California’s first100 percent renewable multi-customer microgrid operational

California’s first 100 percent renewable, multi-customer microgrid is fully operational, officials said Thursday.

The new front-of-the-meter microgrid provides enhanced energy resilience for the California Redwood Coast-Humboldt County Airport and U.S. Coast Guard Air Station, officials said. Developed through a partnership between the Humboldt County; Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E); the Schatz Energy Research Center at Cal Poly Humboldt; Schweitzer Engineering Labs; the Redwood Coast Energy Authority; Tesla, Inc.; The Energy Authority and TRC, the Redwood Coast Airport Microgrid features a 2.2 MW solar photovoltaic array coupled to a 2-MW (9 megawatt hours) battery energy storage system, comprised of three Tesla Megapacks. It also includes a microgrid control system with protection and isolation devices that interface with PG&E’s distribution control center.

“The Redwood Coast Airport Microgrid has ushered in a new and exciting era for the electric grid in California. With its successful deployment and the development of new microgrid agreements and tariffs, RCAM has become a role model and beacon to communities across the state who are striving to green their energy supply and bolster their resilience in the face of climate change,” said Peter Lehman, Founding Director of the Schatz Center and project lead.

The microgrid serves multiple functions and is managed in collaboration between the project partners, with Schatz Energy Research Center serving as the prime contractor and technology integrator responsible for leading the microgrid’s design, testing, and deployment. Redwood Coast Energy Authority owns the microgrid.