Case Study: Montclair State University achieves campus resiliency and $4M annual savings with SEL microgrid control

Microgrid Solution Plays Big On Campus

Montclair State University (MSU) needed a way to keep its campus powered during grid outages after Superstorm Sandy left it without electricity for a week and a later outage forced it to postpone final exams. MSU turned to Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) for a custom microgrid controller to support a campus microgrid and protect students, staff, and temperature-sensitive research facilities.

SEL designed and implemented the control system for MSU’s “true microgrid,” integrating it with the university’s combined heating, cooling, and power plant to provide seamless islanding, automatic load restoration, and smart energy management. The result is a more resilient campus that can ride through outages without interruption, reduce emissions, and save MSU about $4 million per year, or roughly 20% of its utility bill, while also creating opportunities to sell power back to the utility during peak demand.

Montclair State University

Shawn Connolly

Vice President of University Facilities