TABLE OF CONTENTS Microturbines are an exciting new distributed generation technology that offers innovations in power electronics and air bearings coupled with a simple machine design. Compact in size and offering dramatically improved emissions relative to the large installed base of diesel generators, this new technology will be a strong competitor with most distributed generation technologies.
A big boost to the success and survival of microturbines are regulatory options that give utilities a meaningful and monetary role in their ownership and use. Utilities offer another stable market segment to grow the use of the technology.
However, improvement in the performance of the technology and institutional changes are needed to help this new technology begin to penetrate the market and become an accepted addition to power grid infrastructure. Electrical efficiency must move toward 40% or it will be relegated to combined heat and power-only applications. Likewise, the overall technology needs to become completely robust, durable, and dependable. If the technology is going to replace or "look like" the grid, then it needs to be rugged enough to deliver an equivalent or better overall level of service at least 99.9+%.
Institutional issues exist for a variety of reasons:
existing regulatory policies and structures
existing technical grid infrastructure and variations
industry-established grid operations and safe practices
basic business practices of customers, manufacturers, and utilities
building codes and permitting
All these issues will need to be addressed and perhaps modified for microturbines to find their way into...
