Case Study: Duke Energy achieves resilient microgrid control with SEL

Duke Energy Builds Microgrid Control System With Standard Power System Components

Duke Energy Corporation, a major U.S. electric utility, wanted to build a microgrid at its McAlpine Creek Substation to improve resilience during severe weather and better integrate renewable generation. The company needed a solution based on standard, off-the-shelf utility equipment rather than specialized devices, and it partnered with Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) to design the control and protection architecture using SEL-651R Advanced Recloser Controls and an SEL Real-Time Automation Controller (RTAC).

Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) helped Duke Energy implement a microgrid that connected a 50 kW solar installation and a 240 kW, 500 kWh battery energy storage system to serve Charlotte Fire Department Station 24. The system was designed for islanding, automatic and manual resynchronization, SCADA integration, and operator-friendly HMI control, and it has been in service since July 2015. Duke Energy reports that the microgrid provides peak shaving, resilient backup power for critical services, and a repeatable model for future, more economical microgrid deployments.

Duke Energy Corporation