Modular Microgrid Power for Reliable Energy Solutions
Micro Data Centers
Engineered For AI
Modular Microgrid Data Centers are composed of IT rack, cooling and service enclosures that together form a performance-optimized data center that is easy to configure and maintain. It also lowers costs by reducing the overall cycle time to deploy a data center from months or weeks to just days.
The exponential growth of data center energy demand, particularly driven by advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI), has emerged as one of the most pressing challenges for energy infrastructure globally. However, existing grid infrastructure is increasingly constrained, particularly in regions with concentrated data center activity. Transmission bottlenecks, aging infrastructure, and long timelines for grid upgrades present significant challenges for meeting this explosive demand.
This guide will provide actionable insights and a blueprint for:
How Microgrids, powered by Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) offer a promising solution by reducing dependency on centralized grids, integrating generation from multiple fuels and storage, and providing load flexibility.
The benefits of a strategy that includes and prepares for Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) when they become commercially available.
The immediate and long-term benefits of this multi-year approach through real-world data center examples in Santa Clara, California and Ashburn, Virginia, USA
How to optimize your energy investments, reduce OPEX costs by 60-80%, and significantly reduce CO₂ emissions by using the Microgrid Modeling platform to design the right site-specific multi-year strategy.
A microgrid is a self-contained electrical network that can operate either connected to the utility grid or in an independent “island” mode. This capability allows you to generate your own electricity on-site and use it as needed. By incorporating distributed energy resources (DER), a microgrid can help save on energy costs by sending excess electricity back to the grid during peak demand. This not only improves reliability but also optimizes energy management.
Different types of microgrids
Remote microgrids: These are also called off-grid microgrids. Remote microgrids can operate in island mode and be physically isolated from the utility grid in case of a lack of affordable and available transmission or distribution infrastructure in the nearby area.
Grid-connected microgrids: They have a physical connection to the utility grid through a switching mechanism at the point of common coupling (PCC); however, they can be disconnected into island mode and reconnected back to the main grid when required.
Networked microgrids: These systems are also called nested microgrids and consist of several microgrids and separate DERs connected to the same utility grid circuit segment. They serve a wide geographic area.
3. Differences between a microgrid and a smart grid
Microgrids are different from smart grids. A microgrid is a self-sufficient and localized energy system serving a discrete geographic footprint, which may be a business center, hospital complex, etc. It includes distributed energy sources and multiple loads, which can be operated parallelly with the broader utility grid. Smart grids, on the other hand, are electrical grids that operate on a larger scale and can regulate energy flows from generation points to consumption points. They include communication, automation, and IT systems.
4. Designing of a microgrid
Schneider Electric offers a ready-to-use solution to help you design a microgrid, regardless of the application. Our pre-engineered microgrid control centers have all the components you need for power management, control, energy metering, and power monitoring. In addition, our microgrid management software – EcoStruxure – offers pre-engineered algorithms to make the functions standardized and reliable.