microgrid

noun

mi·​cro·​grid ˈmī-krō-ˌgrid 

variants or less commonly micro-grid

plural microgrids also micro-grids

: a small grid

The Logitech io Pen … only works when writing on special paper that's embedded with an invisible microgrid of tiny dots arranged like graph paper.

—Frank Bajak

especially : a local electrical grid (see grid sense 2a(3)) that can be connected to a larger network but that is also capable of operating independently

When the community fell dark after the storm, there remained all but one source of power: a solar microgrid operated by Casa Pueblo, an environmental nonprofit and community center.

—Greta Moran

Microgrids, with their own electricity-generating capacity, are a better bet. Most of these local grids are operated by private organisations such as military bases, industrial plants and universities, which need more dependable power …

—The Economist

The facility will be powered by a micro-grid with on-site solar panels, battery storage, auxiliary power and small vertical wind turbines …

—Delta County (Colorado) Independent

After the disaster knocked out power to much of eastern Japan, smart microgrid projects from industrial to residential changed their approach.

—Tam Harbert

Examples of microgrid in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Help everybody — homeowners, renters, businesses, shopping centers, schools, churches — to have rooftop and parking lot solar or be able to buy into local solar that is augmented with battery storage organized into community microgrids. —U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 July 2025

The grant would help establish resilience hubs with microgrids and help residents without air conditioning install energy-efficient cooling systems. —Brian G. Henning, The Conversation, 9 July 2025

These microgrids can power remote communities with reliable power and one day shift the entire power grid into a more decentralized system that can better withstand disruptions like extreme weather. —Umair Irfan, Wired News, 26 Apr. 2025

Affordable energy storage solutions are being tailored for both utility-scale applications and rural microgrids, and breakthroughs in scalable green hydrogen applications are helping decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors. —Vaishali Nigam Sinha, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

micro- + grid

First Known Use

1939, in the meaning defined above