Another California community is moving ahead with a microgrid project, this one the city of Camarillo, which plans microgrids at five key city facilities in a move aimed at bolstering reliability while lowering electricity costs. Four of the projects include backup diesel generators coupled with solar and battery storage. One project … [Read more...]
Bracing for Multiple-Day Outages, Another California City Advances Microgrid Project
Cost Savings Drives Decision to Install Microgrid at California Wastewater Treatment Plant
The McKinleyville Community Services District in northern California has selected Ameresco to build a $2 million microgrid at a wastewater treatment plant. While California has seen a wave of microgrid projects in response to wildfire-related power outages, the McKinleyville project is driven by a desire to cut electricity costs. The … [Read more...]
CPUC Should Adopt an Ambitious 2030 Carbon Emissions Target
A California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) proposal may not be the most efficient way for the state to attain a zero-carbon electric sector by 2045, which is required by state law. Mohit Chhabra and Sergio Sanchez Lopez of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) explain. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) should set … [Read more...]
California’s Public Safety Power Shutoffs: The Implications for Microgrids
In this Q&A with Microgrid Knowledge, Bob Georgeoff, vice president of Ameresco, explains the implications for microgrids of recent public safety power shutoffs in California. Microgrid Knowledge: What role can microgrids play when there is a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) in California? Bob Georgeoff: Microgrids play a critical … [Read more...]
Sea Shield Signs Contract with DR Microgrid for Advanced Microgrid Project in California
California’s Sea Shield Marine, creator of anodes for divers and sea craft, expects to see its energy bills drop dramatically in the near future. That’s due to an advanced microgrid it is building in partnership with DR Microgrid. Sea Shield signed a contract in April with DR Microgrid for a project that will include advanced solar, combined … [Read more...]
Behind-the-Meter Solar PV, Energy Storage Set to Shift Calif. Time-of-Use Rates
In California, it can get expensive and complex for utilities to deliver electricity when demand is high. To help mediate these costs, California's utilities offer time-of-use (TOU) rates, prices for power based on demand trends on the grid. A new white paper from Enel X explores how behind-the-meter solar PV and energy storage are aligning to … [Read more...]