In this QuickChat video, Aron Bowman, president of ELM Microgrid and ELM Solar, discusses several of the most impactful growth areas he’s seeing in the microgrid market today.

Kathy Hitchens

The microgrid market is growing and, as it does, the definition of a microgrid is evolving, according to Aron Bowman, president of ELM Microgrid and ELM Solar. Bowman recently sat down with Rod Walton, managing editor of Microgrid Knowledge, to talk about the role microgrids can play in supporting electric vehicle (EV) charging as well as thermal microgrids, two of the most impactful growth areas he’s seeing in the market today.

EV charging and microgrids

The lack of EV charging infrastructure is a hot topic, Bowman said, as it’s a significant impediment to EV adoption. The primary roadblock for EV charger deployment right now is interconnection with the utility.

If a building traditionally has only used 250 kW of power, adding 20 EV chargers could double or triple the load, Bowman explained. “You can't just drop those chargers in and plug them in,” he added.

That’s why Bowman believes ELM is starting to see customers engaging with the company to support EV charging with microgrids.

Microgrids, especially when they include renewable energy such as solar, enable businesses to manage EV charging, reduce demand on the grid, lower energy costs by using stored energy during peak demand hours and improve overall resilience.

“You have a double whammy,” Bowman said. The microgrid’s energy storage supports your EV charging “but then also can support the operations of your business. So there's a lot of value there, especially with a renewable-based microgrid system.”