Case Study: Montclair State University achieves campus resiliency and energy savings with SEL microgrid solutions

Montclair State University saves $4 million a year with SEL microgrid

Montclair State University (MSU), a public research university, faced significant challenges with power outages that disrupted classes and costly research. After a week-long outage from Superstorm Sandy and a subsequent incident involving a turkey vulture that shut down finals, the university sought a resilient microgrid solution to ensure an uninterrupted power supply. They partnered with Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) to implement a custom-built microgrid control system.

Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories designed and implemented a sophisticated, custom microgrid controller for MSU. This intelligent system allows the campus to seamlessly disconnect from the main grid during outages and automatically restore power. The solution, centered on SEL's control technology and digital protective relays, provides immense resiliency and significant financial benefits, saving the university upwards of $4 million annually, which is about 20 percent of its utility bill.

Montclair State University