MSL is structured as four synergistic programs: Research, Innovation, Demonstration and Education (RIDE). For the demonstration part, MSL founding member Santa Fe Community College (SFCC) is developing two microgrids with MSL’s guidance, which will serve as demonstration facilities, while also supporting education, testing, and research. The first is an educational microgrid, or “nanogrid,” dedicated to the new greenhouse and controlled growing environment at SFCC, which was recently commissioned and houses the main microgrid classroom.  The second, currently in engineering assessment, will be a full campus-wide microgrid spanning all energy and water assets. Siemens Industry is the project engineering partner on both, with a nanogrid conceptual design from MSL member The National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

For the innovation part, MSL’s innovation program features cross-sector collaboration (including utility, manufacturing, ICT, systems integration, regulatory, policy, business model, and finance perspectives) to advance market and ecosystem innovation. This work includes technical, conceptual, and experimental components, with a global scope, using MSL’s expanded resource and facilities network.