Distributed Energy

Distributed energy is both complementary and alternative to “centralized power generation,” addressing many of the shortcomings of centralized systems. Key qualities of distributed energy are that it is decentralized, diverse, and close to the end user. As such, distributed energy resources (DERs) are increasingly used to address common problems of centralized power systems such as peak power, backup power during power outages, increased power quality, as well as lower cost and lower energy consumption for electrical, heating, and cooling needs. Distributed energy systems commonly used today include diesel and fuel generators, solar power, fuel cells, wind turbines, biomass, microturbines, load reduction technologies, and battery storage systems. Though very basic distributed energy systems, such as diesel-operated backup generators, represent a significant exception, more and more distributed ...