Taylor Farms’ Gonzales, Calif., processing facility had existing wind and solar components, but they functioned independently of each other. The goal of a microgrid and cogen project was to integrate these existing distributed energy resources (DERs) and add firm power to form a microgrid system that could effectively take the facility off grid — by way of an innovative microgrid controller.
Concentric Power’s intelligent microgrid controller was installed to integrate and optimize all DERs, including the addition of a 2.0 MW cogeneration unit that the company developed specifically for the site. As part of its long-term service agreement, Concentric Power’s operations and maintenance technicians and engineers manage and optimize the equipment and provide technical services and ongoing reporting to the customer.
By integrating solar, wind and cogeneration, Taylor Farms saw a reduction of 12,190 metric tons of CO2 emissions in one year — a 94% decrease from before the microgrid was completed. This is equivalent to the GHG emissions from 2,588 vehicles driven for one year.