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

Beyond flexibility, natural gas microgrids offer a risk mitigation strategy for both utilities and data centers. —Allan Schurr, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025

The microgrid on Happiness operates in what’s known as islanded mode. —Chun-Lien Su, IEEE Spectrum, 29 July 2019

Off-grid solutions, such as solar microgrids and other decentralized technologies, will make sense in some places. —Ted Nordhaus, Foreign Affairs, 30 Aug. 2016

Decentralized Energy Systems More communities are adopting microgrids, reducing reliance on vulnerable, centralized power networks. —Joel Carboni, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

micro- + grid

First Known Use

1939, in the meaning defined above