“Since the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, that country has been quietly moving toward microgrids, distributed generation, and smart energy systems, Reuters reported this year. The coastal city Higashi-Matsushima has an independent transmission grid, solar panels, and batteries that can keep power running for a minimum of three days if disaster were to strike again.
Municipalities aren’t alone in turning to advanced microgrid systems. Companies are also investing in systems that go well beyond a diesel-powered generator. When wildfires blew through Northern California in October, Stone Edge Farm winery near Sonoma was able to continue operating even though the area had been evacuated. As Microgrid Knowledge reported, their system allowed the winery’s team to put their microgrid into “island mode” to irrigate the grapes remotely.”
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