Multi-User Microgrids: Obstacles to Development and Recommendations for Advancement

The difficulties of (and solutions to) multi-user microgrid development

By Kira Fabrizio, Richard Stuebi, Josef Benzaoui, Ryan Smith

November 2018

Multi-user microgrids (MUMs) are an emerging approach to electricity delivery that provide neighboring customers more resilient and reliable service, often independent of the local utility’s grid. Despite this, there are few in operation or development. In a whitepaper written in partnership with the Northeast Clean Energy Council, Institute for Sustainable Energy (now the Boston University Institute for Global Sustainability) researchers identify key barriers preventing MUM development and suggest potential solutions to these barriers.