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Last week, a delegation from Vergnet joined fellow global leaders, researchers, operators, manufacturers, military and government officials at the Islanded Grid Wind Power Conferencein Anchorage, Alaska.
The conference, which gathered experts from across the globe, focused on the development and maximisation of remote and island grid wind power systems in Alaska.
Alaska, a state which is regarded as leading the way in remote wind-diesel hybrid systems, has its own energy challenges to overcome. These include isolated grids, specifically remote communities, as well as the often severe artic climate.
The conference focused on technical topics such as energy storage and control systems for integrating wind power into electrical grids; the human capacity needs for operating and maintaining systems in remote areas; financing and the diesel side of the equation in maximising performance.
With a 25 year track record of working in insular locations, cold climates and in designing and implementing hybrid solutions since 1992, Vergnet was perfectly positioned to discuss Alaska’s energy future and to help the state in examining ways to optimise and improve its remote energy systems.
With wind and solar plants in isolated areas such as the Bahamas, Samoa, Australia and New Caledonia and several turbines installed worldwide in cold climates, including key projects in New York State, Russia and Lithuania, the Vergnet team were well placed to advise on the challenges of working in cold and remote locations.
The team were also able to draw on expertise in hybrid energy systems. Vergnet’s Hybrid Wizard, which was specifically designed for extreme weather conditions, is the latest Vergnet innovative control system, aimed at maximising renewable energy penetration on isolated grids, all while guaranteeing the security of grid.
The conference was organised by the Islanded Grid Resource Center (IGRC), which was created by the Renewable Energy Alaska Project (REAP) and the Island Institute in Maine, to act as a knowledge centre to connect those using and working on remote grids throughout the United States and beyond.
Vergnet were proud to be part of this thought-leadership conference and looks forward to developing solutions for rural communities throughout Alaska in the future.