APS seeks proposals for two solar, storage projects in Arizona

Arizona’s largest electric company, APS, has issued two requests for proposals (RFPs) this week to add partners on two clean energy projects.

One project would add batteries to existing APS solar plants in the more rural stretches of Arizona, to allow the facilities to store unused energy after daily production halts. The second project requires a partner for development of a brand new solar plant and storage combination. Both efforts, APS contends, will allow the company to provide its customers more solar energy after sundown.

“These projects aim to make solar work harder for APS customers and ensure our state’s peak energy needs are met with even more clean energy,” Brad Albert, vice president of Resource Management for APS, said. “Gone are the days of the sun dictating solar power’s hours. With our new energy storage projects, APS will be giving customers solar after sunset.”

Currently, APS provides 19 megawatts of solar energy at a Chino Valley facility and another 40 at Red Rock. At both locations, APS hopes the RFP will yield battery systems in operation by 2021 that will also function as the last piece of a 200 megawatt storage system installation announced back in February. While that RFP finishes off a project, however, the move to create a new solar facility is merely the start of one. APS seeks to build 500 megawatts of new solar generation and storage facilities by 2025. This first example will consist of a 100 megawatt solar facility and 100 megawatt battery.

APS claims that these efforts will go a long way to meeting state power needs, especially given that Arizona customers require nearly double the peak electricity in the summer. This is due to high reliance of air conditioners. However, hot temperatures don’t merely dissipate with the dropping of the sun, so being able to extend the life of solar collection operations could be a major game changer for users.