Think of solar energy in Colorado, and you’re likely to imagine shiny panels on rooftops or in fields soaking up the rays on a bluebird day.

The picture isn’t wrong, but solar’s capabilities have grown considerably over the years. Now, when paired with battery storage, solar can help keep critical services going and provide electrical utilities and cooperatives more flexibility to navigate expected and unexpected challenges alike.

One key challenge facing us in Colorado? Wildfire danger. Earlier this spring, power shutoffs were planned for parts of Garfield County and elsewhere to reduce the risk of a utility line sparking and starting a fire on a red flag warning day. Xcel Energy ended up canceling those anticipated shutoffs but it was great food for thought at a solar workshop in Glenwood Springs on April 23.

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Garfield Clean Energy (GCE), Clean Energy Economy for the Region (CLEER) and the COSSA Institute (the nonprofit arm of the Colorado Onsite Solar and Storage Association) hosted Solar + Storage for Communities at Morgridge Commons in April to talk about all things solar in Colorado. Representatives from across the clean energy spectrum talked about success, challenges and opportunities they’ve experienced in Colorado.

In the decades since solar energy first debuted as a viable clean energy source, considerable advances in technology have increased the ability to store energy in batteries, providing more flexibility and precision in when and how to utilize that on the electrical grid.

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Residential and commercial battery storage can help provide greater flexibility for the grid to weather the unexpected. That can be an invaluable tool for communities needing to ensure vital public services continue during a prolonged power outage. At the same time, battery storage provides a higher degree of flexibility for electric utilities to save energy when it’s being produced during the day and then release it during peak use periods — typically the evenings following the workday.

That provides more energy resilience, which provides communities the ability to withstand and recover from disruptions to the electrical grid, such as wildfires, winter storms, and more. Microgrids play an important role in resilience and serve as smaller grids that can connect and disconnect from the greater grid and supply power to critical infrastructure during disruptions. 

Microgrids combine battery storage – similar to your powerbank but scaled up to the size of a shipping container — with power generation and the ability to convert and manage electrical flow. That means they can add power to the overall grid, or it can temporarily disconnect from the grid and still maintain service to specific facilities. 

Microgrids’ ability to connect or disconnect from the greater grid can help keep key facilities such as hospitals and police departments functioning through outages, but they typically carry a 5-15% premium over a standard battery installation. That’s where grants and programs offered by Colorado’s Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) and the Colorado Energy Office have helped. 

Some regional examples of microgrid projects include the Powers Art Center in Carbondale, the Aspen Airport Business Center, and the Clifton Sanitation District. We hope these success stories can inspire residents and governments to work hand-in-hand to increase energy resilience throughout our communities. Whether it’s a single building with battery backup or a microgrid, there are practical pathways to keep homes, businesses, and essential services running. 

These can be powered by renewable energy generated on-site or procured from the grid. And at every step of the way, GCE will be there to support our GCE members and partner communities with the tools to expand storage and battery backup — and help bring those solutions to life where they’re needed most. 

Peter Baumann is communications manager for Clean Energy Economy for the Region (CLEER), the nonprofit that manages the programs of Garfield Clean Energy.