Assessment Framework of Marine Hydrokinetic Technologies for Microgrid Applications

Communities in Alaska that are not connected to a regional grid (referred to hereafter as grid-islanded Alaskan communities) rely heavily on stand-alone generators with imported diesel fuel as the primary source of energy. Several of these grid-islanded Alaskan communities have the potential to harness significant wave, tidal, and hydrokinetic power; many also have hydropower or wind potential that could complement these resources. The implementation of marine and hydrokinetic energy focused microgrids in these communities would diversify their energy profiles, with the potential in many communities to keep costs flat while reducing dependance on diesel. This would enhance resilience and reduce environmental impacts. This seedling proposal will systematically identify grid-islanded coastal communities in Alaska with wave, tidal, and hydrokinetic energy potential to add fuel diversity to generation, applying microgrid integration methods and strategies that will meet the community’s needs. This proposal is in partnership with the Alaska Center for Energy and Power (ACEP) and XENDEE Corporation who bring extensive expertise in Alaskan communities and microgrid technoeconomic assessment, respectively. This project will deliver: (1) a database of grid-islanded communities that are candidates for MHK based microgrids, (2) an assessment of possible microgrid integration methods and strategies related to tidal, wave, and hydrokinetic technologies, and (3) a MHK development plan for the XENDEE Microgrid design platform and planning tool that can serve these grid-islanded communities and project developers. In the final stage, the planning tool will allow for the comprehensive comparison between diesel based and MHK based renewable generation.