Session Chair: Steve Pullins - ResSET

Microgrids are enabling energy resilience and sustainability in the multifamily buildings sector. SouthTown in Ann Arbor supports this point. Construction started in March 2024. This project is an eight-story mass-timber multifamily residence with commercial space and an internal garage with EV charging for all spaces. The power to the site is from a microgrid with fuel cells, solar PV, and energy storage. The non-combustion resources supply power, heating, and cooling alongside a geothermal heat pump system. There is no electric utility connection to the site. The primary objectives of this low-to-middle income residence are (1) to provide a safe place to shelter-in-place when the grid fails in the deep of winter, and (2) provide a net zero GHG emission-free lifestyle. This panel will describe the residential site, microgrid, fit to the city’s sustainability goals, and benefits and challenges of going off-grid.