In a white paper released this week, project partners Panasonic, Xcel Energy and Younicos lay out the stream of benefits expected from Peña Station NEXT, a 382-acre, sustainabie transit-oriented “multi-stakeholder ‘portfolio microgrid’ under construction adjacent to Denver International Airport (DEN).
Due to a variety of factors – market regulatory constraints prominent among them – many microgrids are designed for single use cases, such as reducing utility customer peak-period demand charges. In contrast, ambitious Peña Station NEXT solar PV and Li-ion battery-based (LiB) microgrid development partners took a public-private partnership approach that resulted in the design of a multipurpose, multi-use case microgrid that will provide a stream of energy services benefits, the white paper authors highlight.
“We’re so excited about this ‘portfolio’ microgrid – and sharing insights from the project via this white paper because of how a system such as this can unlock more benefits for more stakeholders, and how this public-private partnership approach to the microgrid and the battery system’s stacked use cases can strengthen the overall economics and value propositions,” Panasonic’s Peter Bronski, a report co-author, said in a press statement.
Deriving Full Value via Multipurpose Microgrids
Located in a major Denver transportation hub adjacent to DIA, the 382-acre sustainable transit-oriented microgrid development links downtown Denver with the city’s airport. Peña Station NEXT, the white paper development partners explain, will serve as an “anchor” for an emerging “’live, work, play’ aerotropolis…a proving ground for diverse smart and sustainable technologies before broader deployment.” It’s also the first major North American development to incorporate Panasonic’s global Smart City experience, they add.
One of the beauties of battery energy storage-based microgrids is their flexibility – they can support multiple service and revenue streams, from renewable energy-grid integration and emergency, “island” mode autonomous power generation and distribution to frequency and voltage regulation, peak shaving and load shifting. That flexibility – so-called energy services stacking – also poses challenges, however.
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