ABB’s innovative microgrid: providing reliable, affordable and sustainable power

ABB installed a microgrid at its Longmeadow facility in Johannesburg, combining a 750 kWp solar PV plant and a 1 MVA/ 380 kWh lithium-ion battery system. This 'power island' allows the facility to operate autonomously during grid disturbances, which previously occurred every three days on average. The system is managed by a cloud-based Microgrid Plus Control System that balances renewable and fossil-fuel sources. Since June 2016, the project has reduced annual diesel fuel consumption by 27% and diesel generator use by 76%, resulting in annual energy cost savings of US$150,000 and a reduction of approximately 1,000 tons of carbon emissions per year.

• The microgrid at the Longmeadow facility integrates a 750 kWp rooftop solar PV plant and a 1 MVA/ 380 kWh PowerStore™ lithium-ion battery to stabilize the grid against frequency and voltage fluctuations and enable peak shaving.
• The installation of the microgrid has significantly reduced the facility's reliance on diesel generators, which were previously required for outages occurring on average every three days.
• The project has delivered substantial financial and environmental gains, including an annual energy cost reduction of US$150,000 (a 33% decrease) and an estimated annual carbon emission reduction of 1,000 tons.
• A remote, cloud-based Microgrid Plus Control System manages the balance between renewable and fossil-fuel energy sources to ensure utility-grade power through real-time data processing.

APA

Keogh, M. (2017). ABB’s innovative microgrid: providing reliable, affordable and sustainable power. We Mean Business Coalition. https://www.wemeanbusinesscoalition.org/blog/abbs-innovative-microgrid-providing-reliable-affordable-sustainable-power/

Chicago

Keogh, Megan. ABB’s innovative microgrid: providing reliable, affordable and sustainable power. We Mean Business Coalition, 2017. https://www.wemeanbusinesscoalition.org/blog/abbs-innovative-microgrid-providing-reliable-affordable-sustainable-power/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Keogh |first1=Megan |title=ABB’s innovative microgrid: providing reliable, affordable and sustainable power |publisher=We Mean Business Coalition |date=9 November 2017 |url=https://www.wemeanbusinesscoalition.org/blog/abbs-innovative-microgrid-providing-reliable-affordable-sustainable-power/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{keogh2017abbs, author = {Keogh, Megan}, title = {{ABB’s innovative microgrid: providing reliable, affordable and sustainable power}}, institution = {We Mean Business Coalition}, year = {2017}, month = nov, url = {https://www.wemeanbusinesscoalition.org/blog/abbs-innovative-microgrid-providing-reliable-affordable-sustainable-power/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }