GEI’s EnergyInnovates initiative showcases American innovators, the technologies that are shaping today’s energy landscape, and the projects that are laying the groundwork for the future. In an industrial area north of San Diego, we found all three.
In just six months, San Diego Gas & Electric, a Sempra Energy utility, constructed North America’s largest lithium ion battery storage facility in Escondido, California. With it, they demonstrated a key component of the smart grid technology that will serve to maximize the potential and availability of renewable energy resources. SDG&E’s facility allows the utility to efficiently manage its grid by storing electricity, some of which is generated by sources such as rooftop solar, and making it available when needed. The system is constantly monitoring and adjusting and can change modes – from charging to discharging – nearly instantaneously.
The 30 megawatt Escondido facility contains 400,000 battery packs capable of storing 120 megawatt hours of power—enough to power 20,000 homes for four hours.
It’s no wonder that the project has been honored as UtilityDive’s 2017 project of the year. See for yourself, and hear from the team at SDG&E responsible for building and managing this innovative project, in our newest video.