The feasibility of an environmentally friendly microgrid

Establishing the local feasibility of using distributed generation sources (a micro-grid) is the focus of this project, where an 81-house neighborhood in Chandler, Arizona was chosen to serve as the model. An in-depth analysis of the current energy and water use of the neighborhood and its associated cost to the consumer, along with an evaluation of the capacity of the existing infrastructure, was completed in order to compare it to a simulated model of a micro grid providing the same amount of energy by using photovoltaic cells, fuel cells and micro turbines. Analyzing the Net Present Cost of different configurations of distributed generation sources shows that micro turbines and fuel cells, while having a smaller carbon foot print, are not economically feasible, whereas using photovoltaic cells while maintaining a connection to the existing grid increases the cost by only $.023/kWh while reducing the CO₂, SO_x, and NO_x emissions.