Block Energy, Utility PNM Collaborating on Residential Microgrid in New Mexico
Residential microgrid developer Block Energy will work with New Mexico utility PNM to create a pilot project in a new Santa Fe housing subdivision.
PNM announced Monday that it is planning a microgrid project to connect the Tierra Que Canta 22-home subdivision with distributed energy resources (DERs) including solar and battery storage assets. The DERs would be connected directly to the local distribution system to power the homes and also deliver energy to the grid system when needed.
Tierra Que Canta is planned as part of the Las Campanas housing development in Santa Fe. No expenses would be charged to any of PNM’s customers outside of the pilot project, according to the utility.
PNM will own and operate the microgrid, including the solar panels, battery storage and control system in a long-term plan. Customers connected to the grid and microgrid will remain on standard residential rates.
“This is a great opportunity for us to learn more about microgrids and how they interact with our grid,” PNM CEO and President Don Tarry said in a statement. “This also gives the customers who buy homes in this area an opportunity to reap the benefits of a microgrid while not impacting those who don’t live there.”
PNM will study the outcomes from this system’s operation to possibly expand those learnings into other future housing developments, the utility said.
Block Energy has gained deeper experience with East Coast residential microgrid projects utilizing its BlockEnergy storage system. One BlockEnergy-deployed project is operational in Tampa, Florida, while another was announced recently for Fairmount Heights, Maryland.
“We are focused on developing an innovative approach to power new residential communities with renewable energy in a way that provides unprecedented reliability and resiliency,” Block Energy Chief Operating Officer Paul Laberge said. “This pilot project is not just about powering a subdivision — it’s about pioneering a new model for energy delivery that can be scaled for future housing developments while benefitting all PNM customers.”
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In October 2023, Block Energy announced it would work with Maryland utility Pepco on a solar-storage residential microgrid connecting six family homesites at an affordable housing complex in Fairmount Heights.
In Tampa, the BlockEnergy battery storage is deployed with solar in the Southshore Bay housing development , which is pictured in the main photo at top of this story. This microgrid installation, completed with local utility Tampa Electric, serves about 37 homes, according to reports.
In both of these projects, the BlockEnergy residential battery storage system is combined with solar panels supplied by an outside partner.
PNM is New Mexico’s largest electricity provider with nearly 550,000 customers.
Las Campanas is a 4,700-acre gated community at the base of the Sangre de Christo Mountains.