ENGIE’s commercial battery project drive $100k annual wedge into California’s water-energy nexus
California’s recent droughts and ongoing need to economise water use have inspired more commercial energy storage at a local water board, with ENGIE Storage delivering a project for the San Diego Water Authority.
The new battery energy storage project is expected to save the Authority (SDWA) US$100,000 per year on its energy costs. The batteries will be used to store low-cost solar energy for use during peak times and times of low solar generation. SDWA and ENGIE Storage, which was formerly known as Green Charge prior to its acquisition by the European utility, struck up a deal for the project in May 2017.
The batteries are being delivered under one of ENGIE Storage’s storage ‘as-a-service’ business models – they are being installed at no front cost to SDWA. Sited at Twin Oaks Valley Water Treatment Plant, they are coupled with 4,800 PV panels, already in place, that generate around 1.75 million kWh of power annually.
Andrea Altmann, senior management analyst at SDWA’s Energy Program, told Energy-Storage.News that the battery energy storage is a 1,000kW system which can store 2,000kWh per day.
