Development and Demonstration of Distributed Biomass CHP Microgrid Systems
All Power Labs, Inc.
Recipient
Berkeley, CA
Recipient Location
7th
Senate District
14th
Assembly District
$3,039,391
Amount Spent
Completed
Project Status
Project Result
The project was completed in 2024. The project team developed and deployed three iterations of its containerized biomass microgrid and operated them for over 700 hours of testing. The sites included public and private customers including local governments, forestry agencies, and wood processors. The testing including on- and off-grid integration with other renewables and microgrids, regular use versus emergency (public safety power shutoff events, emergency responses).
Overall the combined heat and power production was 56.1 percent overall efficiency with 1.48 kilograms per hour (kg/hr) of char production at 8.99 kW, and 67.9 percent efficiency for conversion of producer gas to net electricity and heat. Calorimetry testing of the as-delivered walnut shells indicated that the high heating value was 20.127 megajoules per kilogram (MJ/kg) and walnut shell biochar was 27.8 MJ/kg. Using the 15.4 kg/hr feedstock rate, this would equate to 85.9 kW of available energy. Overall, the project team was successful in creating an updated PP30 system, integrating this into the CBM product, and developing the derived Charpallet technology.
View Final ReportThe Issue
California continues to experience the impacts of climate change with worsening wildfires, tree mortality, and droughts, along with reductions in reliability and safety of the utility grid, represented by rolling blackouts and wildfires caused by grid infrastructure. The deployment of distributed energy resources like microgrids, which can provide reliability and resilience, while also increasing the share of renewable generation, will be critical to help overcome these challenges. However, in order to meet these challenges on a meaningful scale, microgrid technology needs to be more advanced, standardized, and cost-effective while utilizing renewable, carbon neutral fuels.
One key gap is the issue of fossil-fueled backup generators for microgrids, which are almost universal for microgrids that have backup or baseload systems, and are the secret Achilles’ heel of supposedly renewable microgrids. A small-scale, standardized, cost-effective and scalable microgrid that serves small businesses has not yet been developed; yet this is the configuration that would truly provide the most benefit to the DAC market segment. Finally, the integration of biomass generators into a standardized and scalable microgrid has not been accomplished, leaving a technological gap around the physical and control architecture required to carry out such a project, while also leaving a dearth of knowledge about the relevant regulatory landscape under which such projects must be implemented.
Project Innovation
All Power Labs developed a novel dispatchable multi-model microgrid utilizing the CHP PP30 Power Pallet to address grid resilience, wildfire mitigation, and disaster relief using woody biomass such as woodchips. The design allowed the addition of microgrid containers to increase capacity and match loads to the specific application. Each microgrid container was sized to 50 kW of power generation and consisted of two PP30 Power Pallets, battery storage, inverters, and a microgrid controller. The containerized microgrid was grid connected, offsetting grid electricity during operating hours. In the event that the grid went down, the microgrid was able to island as a single controllable entity under the command of the microgrid controller, which isolated the containers from the grid and provided renewable backup power. The project standardized a small-scale, highly scalable, low-cost microgrid configuration that addressed the specific needs of disadvantaged communities and demonstrated the configuration's commercial viability and replicability.
Project Goals
Project Benefits
The project provides numerous benefits by advancing a reliable, on-demand renewable energy solution, utilizing woody biomass waste to generate low-cost electricity, thermal energy, and biochar. This process supports climate mitigation through carbon sequestration via biochar and actively mitigates wildfire risk by responsibly converting wood waste. The technology enhances electricity grid safety, modernization, and resilience by offering a vital, dispatchable power source to complement intermittent renewables and serve as reliable backup during public safety power shutoff events. The containerized design ensures rapid, flexible deployment, serving as a replacement for fossil-fueled alternatives. Key deliverables of the Power Pallet v3.0 development include improving community affordability and comfort with a turn-key biomass cogeneration solution.
Economic Development
Led to the unexpected creation of the derived Charpallet technology, which converts biomass into biochar for customers who do not require electricity. This opens a large market segment, especially in agriculture.
Reliability
Offers a drop-in biomass solution for future communities, supporting resilience, particularly for applications like the pilot urban-waste processing facility. This is important as large biomass plants have closed and locations for handling agricultural and forest residues are limited.
Subrecipients
Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.
Blue Sky Environmental, Inc.
Match Partners
All Power Labs, Inc.
SymSoil
