Ameresco Inc., a renewable energy company, has been selected by the McKinleyville Community Services District (MSCD) in California to design and build an integrated microgrid at the community’s Hiller Park wastewater treatment plant.
The microgrid will incorporate existing diesel generation along with new solar photovoltaic (PV) and battery energy storage assets to optimize electrical grid resiliency while delivering both financial and environmental benefits to the community.
Located on the Pacific Coast in northern California, McKinleyville is one of the fastest-growing communities in the region. The MCSD – which is responsible for delivering safe and reliable water, wastewater, parks and recreation services to the community’s 16,900 residents – selected Ameresco to plan, design, procure, install and commission a community microgrid at its wastewater treatment plant, based on the company’s extensive experience implementing these advanced energy technology solutions.
“As part of our community’s broader sustainability efforts, this project creates a pathway for our local wastewater treatment facility to reach net-zero emissions,” says Greg Orsini, manager at MCSD.
“By bringing new, clean energy sources on-site and adding battery storage, the facility will produce as much energy as it consumes and be better prepared to withstand potential utility outages in the future,” he adds.
The microgrid management system that Ameresco will install under its Energy Services Contract with MCSD will utilize existing dispatchable generation at the wastewater treatment plant to provide supplemental power and further grid resilience.
Construction of the McKinleyville microgrid is scheduled to begin in 2020. Once completed, Ameresco will continue to provide operations and maintenance to the system under a long-term agreement.
