A micro-grid is a part of the main power grid, acting like an autonomous entity with a group of consumer and production means.

For example, an electrical micro-grid is a part of the electrical distribution grid (the network of the village of Carros, in France for example), which include consumers and production means (solar panels, wind turbines, diesel generator ect.). This autonomous network also owns a local management system of the electricity. This management system includes the monitoring of energy fluxes, revenues, maintenance, and political and citizen-activation objectives ect.

For Tournesol, a micro-grid has not necessarily the capacity to disconnect from the main grid. However, a micro-grid must look for an equilibrium between its consumption and its production. This should allow, up to a certain degree, to disconnect the micro grid from the main grid. In certain circumstances, that might be useful to the main grid.

It is interesting to realize to that the micro-grid methodology is not applicable only to one domain (like the electrical grid). The concept can be applied to multiple domains like the power fluxes in general, but also food networks, economical flux, goods and services, political governance (public administration), education or even the law. By pushing the concept to its far end, we will call this an autonomous society. For example, one country of the EU is a complete micro grid, a society included in the European Union, a larger system.

The decentralization is in fact giving more autonomy to most local administrations, but this autonomy, for Tournesol, has degrees. A country of the EU is autonomous but still exchanges with neighbouring countries. It is not a closed system. Indeed autonomy does not mean autarky. We are defining an « autonomous system » when this system is depending on external fluxes for a maximum of half of its consumption.

Tournesol Visions

Our first vision (hypothesis, belief) at Tournesol MG is that an energetic autonomy of local communities will bring a more sustainable world. It will be a more complex, more rich, more responsible, more resilient and agile society.

Our second vision is that the energetic transition is the base for a transformation of our society as a whole.

Finally, we believe that the more this transition is driven and shared by the citizens, the faster it will be. And that is why at Tournesol MG, we are study, and promoting the community-based micro-grids.