Communities

Advanced Research on Integrated Energy Systems (ARIES) helps communities access the breakthrough science they need to support their energy goals.

Projects

Read about communities using ARIES to help answer their energy systems integration questions.

Fairbanks, Alaska, Models Reliable Power System With Help of Award-Winning ARIES Research

The U.S. Department of Energy's Energy to Communities program helps local governments, utilities, and community-based organizations achieve their energy goals. Using the R&D 100 award-winning ARIES software Simulation and Emulation for Advanced Systems, NREL showed how Fairbanks, Alaska could achieve a reliable future energy system that meets local goals. Learn more about how Simulation and Emulation for Advanced Systems is poised to continue helping Energy to Communities cohorts by providing an energy sandbox to evaluate community energy plans.

ARIES Digital Twin Leads to Resilient Microgrid Deployment in Alaska

Microgrid sensing and controls have enhanced the resilience of the city of Cordova, Alaska, with support from ARIES. Using ARIES, Cordova validated its improved microgrid against plausible events, such as power loss from an earthquake or avalanche, allowing the local electric cooperative to observe and control the network with better precision. This is important for Cordova and indigenous communities throughout Alaska because microgrids are their last resort for energy and controls make it easier to adapt during critical events. Learn more about the impacts of this microgrid project.

Demonstrating a Microgrid With Seasonal Hydrogen Storage in Borrego Springs

San Diego Gas & Electric Borrego Springs microgrid is one of the largest in the United States, serving 2,500 residential and 300 commercial and industrial customers. NREL has helped San Diego Gas & Electric deploy advanced microgrid controls and large-scale battery energy storage for reliability. Building on these successes, San Diego Gas & Electric is looking to add increased flexibility into the system and fill the gap of long-term storage with hydrogen. This first-of-its-kind demonstration uses ARIES capabilities to pave the way to resilient microgrids and new solutions for remote communities. Read more about the San Diego Gas & Electric collaboration.

Work With Us

Want to partner with us and take advantage of ARIES capabilities for your community? Check out our Work With Us page to learn how.