Who are the leading U.S. microgrid developers?

In my research for Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables, I have tracked 2,430 operational microgrids across the United States. These projects were developed by 187 developers. 

Most of those developers only have completed one project, and many of these developers are also the end customer.

As I just wrote in Greentech Media, I was curious about a small slice of the developers, 17 of the 187, that fit two criteria: those that were not the end-customer and those that completed at least two projects.

These 17 developers have executed over 90 percent of the country’s microgrids.

 Looking at how they do business tells us quite a bit about how the market might evolve in the future. Each of the 17 uses either a “technology-neutral” or a ”product-led strategy.”

These technology-neutral developers typically integrate a generation or energy storage asset on the customer site that predates the microgrid. In contrast, product-led developers focus on standardized generation and energy storage products. These systems are often installed on sites that do not have existing generation or storage assets.

My latest Wood Mackenzie insight outlines what these 17 top developers’ strategies say about the future of microgrid development. This research isn’t available for purchase for non-clients, but you can read about it on GTM.

As we found last month, the US microgrid market failed to grow in 2019, but growth is expected to pick back up in 2020. As the microgrid market grows, the market opportunity for both technology-neutral and product-led developers will grow with it.