Multi-user microgrids: obstacles to development and recommendations for advancement

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Multi-user microgrids (MUMs) are an emerging approach to electricity service that allows neighboring customers to obtain greater resilience in electricity service, from a set of locally installed distributed energy resources (DERs) of their own choice (sometimes including solar energy and energy storage), through joint participation in a power production and delivery system that can operate independently from the host electric utility. To date, there are relatively few MUMs in operation. This is primarily because regulated utility service from the electricity grid has historically been adequate and cost-effective for most customers – and it is highly likely that this will remain largely true, so that MUMs will not become widespread anytime soon. However, with improving microgrid economics and increasing customer needs for resilience, there will be a growing number of situations in which MUMs will become viable. Even today, certain sets of customers find the benefits offered by MUMs to outweigh the additional costs. Despite this, MUM activity has been extremely limited because of a number of significant barriers associated with implementing this novel business model. Exacerbating this, there is a dearth of comprehensive study on these barriers. Consequently, the goal of this research is to provide a first investigation into the barriers to MUM development and some early hypotheses on potential remedies that would facilitate MUM development when and where they might be a good solution – with a particular focus on the Northeastern U.S. [TRUNCATED]Funding for this research was provided via a generous gift from E4TheFuture

Carbon Free Boston: Summary report 2019

PROJECT OVERVIEW: In 2016, Mayor Martin J. Walsh signed the Metro Mayors Climate Mitigation Commitment, pledging to make Boston carbon neutral by 2050, and asked the Boston Green Ribbon Commission (GRC) to establish a Working Group to support the City in the development of strategies to achieve carbon neutrality. In response to the Mayor’s request, the Green Ribbon Commission collaborated with the Institute for Sustainable Energy at Boston University to develop Carbon Free Boston, a long-term framework for a carbon-neutral Boston that also supports short- and medium-term action.2 Carbon Free Boston was developed through comprehensive engagement with City staff, utilities, neighboring municipalities, regional authorities, state agencies, industry experts, and community representatives, among others, and was supported by comprehensive analysis using models that project feasible pathways to carbon neutrality by 2050. To ensure meaningful and actionable outcomes, we looked across scales and considered opportunities and challenges associated with specific actions at the city, state, and regional levels. We also addressed disparities in communities’ capacity both to mitigate climate damages and to benefit from the transition to a carbon-neutral city. The Fourth National Climate Assessment by the U.S. Global Change Research Program reports that the northeast will be especially hard-hit by climate change. By mid-century, there will be 20 to 30 more days per year with a maximum temperature of more than 90°F (32°C), and the amount of precipitation in extreme events will increase by as much as 20 percent. The projected increases in extreme heat, intensive storms, and flooding will impact people’s health, property, and livelihoods, especially in socially vulnerable communities. To avoid the worst of these impacts, climate scientists call for a reduction in the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that drive climate change to a pace that keeps global temperature increases below 1.5°C, the highest increase that the Earth’s natural systems can tolerate before severe and irreversible changes occur. Meeting this commitment will require cities, including Boston, to achieve carbon neutrality, which means a 100 percent reduction in net GHG emissions by 2050

Carbon Free Boston Buildings Advisory Working Group, November 17, 2017 meeting slide deck

Meeting slide deck covering: 1. Inform TAG members about overall project scope, people, process, and timeline. 2. Inform TAG members about overall model structure and proposed methodology underlying buildings model. 3. Receive feedback from TAG members about methodology, policy instruments, data issues, etc. 4. Determine optimal use of TAG over course of project

Carbon Free Boston Buildings Sector TAG #2 01/18, April 4, 2018 meeting minutes

Meeting minutes which include a project update & coordination for the Carbon Free Boston - Building Sector project

Carbon Free Boston Energy Advisory Working Group, June 22, 2018 meeting slide deck

Carbon Free Boston Energy Technical Advisory Group's June 22, 2018 meeting slide deck covering the agenda, which includes: 1. Project update and timeline. 2. Social Equity in the context of energy supply and GHG mitigation. 3. Discussion of outline for energy chapter

Notes for CFB Social Equity meeting, December 18, 2018

Meeting minutes / notes for CFB Social Equity meeting held on December 18, 2018

Carbon Free Boston Technical Advisory Group, June 13, 2018 meeting minutes

Meeting minutes presenting progress and soliciting feedback on the Buildings Sector analysis for Carbon Free Boston

Carbon Free Boston Buildings Sector TAG #2, April 4, 2018 meeting slide deck

Meeting slide deck from Carbon Free Boston Buildings Sector Technical Advisory Group (TAG)'s second meeting. Slides cover meeting agenda which includes: 1. Building Stock & Segmentation. 2. Modeling methodology. 3. Strategies. 4. Next Steps

Carbon Free Boston Social Equity Advisory Group June 11, 2018 meeting slide deck

Slide deck for Carbon Free Boston Social Equity meeting held on June 11, 2018

Carbon Free Boston Social Equity Advisory Group August 1, 2018 meeting slide deck

Slide deck for Carbon Free Boston Social Equity Advisory Group meeting held on August 1, 2018