Islands & microgrids

Supporting islands and microgrids to transform from fossil to clean energy

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The problem

Unique challenges of microgrids

Microgrids are decentralized and autonomous systems that generate, distribute, and manage power locally. They can be found on islands, as well as on the mainland. Especially islands understand the importance of a clean and reliable energy system, as they often hold a unique ecosystem. However, due to their remote location and scarce resources, island microgrids often rely on fossil fuels as a primary source of power, which is expensive and environmentally damaging.

 

Microgrids and islands need to balance reliability, scalability and easy-to-maintain operations whilst now facing the challenge to integrate renewables. This is why we see that energy storage will play a crucial role in a greener and more cost-efficient microgrid system.

how the flywheel helps

Why flywheels make better microgrids

Adding flywheels to the energy infrastructure of your microgrid brings several valuable benefits:

    1. Increased renewable energy integration: Flywheels can support renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power to provide a more stable and reliable source of energy.
    2. Environmental friendly storage: Our flywheel is a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative to lithium-ion batteries, and can help downscale or replace diesel generators. The QuinteQ flywheel is completely recyclable and has a long lifetime. Moreover, they do not rely on toxic or rare materials to produce. This makes them a more sustainable alternative to regular chemical batteries when providing power-balancing services.
    3. Improved reliability and power quality: Flywheels are fast to respond to provide a quick and reliable source of power, which can help to improve the reliability and power quality of the microgrid.
    4. Reduced costs: Flywheels can help to reduce the costs associated with maintaining and operating diesel generators, which can be significant for island microgrids. Since our flywheels are completely frictionless, they require very little maintenance.

QuinteQ’s flywheels are modular and scalable to your local power needs and are able to deliver 100kW to several MW of power in a matter of milliseconds. Contact us today to find out what we can do for you.