This fleet of microgrid projects aims to support the local community during power outages, but also serves as an example for other communities interested in similar projects. In particular, this project demonstrates utility bill savings using solar and energy storage, while also providing multilevel community resiliency functions during public safety power shutdown (PSPS) events.
Over the last year, there have been three separate microgrid systems commissioned by Generac in the City of Dublin, California. All three utilize the Generac ARC controller providing utility bill savings to the city through energy arbitrage and peak demand charge management. However, during utility outages, each microgrid in this fleet also utilizes the Generac Protective Relay Cabinet (PRC) to safely isolate itself from the wider grid and enable separate community benefits and unique functions to the City of Dublin emergency operations plan.
The first microgrid supports the City of Dublin senior center, where a new 38 kW PV system and 125 kW/173 kWh ESS will support the center’s role as an emergency operation shelter. The second is located at the Dublin Corporation Yard, where a 47 kW PV system and a 125 kW/173 kWh ESS will support its role as the field communications center. And the last, is at the Dublin Wave Waterpark, where a 525 kW PV system and a 250 kW/1,056 kWh ESS will provide resiliency and electricity during extended power outages allowing the Wave to serve as a cooling center and shelter.
This fleet of microgrids within this single community demonstrates that distributed energy systems utilized at different, yet specific facilities, not only provide much-needed financial benefits but can all play a unique role in supporting our communities during times of crisis.
