We have gathered knowledge and wisdom in creating community-led and -centered microgrids. Here we share with you our experience and lessons so you can start your own community's microgrid.
Please note this is work in progress, and we are continuously adding to it as resources become available. Please check back frequently for updates.
Bringing people together in order to achieve a common goal is the first and most important step. And every community is different. Here are some tips and steps that can help you build coalition in your community.
Clarity and transparency are vital to developing a successful community-led microgrid. Here are some examples of structures that have been used and developed.
The long term goal of a microgrid is to connect all buildings in a community. But to ensure the success and growth of the project, it’s important to choose the best suited buildings for phase 1. Here are some tools to help you choose the best buildings in your community.
Once the buildings have been chosen, the design phase can begin. What services will be critical during an emergency? How will the microgrid connect to the macrogrid, and what regulatory barriers need to be taken into account. And technologies, that’s a whole conversation on its own!
Talking about money can be hard for many. But the truth is that, no matter how democratic and accessible we might want our microgrid to be, these things cost money, like, a lot of money. Fortunately, there are several ways that funding can be accessed.