The Penobscot Nation selected Sunnova Energy International to deploy a 500-kW battery energy storage system (BESS) for the tribe’s community and commerce facilities. This BESS will better prepare Maine’s electrical grid to withstand adverse weather.
The system will capture excess solar production estimated at 549,678 kWh per year and provide resiliency enabled by load management. The microgrid can supplement on-site generation and continue to restore the BESS without grid support, providing an ongoing source of sustainable power during grid outages.
“The Penobscot Nation is particularly vulnerable to multi-day outages when severe weather strikes due to our location on Indian Island in Maine,” said Kirk Francis Sr., chief of the Penobscot Nation. “Sunnova’s microgrid will provide a critical source of dependable power when the grid goes down, particularly for our Penobscot Community and Commercial Centers, helping us maintain essential health and administrative services. Our community stands to benefit greatly from the sustainable electricity generated by the sun — and we will enjoy more peace of mind in the face of future grid outages.”
The award for Sunnova’s microgrid project comes on the heels of several extreme storms in Maine last winter and spring, causing widespread power outages and infrastructural damage. With the highest number of power interruptions in the nation in 2020, Maine is particularly vulnerable to extreme weather. The project is supported by the Maine Grid Resilience Program which selected Sunnova along with six Maine utilities to deploy electric grid resilience projects in communities throughout the state.
“The advanced solar microgrid for the Penobscot Nation will be a source of clean, reliable power to protect and strengthen the community for years to come,” said Michael Grasso, executive VP and chief revenue officer at Sunnova. “Community microgrids have proven to be highly effective in combating power outages, which are becoming more frequent across the country. Recent destructive hurricanes in addition to more regular heat waves and severe winter weather all continue to expose the vulnerability of the electrical grid. Sunnova’s solar and battery storage systems offer a life-changing source of power for homeowners, businesses and communities.”
When there is a power outage or interruption with the electric grid, Sunnova’s solar + storage microgrid system is designed to provide stored power from its central battery, which is connected to multiple facilities in the community, and able to distribute that power as needed with a microgrid controller and the battery energy management system.
“By combining clean energy with smart technology, entire communities can generate and store on-site solar energy, creating cleaner air and less grid congestion for everyone,” said Adam Miller, VP of Microgrids at Sunnova. “While state-of-the-art, our microgrid technology is simple: Sunnova’s solar system generates the power while the battery storage component stores it, and then that clean power can be accessed when and where needed, even when the grid goes down.”
Sunnova’s solar + storage microgrid system for the Penobscot Nation will be backed by its 25-year service plan. Sunnova’s service commitment includes managing and maintaining production for all of its systems for 25 years after installation, reducing or eliminating out-of-pocket expenses for system maintenance or equipment repairs or replacements, including labor.
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