San Diego International Airport (SAN) will be the first airport in the United States to install one of ENGIE Storage’s battery systems. Paired with the airport’s existing photovoltaic solar system, the new 2-MW/4-MWh GridSynergy energy storage system will reduce energy charges during peak demand which equate to approximately 40% of the airport’s monthly electricity costs. The system is expected to begin operation in early 2020.
SAN is widely regarded as a leader for its sustainability efforts. In 2013, the Terminal 2 West Expansion, a part of The Green Build improvement project, was the first LEED Platinum-certified airport terminal in the world. The expansion included the airport’s first solar array. In 2016-17, the airport installed additional arrays throughout its campus, totaling 5.5 MW of solar generation. The battery storage system will allow the airport to realize additional significant financial benefits from its campus-wide PV portfolio.
“We are continuously exploring ways to operate more efficiently and reduce the airport’s carbon footprint as energy cost and demand rise,” said Kimberly Becker, SAN’s president and CEO. “This system becomes an important tool in that effort by helping to harness our onsite renewable energy opportunities and maximize their benefits well into the future.”
The airport will be using GridSynergy, a comprehensive, software-driven energy storage solution. The GridSynergy cloud-based software will draw on past and present energy generation and usage data at the airport to calculate optimal charge and discharge cycles for the lithium-ion batteries. GridSynergy will continually learn and adapt to the airport’s energy needs over the next 10 years.
“The San Diego International Airport is taking significant steps to reduce their carbon footprint and energy storage is playing an important role in their success,” said Christopher Tilley, CEO at ENGIE Storage. “This is an important milestone as more airports are shifting their attention to the over-arching benefits energy storage brings, especially paired with renewables and efficiency measures.”
Solar generation is just one of many initiatives included in the airport’s comprehensive strategic energy plan. Other initiatives include LED lighting retrofits, HVAC efficiency improvements, additional solar and battery storage, and industry leading energy efficient design of new facilities to include the proposed replacement of Terminal 1.
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