Green Grocer: California Supermarket to Deploy On-Site Renewable Energy Microgrid

California’s Vallarta Supermarkets will soon leverage microgrid technologies to reduce energy costs and carbon emissions.

GreenStruxure, a joint venture of Schneider Electric and Huck Capital, will design, build, operate and maintain a renewable energy microgrid at Vallarta’s Oxnard location under an energy-as-a-service (EaaS) agreement.

With an EaaS, the developer typically retains ownership of the microgrid and its components, operating and maintaining the system for the duration of the agreement. This eliminates the need for customers to invest upfront capital in the project. The developer sells the energy generated by the system to the host at a reduced rate.

“By partnering with GreenStruxure, Vallarta Supermarkets is taking significant steps towards sustainability and reducing our environmental footprint,” said Joel Silva, CFO of Vallarta Supermarkets. 

Lower energy costs, lower emissions

The microgrid will leverage solar panels, battery storage and advanced energy management systems to deliver 60% of the Oxnard location’s energy needs.

The microgrid will optimize the use of on-site renewable energy to lower the store’s overall energy costs and mitigate peak demand charges.

The renewable microgrid is also expected to reduce the store’s carbon emissions by 60%.

Microgrids also provide resilience

While Vallarta Supermarkets will use microgrid technologies to better control energy expenses and future-proof operations against rising utility prices, other chains in storm-prone regions of the country rely on them to keep the lights, freezers and coolers on during grid outages.

For example, when Hurricane Beryl knocked out power to more than two million customers in Houston in July, H-E-B grocery stores remained operational thanks to microgrids from Enchanted Rock.  

Enchanted Rock microgrids also kept grocery stores open in the wake of 2021’s Winter Storm Uri, which took more than 250 lives and nearly collapsed the Texas power grid.

A model for mid-size grocers

Vallarta Supermarkets has 55 stores throughout California, and the Oxnard location won’t be the only one to benefit from a microgrid. GreenStruxure is currently developing microgrids for other locations to strengthen Vallarta’s bottom line and enable the company to better serve its customers.

Vallarta and GreenStruxure also believe the microgrids will serve as a model for other mid-size grocery chains.

“We are thrilled to partner with Vallarta Supermarkets in their transition to clean energy. Our onsite microgrid supplies clean, reliable, affordable energy and optimizes energy costs to deliver the best outcomes. We believe this partnership will inspire other mid-size companies to embrace clean and affordable energy,” said GreenStruxure CEO Jose Lorenzo Lista.

The developer did not give a timeline on when the project work would start or be completed.