About the Project: An Advanced Microgrid

The customer’s flagship headquarters is located on a site totaling 175 acres and houses more than 12,000 employees in one central circular building of approximately 2,800,000 square feet. The site has incorporated the latest energy efficiency technology, and is powered by 100% renewable energy, including an advanced microgrid ensuring superior campus resiliency.

 

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The Challenge

The site location is fed from two different utility feed distribution systems that did not have sufficient capacity to support the expected campus energy needs. The customer wanted to ensure the site maintained best-in-class resiliency to support the company’s mission. An onsite solar generation system was designed, maximizing the available rooftop space on their buildings. This also included an onsite fuel cell system, powered by renewable fuel to provide baseload generation.

But these assets alone would not meet resiliency needs. A customized battery energy storage system and microgrid controller was needed to optimize the load of the campus, while providing seamless utility transition, allowing integration of all onsite resources. Additionally, all components needed to fit within the space constraints of the compact onsite energy yard – resulting in the search for a central solutions provider, with the ability to design custom-built microgrid solutions.

The Solution

PowerSecure engineered, designed, manufactured, installed, and commissioned a one-of-a-kind battery energy storage solution, which has an 11MW maximum charge/discharge rating. As the system integrator, PowerSecure designed a proprietary software program that autonomously operates all energy sources onsite. The system entered autonomous operation on January 10, 2019 and remains in that state today. In the event of a utility outage, the microgrid controller is designed to island the entire campus seamlessly and continue to power through the duration of the outage. Upon return of the utility grid, the system will seamlessly return to grid connected mode, while providing no change in status to building occupants.

Benefits to the Project

With PowerSecure’s industry-leading reliability, distributed generation solution provided:

  • Multiple layers of resiliency for the site
  • A single control source for the energy system
  • A customized energy storage solution with optimal performance and physical characteristics designed to operate the microgrid successfully
  • Stability of the campus power quality
  • Seamless transition between grid-connected and island mode in the event of a utility outage

  • “The innovation and results stemming from this project resulted in an unprecedented microgrid,” said the project manager. “PowerSecure’s dedicated onsite team of experienced engineers and technicians provided a turnkey solution, customized to our flagship campus needs, and critical to meeting both our sustainability and resiliency goals, through advanced energy technologies.”

Ready to learn more?

PowerSecure is the market leader in microgrids with +2,000 systems nationwide. We are helping our clients achieve their energy sustainability goals while improving energy resiliency and operational performance.

Discover your opportunities with our Advanced Microgrids by contacting a PowerSecure representative today.

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