The installation will reduce peak energy costs and support the electric grid in the Aliso Canyon area. The first phase of the project will store enough energy to power 2,000 homes.
“By helping integrate more renewable energy onto the grid, this transformational system will support California’s environment and direct resources to support the academic mission of the CSU,” says CSU Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Financial Officer Steve Relyea.
Workers will break ground on the storage system this summer on the Long Beach campus, and the university expects it to be completed by October 2016. Construction at the Office of the Chancellor is anticipated to begin in early 2017 and be completed by mid-2017.
The buildings use Tesla Powerpack commercial batteries to store energy during nonpeak hours, typically at night. During times of high demand, the system software seamlessly shifts buildings from the electric grid to the energy storage system. This reduces grid congestion and eases the need to build additional plants.
Cal State has 474,600 students enrolled at 23 campuses throughout the state.
