AFWERX Selects Geminus for AI Microgrid Modeling SBIR

AFWERX selected Geminus for a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I contract, announced October 27, 2026, to develop software for managing electrical power at deployed United States Air Force installations. The project targets forward-deployed microgrids: local systems that generate, store, and distribute electricity, helping military sites serve equipment and facilities without relying entirely on a larger electrical network. The Phase I award is an early-stage technology development opportunity, not an announced operational deployment or a stated requirement for a broader procurement.

Geminus will develop a digital model of a microgrid combining diesel generators, lithium-ion batteries, and equipment with varying electrical requirements. Operators must balance demand against available generation and battery capacity, while changes in equipment use can alter the system’s power needs. The company plans to apply digital twins and physics-informed AI to represent system behavior, evaluate operating conditions, and help guide how power is distributed between generators and batteries.

The intended operational outcomes—lower diesel fuel consumption, longer battery service life, and reliable electricity for mission equipment—connect the development effort to deployed-energy resilience and sustainment. The contract gives government stakeholders an opportunity to assess whether modeling changing loads and equipment conditions can improve microgrid decisions. For industry, the disclosed system components and performance objectives offer useful indicators of the capabilities being explored, including power-system modeling, energy storage management, and optimization under variable demand.

The award’s procurement scope remains limited in publicly available detail. No contract value, testing or deployment schedule, or follow-on solicitation was announced. Geminus said the Phase I work could lead to a pilot, but that possibility should not be treated as a scheduled procurement. AFWERX works with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to identify and support technologies through programs including SBIR and Small Business Technology Transfer awards. Other firms with relevant microgrid, digital-twin, or energy-management expertise can monitor for pilot information or future requirements, while recognizing that no specific teaming arrangement or competition has been disclosed.

• Award: AFWERX selected Geminus for an SBIR Phase I contract announced October 27, 2026.
• Mission context: The project addresses power management at forward-deployed Air Force sites.
• System modeled: Diesel generators, lithium-ion batteries, and equipment with varying electrical requirements.
• Technology approach: Digital twins and physics-informed AI will model operating conditions and support power-distribution decisions.
• Stated objectives: Reduce diesel fuel consumption, extend battery service life, and maintain reliable power for mission equipment.
• Operational challenge: Operators must balance changing electrical demand against available generation and battery capacity.
• Potential next step: A follow-on pilot is possible, but no deployment or testing schedule was announced.
• Pricing and competition status: No contract value, follow-on solicitation, or other procurement schedule was provided.
• Market signal: Relevant contractors can track future pilot or requirement announcements involving microgrid modeling, battery management, and resilient energy systems.