Island Community Explores Pathways To Strengthen Energy Reliability – NREL (.gov)

Report on Edgartown’s Energy Resilience Initiative Aligned with Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction

Edgartown, a small town on Martha’s Vineyard island, Massachusetts, faces unique energy challenges due to its remote location without bridge access to the mainland. The town’s population increases from 5,000 to 25,000 during summer tourism, intensifying energy demand. However, frequent hurricanes and nor’easters pose risks of power outages year-round, necessitating resilient and independent energy solutions.

Project Objective and Alignment with SDGs

The Edgartown Energy Committee aims to enhance energy resilience by enabling municipal facilities to operate independently for up to seven days during power outages in all seasons. This initiative directly supports several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including:

• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy – by developing renewable energy microgrids.
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities – by increasing community resilience to climate-related hazards.
• SDG 13: Climate Action – by reducing reliance on fossil fuels and enhancing disaster preparedness.

Microgrid Development Strategy

Edgartown plans to implement microgrids at key town buildings, integrating solar photovoltaics (PV), battery storage, grid power, and backup generators. The microgrid will prioritize the cheapest energy source under normal conditions and switch to independent operation during outages.

Collaboration with DOE’s Energy to Communities Program

To realize this vision, Edgartown partnered with the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Energy to Communities (E2C) program. Through the Expert Match technical assistance initiative, researchers from national laboratories, including the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, provided expertise over a 3-4 month period to support project planning and analysis.

Tailored Energy Generation Options for Edgartown

Site Selection and Data Collection

The project focused on the Edgartown Highway Department campus, which includes five buildings ranging from 300 to 10,000 square feet. Researchers collected comprehensive data such as utility bills, building materials, satellite imagery, and roof color—an important factor influencing energy consumption due to solar radiation reflection or absorption.

Modeling and Strategy Development Using DER-CAM

The Distributed Energy Resources Customer Adoption Model (DER-CAM) was employed to simulate energy loads and optimize distributed energy resources. Four generation strategies were developed, varying in solar PV capacity and battery storage:

1. Strategy 1: 27 kW PV, no battery storage – focused on outage support and cost reduction.
2. Strategy 2: 84 kW PV, 62 kWh battery – supports independent operation during outages and normal conditions.
3. Strategy 3: 270 kW PV, 40 kWh battery – enhanced independent operation capability.
4. Strategy 4: 429 kW PV, 39 kWh battery – maximizes solar installation, generates surplus energy for town revenue.

Challenges and Solutions

• Limited space on the island necessitates careful alignment of solar projects with site use cases.
• Expert Match team optimized facility design to maximize energy efficiency and resilience.

Impact on Decision-Making and Future Development

Data-Driven Insights

DER-CAM modeling provided projections on energy generation, costs, and revenue for each strategy, enabling informed decision-making. This analysis supported Edgartown’s successful application for a $30,500 DOE Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant to conduct an engineering feasibility study.

Additional Opportunities

• Potential integration of electric vehicle charging stations powered by the microgrid.
• Inclusion of heat pumps for space heating without compromising renewable energy output.

Community Engagement and Knowledge Sharing

The collaboration fostered enthusiasm within Edgartown and is expected to benefit the five other towns on Martha’s Vineyard. The project exemplifies how community-driven renewable energy initiatives can promote sustainable development and resilience.

Conclusion

Edgartown’s microgrid project, supported by DOE’s E2C Expert Match program, demonstrates a practical approach to achieving SDGs related to clean energy, sustainable communities, and climate action. The initiative provides a replicable model for island and remote communities seeking to enhance energy resilience and sustainability.

For communities interested in similar technical assistance, applications for the E2C Expert Match program are accepted on a rolling basis. More information is available on the E2C Expert Match webpage.

1. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Addressed or Connected

1. SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
   • The article focuses on developing microgrids powered by solar photovoltaics and battery storage to provide resilient and independent energy sources for the island community, directly addressing clean and reliable energy access.
2. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
   • By enhancing energy resilience and emergency preparedness for municipal facilities, the article supports building sustainable and resilient communities.
3. SDG 13: Climate Action
   • The emphasis on renewable energy generation and reducing reliance on fossil fuels contributes to climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts.
4. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
   • The deployment of microgrid technology and use of advanced modeling tools like DER-CAM reflect innovation in infrastructure development.

2. Specific Targets Under Those SDGs

1. SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
   • Target 7.2: Increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.
   • Target 7.3: Double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency.
   • Target 7.b: Expand infrastructure and upgrade technology for supplying modern and sustainable energy services for all in developing countries and communities.
2. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
   • Target 11.5: Reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected by disasters, including water-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the poor and vulnerable.
   • Target 11.b: Increase the number of cities and human settlements adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards inclusion, resource efficiency, mitigation, and adaptation to climate change.
3. SDG 13: Climate Action
   • Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.
   • Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning.
4. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
   • Target 9.4: Upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies.

3. Indicators Mentioned or Implied to Measure Progress

1. SDG 7 Indicators
   • 7.2.1: Renewable energy share in the total final energy consumption – implied by the focus on solar PV capacity and battery storage.
   • 7.3.1: Energy intensity measured in terms of primary energy and GDP – implied through energy efficiency improvements in municipal buildings.
   • 7.b.1: Installed renewable energy-generating capacity in developing regions – reflected by microgrid installations and solar PV capacities (27 kW to 429 kW).
2. SDG 11 Indicators
   • 11.5.1: Number of deaths, missing persons, and directly affected persons attributed to disasters – indirectly addressed by improving emergency power resilience.
   • 11.b.1: Number of cities with disaster risk reduction strategies – implied by Edgartown’s long-term resilience planning and microgrid development.
3. SDG 13 Indicators
   • 13.1.2: Number of countries with national and local disaster risk reduction strategies – reflected by community-level energy resilience efforts.
   • 13.2.1: Number of countries that have communicated the establishment or operationalization of an integrated policy/strategy/plan – implied by the community’s strategic energy planning and expert collaboration.
4. SDG 9 Indicators
   • 9.4.1: CO2 emission per unit of value added – indirectly addressed through adoption of clean energy technologies reducing emissions.
   • 9.4.2: CO2 emission per unit of value added – implied by energy efficiency and renewable energy deployment.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: nrel.gov