Science of the Electric Grid – Microgrids Case Study Project – Student

Summary

This project-based lab explores how Hurricane Maria exposed weaknesses in Puerto Rico’s centralized grid and led to expanded microgrid development. Students evaluate battery storage capacity, compare microgrid scale to traditional power plants, and assess tradeoffs in resilience and infrastructure design.

The lab includes research and debate extensions where students analyze grid expansion versus microgrid investment strategies.

Pair with the Data Set activity for system-level analysis or explore Science of Energy Efficiency to examine demand-side resilience strategies. This activity is part of the complete Science of the Electric Grid lesson.