Navigant Research identified 2,258 microgrid projects, representing more than 19.5 GW of planned and installed power capacity around the world, in the fourth quarter of 2018. The number of microgrids, especially smaller systems, may rise even further using the Consortium For Electric Reliability Technology Solutions (CERTS) MIcrogrid Concept that makes microgrids more affordable. The collaborative research on CERTS was funded by US DOE’s Office of Electricity and led by principal investigator Dr. Robert Lasseter, an emeritus engineering professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The “plug-and-play” microgrid they developed reduces the cost of control components and commissioning at multiple sites. These microgrids use decentralized, autonomous controls, eliminating the need for an expensive master controller or central storage unit. Utility Dive