sources like solar and wind with energy storage systems, such as batteries. In times of grid instability or outages, microgrids provide a continuous power supply, making them critical for infrastructure that simply cannot afford energy disruptions.

Essential services like healthcare, public safety, and transportation rely on constant power. For these facilities, energy disruptions can lead to dangerous outcomes, financial losses, and operational chaos. Microgrids ensure that these critical services remain functional during grid failures, energy shortages, or extreme weather events, offering a stable, independent energy solution.

Microgrids for Airports: Energy Security in a Fast-Paced Environment

Airports rely heavily on consistent energy for everything from lighting and security systems to passenger management and runway operations. By adopting microgrids, airports ensure seamless operations during power disruptions, preventing delays and minimizing financial losses. As airports increasingly look to renewable energy, microgrids offer a viable solution for balancing energy independence with sustainability goals.

One of the most compelling examples of microgrids in action is at JFK Terminal One in New York City. The airport has implemented a 12-MW microgrid comprising solar power, fuel cells, and battery storage. This microgrid will supply up to 50% of the terminal’s daily energy needs, even when disconnected from the main grid. For a major international airport, maintaining energy security is essential for safety, operational continuity, and passenger experience.

Hospitals: Life-Saving Power Stability

Hospitals, where the need for power is a matter of life and death, are another crucial beneficiary of microgrid technology. Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital in California offers a prime example of microgrid resilience. When wildfires caused widespread blackouts in 2020, the hospital’s microgrid ensured a continuous power supply, allowing medical staff to continue life-saving procedures, operate medical equipment, and protect patients' well-being.

Hospitals depend on uninterrupted power for ventilators, emergency systems, and medical equipment. Microgrids provide the stability needed to keep these systems running during natural disasters, grid failures, or other emergencies, making them an essential component of modern healthcare infrastructure.

Government Buildings: Ensuring Public Safety and Service Continuity

Government facilities, such as emergency response centres and law enforcement agencies, must also remain fully operational during crises. Microgrids not only ensure operational continuity but also build public trust. By securing energy independence, government facilities can avoid power-related disruptions and provide uninterrupted public services during emergencies.

The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in New York demonstrates the power of microgrids in maintaining public safety. With its own microgrid, the EOC can continue to operate during grid failures, ensuring that emergency services and government response systems remain functional in the most critical moments.

The Broader Benefits of Microgrids in Critical Infrastructure

Microgrids provide a range of benefits beyond operational resilience. Technological advancements—such as Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure—optimize energy distribution and automate energy usage, ensuring microgrids run efficiently in critical infrastructure settings. This level of automation allows for real-time adjustments in energy consumption, ensuring minimal waste and optimal performance.

Moreover, microgrids often integrate renewable energy sources like solar and wind, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and lowering carbon emissions. These systems are flexible and scalable, making them adaptable to various types of infrastructure, from small government buildings to large airport terminals.

Economic and Environmental Benefits

Microgrids also offer economic advantages by generating power locally and reducing reliance on expensive, peak-grid energy. For facilities with high energy demands—like hospitals or airports—this translates into significant cost savings over time. By integrating renewable energy, microgrids contribute to long-term sustainability goals, reducing the carbon footprint of critical infrastructure and supporting environmental targets.

As a long-term investment, microgrids make infrastructure more resilient to future energy challenges, including climate change, energy price volatility, and supply chain disruptions. For critical services, this resilience is invaluable.

The Path Forward: Expanding Microgrid Adoption for Critical Infrastructure

To realize the full potential of microgrids, policymakers and businesses must invest in these systems as key components of infrastructure development. Public-private partnerships can play a crucial role in expanding microgrid adoption, with governments and energy providers working together to bring localized energy systems to critical facilities.

Emerging technologies, such as AI-driven energy management and next-generation battery storage, will further enhance microgrid performance, making these systems even more efficient, adaptable, and sustainable for the future.

Conclusion

Microgrids are proving to be essential in enhancing the resilience, reliability, and sustainability of critical infrastructure. From airports to hospitals and government buildings, microgrids offer a localized energy solution that ensures uninterrupted operations, even during grid failures.

As energy demand continues to rise and grid stability becomes more uncertain, now is the time for critical infrastructure to invest in microgrids to secure their future and ensure they can weather any energy challenges ahead.