By Rod Walton, EnergyTech Senior Editor
California-based distributed energy firm Scale Microgrid Solutions will develop a modular microgrid for a major fruit growing, packing and shipping operation in the state’s Central Valley.
Scale will deploy its Rapid Response Modular Microgrid (R2M2) for Trinity Fruit Co. The system will incorporate solar, energy storage, smart controls and backup, dispatchable generator power for the Trinity facility.
Scale Microgrid will build on an existing 1,320-kW (1.32-MW) solar photovoltaic system with an additional 490 kW of PV capacity. The R2M2 also will incorporate a 1.07-MW/2.145-MWh battery storage system and the 1.2-MW natural gas-fired dispatchable gen-set capacity.
“California is currently facing multiple crises including some of the largest ever wildfires and extreme heat waves leading to an energy shortage,” Tim Hade, co-founder and Chief Operating Officer for Scale Microgrid Solutions, said in a statement. “Because of this, we are commissioning R2M2 in California at record speed. By partnering with Trinity Fruit Company, we’re able to be a solution to the problem of increasing demand for food needing to be met with increasing energy reliability and efficiency.”
Food packers, manufacturers, and distributors in California hold two major concerns about their electricity service. These reasons are increased operation costs and supply chain interruptions. The cost of a power outage is currently $50,000 -$100,000 per hour depending on the size and type of operation.
In addition to the estimated value of outage time, annual electricity rates for the food industry have already been confirmed to increase 18% by 2023.
Short term outages in a packing or food production plant will require a recalibration of sophisticated cooling, compression, packing, and assembly systems. Together both increased operation costs and supply chain interruptions not only result in a major operational headache for plant managers but also have a ripple effect on client satisfaction down to the grocery store level.
Trinity Fruit Co. is a large-scale grower, packer and shipper of fresh fruit in the region, including both California and global produce networks. The company will not pay anything up front for the microgrid system, which will offer an uninterruptable power supply (independent of the main grid) and could save the client some $3 million in energy costs over the scope of the long-term operations contract.
Scale Microgrids has worked with numerous industries, including agriculture, to install energy-secure and sustainable power systems on-site. Some of their projects include work with indoor farming company Fifth Season Connection and Bowery, as well as the city of Bridgeport, Connecticut.
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(Rod Walton, senior editor for EnergyTech, is a 14-year veteran of covering the energy industry both as a newspaper and trade journalist. He can reached at [email protected]).
