A20 – A Platform for Distributing Information on Renewable Microgrids

Project:

Developing a Platform for Distributing Information on Renewable Microgrids in the United States,

by Raymond “Ian” Beazley, Justin Mitchell, and Baian “Byron” Ou

Project overview:

Severe weather is the leading cause of power outages in the United States and climate change is likely to make them more common and widespread. This is especially dangerous in lower-income and minority communities, where discriminatory policies and practices have created an energy system that is unreliable, unjust, and unhealthy. Microgrids are a technology that can mitigate both these issues. However a lack of understanding is holding microgrid development back. In this project we developed a database of 37 community-based, renewable microgrids, that promote resilience, renewable resources, and energy justice to assist our sponsor, Climable. We also developed 3 case studies of exemplary microgrids to further their efforts.

About our team:

The team is comprised of Raymond “Ian” Beazley, Justin Mitchell, and Baian “Byron” Ou. Ian is a robotics engineering (RBE) and mechanical engineering (ME) student in his junior year at WPI. Justin is electrical computer engineering (ECE) and computer science (CS) student in his junior year at WPI. Byron is a computer science (CS) major in his junior year at WPI. Due to the COVID pandemic, none of the members have actually met each other in person!

About our sponsor:

Climable, the sponsor of this project, is a non-profit organization which works to: “empower people to combat climate change while preparing for its impacts”. Because Climable deals with both climate change and energy justice, microgrids have become a key technology in their work. Their website is located at: https://climable.org/