G&W Electric Microgrid Control Center
The Microgrid Control Center allows us to control, manage and display all operations of the microgrid by leveraging G&W Electric's LaZer® automation with SurvalentONE ADMS software to capture critical data and feed it to our Control Center. From this room, we can control sources and loads, demonstrate all functions, and view camera feeds in real time. As we continue to use our microgrid and learn how it benefits our business, we can institute continuous improvements to adapt our system for current needs and future upgrades.
One of the most critical components of the whole system, the flywheel detects an outage in ¼ cycle and rapidly provides backup power for a short amount of time while the battery or generator kick in. All told, it can provide one-megawatt of power for up to 68 seconds. The flywheel spins at up to 2,800 rotations per minute to provide rapid power backup for critical loads. When energy is being stored, electricity drives the motor to spin the flywheel. When the stored energy is being recovered, the motor acts as a generator to convert the spinning motion back to electricity.
G&W Electric Trident®-SR with SafeVu® Switchgear
G&W Electric Trident-SR with SafeVu is a 15.5kV class switchgear performing a 3-4 cycle operation (open or close). The three switches are operated in a FLISR (Fault Location, Isolation, and Service Restoration) loop scheme using ABB REC670 relays providing power to our campus using utility, solar array, and energy storage as the main sources.
A two-megawatt diesel generator provides power continuity should utility power outage duration exceed battery capacity. While certain renewable power sources may rely on uncontrollable factors (wind for turbines and sunlight for solar panels), the generator is capable of producing dispatchable power internally when no other energy sources are available.
Flow Battery Energy Storage System (BESS)
The "heart and soul" of the microgrid, the Flow Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) can store power generated by the solar array and dispatch backup power in the event of an external outage. The system has four 500-kilowatt blocks leading to a total capacity of two-megawatts for four hours. If needed, it can go over capacity to three-megawatts for up to two hours. It utilizes a vanadium electrolyte solution, which is both non-degrading and fireproof.
G&W Electric Viper®-ST
The G&W Electric Viper-ST Reclosers participate in an automatic throwover scheme to transfer our campus to an alternate power source within 5 to 12 seconds in the case of a loss of the primary feeder.
Solar Panel Array
A two-megawatt solar farm with nearly 6,000 solar panels was installed across the roof covering over 370,000 sq. ft. - creating one of the largest rooftop solar photovoltaic systems in North America. These cutting-edge bi-facial solar panels generate energy from both sides and optimize the use of direct sunlight and reflection.
