Dive Brief:
- Schneider Electric is planning to develop a 400-kW solar powered microgrid that will include 1 MWh of storage, at its Boston One campus in Massachusetts.
- Schneider said it is focused on developing a new microgrid business model that does not require any capital investment of its own, and will utilize third-party development and 20-year power purchase agreements with Duke Energy. REC Solar, which is majority owned by Duke, will own and operate the solar system.
- The microgrid is expected to begin generating 560,000 Kwh annually by the fall of 2016, and is hoped to save Schneider almost 5% on electricity costs at the site in its first year.
Dive Insight:
Microgrids are becoming an increasingly popular alternative to traditional electricity service from the utility grid for big energy consumers. Among other benefits, microgrids can enhance reliability, provide grid services, and add to sustainability efforts.
Schneider announced the microgrid this week at DistribuTECH. "Being in the space, it made sense for us to figure out how to create our own microgrid," Senior Vice President Andy Bennett said, as reported by Renewable Energy World. The system is both a technical experiment as well as an economic one, with the aim of operating as a so-called "island" of electrical power in case of long power outages
"The Boston One Campus was built to showcase the connectivity, sustainability, efficiency, reliability and safety innovations at the heart of Schneider Electric," Laurent Vernerey, President and CEO of Schneider Electric's North American Operations, said in a statement. "Deploying Schneider Electric technologies across the Boston One Campus creates a living laboratory at our North American R&D hub."
The system includes Schneider Electric photovoltaic inverters that convert direct current from the solar modules to power the campus. And it will also store up to 1 MWh using EcoBlade, powered by lithium-ion batteries.
Renewable Energy World also reports the project will be backed by a 20-year power purchase agreement with Duke Energy, though details on that portion of the arrangement were not released in a statement from Schneider.
