MDT

Microgrid Design Toolkit

Microgrids are organized collections of distributed energy resources (DER) and controls that can operate autonomously (independent of a bulk power grid) when necessary (or always) to provide electrical power. They support resiliency, security, efficiency, local control, and increased access to renewable resources. They can provide reliable power during times when the bulk utility power is unavailable and be leveraged for economic value during grid-tied operations.

The MDT is a decision support software tool for microgrid designers in the early stages of the design process. The software employs powerful search algorithms to identify and characterize the trade space of alternative microgrid design decisions in terms of user defined objectives. Common examples of such objectives are cost, performance, and reliability.

What does MDT enable?

• Aids in the design of microgrid systems
• Used to provide efficient trade-space analysis in the preliminary design of a microgrid system

Why is MDT important?

• Used to illuminate the trade space of design alternatives when planning a microgrid
• Provides a variety of performance, reliability, and cost-related insights for candidate microgrid designs

Example Applications

• The Smart Power Infrastructure Demonstration for Energy Reliability and Security (SPIDERS) program
• The city of Hoboken, NJ backup power system
• The US Marine Corps for Expeditionary Units & Brigades

Fact Sheet