Facility utilizes Energy Toolbase + Socomec energy storage integration to achieve significantly lower demand charges and microgrid capabilities
by Lindsey Paulk on May 22, 2024
energy management
energy storage
value stacking
PROJECT SUMMARY
THE CHALLENGE
A Los Angeles-based solar energy contractor was searching for a solution for its client, a manufacturer of implantable eye lenses, that would help with historically high demand charges at the Southern California manufacturing facility. The site is on a TOU-8-D rate schedule within the SCE territory, a rate with higher time and facilities-related demand charges. At the same time, the customer wanted to combine lowering demand charges with the ability for backup capabilities at the site in case of blackouts to keep all essential processes of the facility running.
The contractor had been modeling the financials and economics of the project and what a solar + storage system would pencil out as in the ETB Developer platform, utilizing the Socomec energy storage integration. The potential savings that could be had with a Socomec + Acumen EMS™ storage system paired with the 696 kW PV system, plus the microgrid capabilities were attractive to the client.
THE SOLUTION
The solar contractor selected Socomec’s HES XL islanding energy storage system with a 500kW/1116kWh capacity to accompany the PV system. The ESS will be controlled entirely by the Acumen EMS™ controller to deliver demand charge management services to reduce utility bills significantly, along with providing backup/microgrid capabilities. By selecting Energy Toolbase, the contractor was able to acquire the entire ESS through Energy Toolbase, providing a smoother process for purchasing and commissioning.
The rate structure will be configured into Acumen EMS to drive optimized system economics for the client. They will have full access to the performance and historical data of the ESS through the ETB Monitor platform and will be able to see any alerts or issues arising within the system to ensure they are managed in a timely manner. ETB was also able to work with the client to ensure they could claim the ITC and assisted with the admin to claim the SGIP incentive to reduce the system cost.
