Ameresco to Build 10-MW Military Microgrid in South Carolina

Jan. 13, 2017
Ameresco plans to begin construction in the spring on a 10-MW military microgrid at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) in Parris Island, South Carolina.

Ameresco plans to begin construction in the spring on a 10-MW military microgrid at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) in Parris Island, South Carolina.

The Massachusetts company will integrate new on-site generation and battery energy storage into the microgrid under a task order with the Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center (NAVFAC EXWC).

The military microgrid will be located on the 8,095-acre base located on the southern coast of South Carolina, where about 19,000 recruits train annually.

The project is the second major microgrid deal Ameresco has landed in recent months. In December, the energy infrastructure company unveiled plans to partner with PIDC on a 6-MW natural-gas fired peaking plant that will anchor the Navy Yard microgrid in Philadelphia. The Navy Yard is developing what is expected to be one of the largest private microgrids in the United States.

Reduces utility purchases

Constructed under a $91.1 million energy savings performance contract, the Parris Island microgrid will include a new 3.5 MW gas-fired combined heat and power (CHP) plant, 6.7 MW-DC of solar photovoltaic panels, and 8 MWh of battery energy storage.

Grid-connected, the CHP plant can offset utility purchases or provide on-site energy when the microgrid islands. It also will serve the full steam needs of the facility. Installation of the CHP plant will allow the base to eliminate use of fuel oil #6 and end its reliance on an aging power plant.  

Ameresco plans to take advantage of several abilities offered by advanced microgrid controls. For example, the controller will monitor and coordinate the dispatch of the energy assets and emergency diesel generators. It will continuously check the health of the utility connections, and island the microgrid during a grid outage. The on-site energy sources will then supply the military base. The controller also will facilitate fast load shedding.

Download our free report, “Reciprocating Engine Generators and Microgrids: The Last Defense Against a Power Outage.”

Nicole Bulgarino, an Ameresco senior vice president, said that the military microgrid will revitalize Parris Islands’ overall existing energy infrastructure.

“This project will provide MCRD a reliable source of heat and power combined with advanced controls and energy storage technology to allow the site to operate in island-mode during a loss of utility connection ensuring operation of mission-critical systems,” Bulgarino said.

In addition to installing the microgrid, Ameresco is making energy and water efficiency upgrades to 121 buildings, and expects to reduce demand for utility energy by 79 percent and water consumption by 27 percent. More than 29,000 high-efficiency LED-based fixtures and retrofits will be installed to replace existing lighting systems. Other efficiency improvements include upgrades to the controls system, heating ventilation and air conditioning, chillers, cooling towers, lighting controls, water fixtures and steam traps.

The microgrid is slated to be complete in the summer of 2019.

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About the Author

Elisa Wood | Editor-in-Chief

Elisa Wood is an award-winning writer and editor who specializes in the energy industry. She is chief editor and co-founder of Microgrid Knowledge and serves as co-host of the publication’s popular conference series. She also co-founded RealEnergyWriters.com, where she continues to lead a team of energy writers who produce content for energy companies and advocacy organizations.

She has been writing about energy for more than two decades and is published widely. Her work can be found in prominent energy business journals as well as mainstream publications. She has been quoted by NPR, the Wall Street Journal and other notable media outlets.

“For an especially readable voice in the industry, the most consistent interpreter across these years has been the energy journalist Elisa Wood, whose Microgrid Knowledge (and conference) has aggregated more stories better than any other feed of its time,” wrote Malcolm McCullough, in the book, Downtime on the Microgrid, published by MIT Press in 2020.

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