Schneider Electric and Mainspring partner for fuel-flexible microgrids

Schneider Electric and California, US-based power generator Mainspring Energy announced they are partnering to offer a new hybrid-energy technology.

The technology will combine Schneider Electric's EcoStruxure microgrid solution and turn-key design-build services with Mainspring's linear generator.

The combination is intended to provide power, fuel-flexibility, and energy resiliency for commercial and industrial customers. The fuel-flexibility of the Mainspring generator allows customers to dynamically switch among multiple fuel options, including low- and zero-carbon fuels, without retrofit.

The collaboration between the two companies offers power solutions, along with Schneider's microgrid designs, construction management, and project management experience.

"Commercial and industrial facilities are dealing with increasing demands for electricity," said Bala Vinayagam, senior vice president, Microgrid Line of Business for Schneider Electric. "At the same time, organizations needing power have decarbonization goals. The Mainspring Linear Generator has the potential to serve a vital role in the transition to net zero."

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He added: "Customers are provided with a pioneering microgrid solution that can generate on-site power, adapt to an evolving grid landscape, and help them meet their decarbonization goals."

Use for data centres

Mainspring’s generator offers an opportunity for data centre customers, who are typically adding the generator behind the meter to solve capacity problems without waiting for additional infrastructure to be built.

This circumvents transmission bottlenecks and brings the infrastructure closer to the load, which, according to Mainspring CEO and co-founder Shannon Miller, is something data centers care about because of their need for resiliency.

Said Miller, “I think it’s actually an opportunity for data centers and utilities to work closely together to create new ways of thinking about power generation, where you’ve got shared resources.

“Data centers are using it for the things they need in terms of getting power quickly and having resilience close by, and then as the grid continues to grow around them, there’s flexibility with that asset.”

Originally published on power-eng.com