San Diego Water Authority Awarded $1 Million Incentive to Deploy Clean Energy Storage Project
Industrial-sized batteries expected to save approximately $100,000 per year in energy costs
SAN DIEGO, May 17, 2017 /3BL Media/ - The San Diego County Water Authority has received a $1 million incentive from the California Public Utilities Commission to build and deploy intelligent energy storage that will save ratepayers money and stretch the energy output potential of solar panels already installed at the Water Authority’s Twin Oaks Valley Water Treatment Plant.
The energy storage project, through an agreement with Santa Clara-based Green Charge, is expected to save the Water Authority nearly $100,000 per year in energy costs by using industrial-sized batteries to maximize the value of energy generated at the treatment plant. Installing batteries will help the Water Authority store low-cost power – either excess solar energy or retail energy purchased during off-peak hours – for later use during high-demand periods.
The project builds upon other Water Authority achievements related to clean energy. The Water Authority already is reducing its costs and its impact on the environment through facilities generating power from solar energy. The Water Authority has installed more than 7,500 solar panels total at three facilities – the treatment plant, its headquarters in Kearny Mesa and its operations center in Escondido. These systems produce an estimated total of 2.7 million kilowatt-hours of renewable energy annually, enough to reduce the agency’s energy expenses by nearly $5.6 million over 20 years.
“Thanks to this new incentive from the California Public Utilities Commission, we can stretch our energy savings even further,” said Mark Muir, chair of the Water Authority’s Board of Directors. “We’ll continue to explore innovative ways to make the most of our investments and save money to benefit ratepayers.”
To continue reading visit Green Charge.
