Even green energy advocates sometimes don’t fully understand the role distributed energy resources (DERs) play as grid and community assets.
I’ve heard proponents of large-scale wind and solar plants argue against giving distributed energy too much time and attention because distributed energy doesn’t generate enough power at scale. They say we can’t reach our climate goals fast enough or meet the growing power demands of data centers and electric vehicles if we focus resources on building rooftop solar and batteries, virtual power plants and other DERs instead of big projects.
Making such comparisons between distributed energy and large-scale energy makes little sense. It’s like saying we don’t need cars because we have jets, which are faster and travel further. Try taking a plane to the supermarket. Try relying on a large-scale solar plant when your electricity isn’t working because a hurricane has brought down wires and poles that deliver the solar power.
Both utility-scale projects and distributed energy have their place in improving electric supply. So, what is the role of distributed energy, and what will it take to elevate this form of local energy in the minds of decision-makers?
The Energy Changemakers Community recently had a brainstorming discussion where we dove into these issues. About 50 people attended the livestream, and many offered valuable input. I highlight points made by four of the participants in today’s Energy Changemakers podcast.
- Erika Ginsberg-Klemmt, vice president of operations at Gizmo Power, talks about keeping energy wealth close to home with DERs.
- Bill Prindle, principal of Better Energy Advisors, discusses the challenges of valuing DERs.
- Lorenzo Kristov, grid architect, explains the need for bottom-up energy planning.
- Cameron Brooks, president of E9 Energy Insights, talks about the importance of utility distribution system planning to support DER growth.
This is one of the shortest podcasts I’ve yet recorded — only 16 minutes — but it’s packed with ideas about the potential of distributed energy. Listen here.
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