A typical microgrid. Courtesy of NREL.
With energy resources and infrastructure increasingly challenged to meet the coming impacts of climate change and natural disaster, Hyphae aims to make microgrids more resilient. It will do so by transitioning Sony CSL's existing software, Autonomous Power Interchange System (APIS), which automatically and efficiently distributes locally-produced renewable energy over a DC grid, to work with AC Grids. With resilient, peer-to-peer microgrid energy trading, even the most remote communities will be able to store and distribute energy autonomously without connecting to large-scale power stations or electrical distribution networks.
As the world races to develop and build microgrids that are resilient and flexible, an open-source, automated microgrid controller and peer-to-peer trading platform like Hyphae will allow for faster innovation while decreasing costs for everyone. Partnering with Sony CSL brings LF Energy closer to its goal of building the first interoperable AC- and DC-ready microgrid that is self-contained, operational off-grid and able to connect to an electrical distribution network with utility oversight.