Change Summary

• New Part IV was added to Article 705 recognizing microgrid systems as an interconnected electric power production source.
  Microgrid Systems is a specialized area of work for electrical professionals and beyond the scope of this Captain Code document. However we provide this brief mention here to inform our readers of this emerging technology. If you are involved in this work we recommend reading article 705 Part 4 in its entirety in NEC 70.

Expert Analysis

Microgrid systems are modern, localized, small-scale grids, contrary to the traditional, centralized electricity grid. Microgrids can disconnect from the centralized grid and operate autonomously, strengthen grid resilience, and help mitigate grid disturbances because they can continue operating while the main grid is down; and they can function as a grid resource for faster system response and recovery. They often use diesel generators and are installed by the community they serve. Microgrids increasingly employ a mixture of different distributed energy resources, such as solar hybrid power systems, which reduce the amount of emitted carbon significantly.