{"id":7060,"date":"2020-09-17T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-09-17T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/plugpower.local\/?p=7060"},"modified":"2023-06-22T16:01:27","modified_gmt":"2023-06-22T20:01:27","slug":"hydrogen-micro-grids-could-solve-californias-energy-crisis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.plugpower.com\/blog\/hydrogen-micro-grids-could-solve-californias-energy-crisis\/","title":{"rendered":"Hydrogen Micro-Grids Could Solve California\u2019s Energy Crisis"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
California winemakers face one of their toughest years on record, even for an industry accustomed to grappling with nature\u2019s many challenges. Still reeling from the pandemic\u2019s operational and economic impacts, the state\u2019s vineyards are now confronting another record-breaking<\/a> fire season. Even if the region\u2019s vines survive intact, safety protocols adopted by the state\u2019s utilities mean that rolling blackouts are now the \u201cnew normal.\u201d Yet some local businesses, like Sonoma\u2019s Stone Edge Farm Estate Vineyards & Winery, are seeing new benefits from their investments in clean energy. For these sustainability-minded operations, micro-grids powered by renewable energy provide reliable power and strengthen resilience to these overlapping crises while also ensuring they continue to meet their climate commitments.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Clean energy pioneers like Stone Edge provide a roadmap for other industries looking for innovative ways to meet their energy needs sustainably. As micro-grid technology advances and clean energy costs fall, more companies may find that unplugging from the grid is a viable solution to today\u2019s energy challenges. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Switching Off the Utility<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Stone Edge Farm<\/a> has operated its own micro-grid since 2012. Five years later, as raging wildfires prompted electricity cuts, this self-contained energy system stepped in for the first time to cover the power needs for its essential operations, including water pumps, servers, and security systems. Since 2018, Stone Edge has operated without any electricity from the central grid. In fact, it\u2019s the inverse: this state-of-the-art system is set up to sell its excess power back to the utility. What\u2019s more, Stone Edge Farm\u2019s micro-grid is supplied entirely by clean energy, allowing its facilities to run with better-than-net-zero carbon emissions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Stone Edge Farm demonstrates how micro-grids provide a clean energy solution for California and other regions as they seek to address climate change without sacrificing a reliable power supply. So how does this game-changing technology work?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Simply defined, a micro-grid is a local energy grid that can operate on its own when disconnected from the utility-controlled grid. In the event of a blackout, microgrids switch into \u201cisland mode,\u201d operating entirely autonomously. Traditionally, these systems have relied on fossil fuels\u2014think of a diesel generator. How, then, are micro-grids fueling the clean-energy transition? The answer lies in green hydrogen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Achieving Zero Carbon Energy with Electrolyzers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Stone Edge saw the benefits of green hydrogen early on. After struggling to power its operations through photovoltaic solar systems alone, owner Mac McQuown sought a more integrated solution. With the support of Omni Energy Solutions, Stone Edge installed a micro-grid that combines various clean energy technologies, including renewable electricity generation and battery and hydrogen storage, with real-time monitoring and control. The critical piece tying these components together is the a Plug Power electrolyzer, a machine that splits water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen via an electrochemical reaction. The extracted hydrogen is then stored on-site for later use by the Plug Power GenSure fuel cells<\/a> that power the winery\u2019s critical infrastructure or by its fuel cell-powered vehicles. This process enables Stone Edge Farm to run its business nearly emissions-free. <\/p>\n\n\n\n