San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) has introduced four microgrid and energy storage sites in the communities of Clairemont, Tierra Santa, Paradise and Boulevard with advanced remote operation capabilities and state-of-the-art safety technologies to help enhance grid reliability and bolster resiliency for the surrounding communities.
The four sites will help address surging energy demands in the San Diego region, especially during hot summer days and the peak evening hours, when solar power generation reduces and the grid encounters strain.
The four microgrids will operate alone or alongside the larger regional grid and offer a combined storage capacity of approximately 39 MW and 180 MWh across four SDG&E substations.
These facilities will be connected to the state energy market, allowing the California Independent System Operator to dispatch these resources as required and help maintain a balanced supply and demand of energy throughout the state.
The energy storage sites are:
- The Clairemont microgrid serves the Balboa Branch Library/Cool Zone, Fire Station 36, and local schools such as Lafayette Elementary, Sequoia Elementary, Innovation and CPMA Middle Schools and Madison High School.
- The Elliott Microgrid will generate 10 MW and has the capacity to power Fire Station 39, the Tierrasanta Public Library/Cool Zone, Tierrasanta Medical Center, Jean Farb Middle School, Canyon Hills High School, and Tierrasanta and Kumeyaay Elementary Schools.
- The Paradise Microgrid has the ability to power Fire Stations 51 and 32, the Southeast Division Police Department, and Bell Middle School as well as Freese, Boone and Fulton Elementary.
- The Boulevard microgrid serves the San Diego County Sheriff's Department, Fire Station 47, Campo Reservation Fire Station, Cal Fire White Star Station, Campo Tribal Office, Campo Kumeyaay Nation Medical Center, Southern Indian Health Council Campo Clinic, the Boulevard Border Patrol Station, and the Boulevard Post Office.
Microgrids help provide real-time monitoring, faster response to grid events, more efficient energy storage management, and enhanced grid resilience designed to help, optimize overall performance, reliability, and sustainability. These systems utilize lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery cells and have advanced safety and fire prevention features.
"Storage and microgrids are key to helping build a more resilient electric grid that can extend the availability of cleaner energy and help our communities better manage through grid emergencies like the extreme heat experienced in recent summers," said Caroline Winn, SDG&E's chief executive officer. "These microgrids will actively dispatch clean energy to the grid when needed and help improve energy resiliency for critical facilities like fire stations, schools, and cooling centers in San Diego."
