Explore What
Lies Beyond
MICRO GRIDS & THE FUTURE OF REAL ESTATE
MICROGRID
Is this growing technology the answer to our energy needs as a country…or even the world?
A microgrid is a self-contained electrical network that allows you to generate your own electricity on-site and use it when you need it most!
The U.S. DOE Microgrid Exchange Group defines a microgrid as “a group of interconnected loads and distributed energy resources within clearly defined electrical boundaries that acts as a single controllable entity with respect to the grid. A microgrid can connect and disconnect from the grid to enable it to operate in both grid-connected or island-mode.”
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Microgrids offer the opportunity to deploy more zero-emission electricity sources, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
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Microgrids can make use of on-site energy that would otherwise be lost through transmission lines and heat that would otherwise be lost up the smokestack.
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Microgrids can improve local management of power supply and demand, which can help defer costly investments by utilities in new power generation.
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Microgrids can enhance grid resilience to more extreme weather or cyber attacks.
PROBLEM
WHAT ARE THE CURRENT (LARGE SCALE) ELECTRICAL GRID ISSUES CAUSED BY AN AGING GRID?
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Infrastructure Age: Much of the U.S. grid infrastructure is outdated and prone to failures (e.g., transformers and transmission lines beyond their expected life span).
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Increased Demand: The rise in AI-driven data centers, electric vehicles (EVs), and digitalization requires greater grid capacity.
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Reliability and Resilience: Aging equipment is more susceptible to blackouts, brownouts, and failures during extreme weather.
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Integration of Renewable Energy: The current grid wasn’t designed to handle decentralized, variable renewable energy sources like solar and wind.
HOW DOES NEW DEMAND STANDARDS IMPACT THE CURRENT GRID?
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AI and Data Centers: Large-scale data centers require significant power, and their constant demand stresses the grid. Many are pushing for localized and renewable energy solutions.
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Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations: EVs are projected to add significant load, especially in urban areas, leading to peak demand issues.
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Climate Change: Higher temperatures lead to more air conditioning use, further straining the grid. Natural disasters like wildfires and hurricanes also increase the likelihood of outages.
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Aging Infrastructure: With grid equipment already fragile, new demands push it closer to its breaking point.
COGENERATION PLANT SYNOPSIS
TDR DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
Areas of Expertise
Land Development, Construction Management, General Contracting, Owner Representation, A/E Design, Community/Workforce Development
TDR Development Corporation (TDR) is an innovative company that provides a full range of services from real estate development, program planning, project management, construction management, and general contracting services on high-profile and complex construction projects for the public, private, government and industrial sector customers. Headquartered in the Atlanta, GA metropolitan area, TDR’s executive management team has combined over 100 years of applicable expertise with the ability to provide complete and comprehensive performance on any scale in all areas of design and construction.
The following synopsis details the Co-Generation concept as a means of energy creation which is an area of expertise TDR has become an industry leader in the planning, designing and constructing of such industrial facilities.
Also known as combined heat and power (CHP), the term cogeneration describes the simultaneous generation of electrical energy and usable heat from a single primary energy source, often natural gas or biofuels, such as solid waste from agriculture.
HEALTH CARE
NET-ZERO SYSNOPSIS
TDR Development Corporation (TDR) is an innovative company that provides a full range of services from real estate development, program planning, project management, construction management, and general contracting services on high-profile and complex construction projects for the public, private, government and industrial sector customers. Headquartered in the Atlanta, GA metropolitan area, TDR’s executive management team combined, has over 100 years of applicable expertise with the ability to provide complete and comprehensive performance on any scale in all areas of design and construction.
Approaches to net-zero
The energy utilization index (EUI) is the unit used to measure how much site energy a building uses per year; please note the typical hospital has an average of 235 EUI (the average office building uses just 53 EUI). More than half of this energy in hospitals is for HVAC systems for infection control and also atmospheric control (temperature & humidity) for patient comfort. Energy is also consumed via typical building operational systems such as lighting, computers/technical equipment, and medical equipment needed to operate 24/7 in the hospital environment. Cooking for patient meal services while operating and maintaining on-site cafeterias represents another significant energy use.
Rural and urban hospitals spend up to $3 to 5 per square foot on energy costs alone. This translates to $7,500 to 15,000 in annual energy costs per patient bed. Despite 24/7 occupancy and infection control requirements, there are opportunities for energy efficiency and cost savings.
Energy solutions come in two varieties: The demand side and the supply side.
• The demand side is the on-site consumption and management of energy, that is, the amount of energy a hospital uses day-to-day. Think lighting, ventilation, heating, and cooling systems. In a hospital where care is 24/7/365, the demand for continuous energy is high.
• The supply side is how energy is created, and the ability to fulfill the energy demand. This includes any on-site electric generation (for example, roof-mounted solar panels) or subscribing to a large-scale, community-wide energy generation program typically offered by the local utility.
Hospitals have many specialized spaces — exam rooms, medical offices, laboratories, pharmacies, surgical suites, cafeterias, etc. — all with varying needs to meet current codes and standards. Thus, each space has unique energy needs. To design a net-zero capable building, these unique energy needs are evaluated individually and as part of a collection of systems: the energy consuming devices within the room itself, the air handling unit and exhaust fans, and back to the central plant. Designing to optimize the whole building is imperative to achieving net-zero goals. While it is important to be cognizant of the design and requirements of those specialized spaces, the answer isn’t to lump them all together in terms of energy use. Using design tools such as an energy modeling program can help to quantitatively compare the energy use from various design options. These quantifiable results also support the comparative analysis to understand the return-on-investment of different options, helping building owners make better long-term decisions related to lower operational costs and lower carbon impact.
FUTURE OF ENERGY
Climate change is a big problem that's getting worse. Many people wonder what they can do to help slow it down. Until recently, there weren't many good answers. But now, as technology gets better, we're finding new ways to use energy more efficiently. This article will show you how the construction industry can use these new ideas to build greener buildings and help the environment.
Buildings use a lot of energy, and that energy often comes from sources that harm the planet. But there are ways to build buildings that are more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly. By using new materials, technologies, and design techniques, we can reduce the impact of construction on the environment and create healthier, more sustainable buildings.
MICROGRID BENEFITS
KEY BENEFITS FROM A MICROGRID
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Microgrids offer the opportunity to deploy more zero-emission electricity sources, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
-
Microgrids can make use of on-site energy that would otherwise be lost through transmission lines and heat that would otherwise be lost up the smokestack.
-
Microgrids can improve local management of power supply and demand, which can help defer costly investments by utilities in new power generation.
-
Microgrids can enhance grid resilience to more extreme weather or cyber attacks.
ALTERNATIVE ENERGY AND POWER GENERATING SOURCES/SYSTEMS UTILIZED IN MICROGRIDS
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Solar and Wind Energy: These are now mainstream but need storage solutions to manage intermittent generation.
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Combustion Turbine Generation Technology: Utilizes a gas turbine/combustion engine that can convert natural gas or other fuels to mechanical energy. This energy then drives a generator that produces the electrical energy.
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Small Modular Nuclear Reactors (SMRs): These new-generation reactors are being explored as safer, more flexible alternatives to traditional nuclear power plants.
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Waste-to-Energy: Converting landfill gases or agricultural waste into electricity could help with localized power generation in microgrids.
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Fuel Cell Energy Technology: A fuel cell uses the chemical energy of hydrogen or other fuels to cleanly and efficiently produce electricity.
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Hydrogen: Green hydrogen production and storage could provide long-term energy storage solutions for microgrids and large-scale grids.
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Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS): Advances in battery technology can store excess power for use during peak hours or when renewable energy is unavailable.
© 2035 by TDR DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION