  The Microgrid paradigm is gaining momentum as one of the key pieces of
technology for expanding clean energy access and improving energy resilience.
Most of the interest in this pertains to distinct entities that either generate
electricity or act as loads, i.e., distinct producers and consumers. Remote
community microgrids and emerging transactive energy service models with
interconnected prosumers do not clearly fit into this paradigm. Notwithstanding
various publications that present concepts and simulations, there has been a
dearth of experimental platforms to study them, due to practical challenges.
This paper presents the `Picogrid' - an experimental platform particularly
designed for dc prosumer microgrids. It is a low-power, low-cost hardware
platform that enables interconnecting multiple prosumer entities in a bench-top
setup. Each prosumer sends data to a cloud dashboard and can receive set points
for optimal operation from a remote computer system, lending itself to use in a
virtual lab setup. The platform enables implementation of custom power profiles
based on real-world generation and demand datasets. Features of the platform
are demonstrated using simulation and experimental results.
