“GridOptimal” Buildings Can Smooth Transition to Renewables

Published by BuildingGreen: Getting a solar array on your project might seem like a huge triumph, but there could be a downside. Too much “distributed generation” (grid-connected power generation coming from individual buildings) can disrupt how the electrical grid works, causing problems for utilities. A new initiative called GridOptimal from the New Buildings Institute (NBI) and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) aims to help individual buildings become “better grid citizens,” in the words of Brendan Owens, P.E., SVP at USGBC.