Distributed Resources for Diversified Renewable Energy Project
To design and implement a scalable template for the implementation of MDHD BEVs at warehouse facilities
Sysco Riverside, Inc.
Recipient
Houston, TX
Recipient Location
$3,544,598
Amount Spent
Active
Project Status
Project Update
The 40 Freightliner eCascadia trucks are in full rotation, making daily deliveries around Riverside, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Orange Counties. The distributed energy resource (DER) system is nearly fully operational. The 40 electric vehicle (EV) chargers, solar panel array, and battery storage system have been installed and are awaiting the final commissioning.
The Issue
Adoption of medium-duty and heavy-duty (MDHD) EVs into fleet operations is challenging due in part to differences in vehicle characteristics, operational needs, and infrastructure requirements. MDHD vehicles typically have large capacity batteries that need either high-power charging or long periods of down time to charge at low-power. High-power charging requires more expensive hardware, can lead to costly demand charges on site's electricity bills, and may necessitate upgrades to facility or distribution infrastructure. As such, demonstration projects that evaluate DER-integrated charging for MDHD vehicles are critical to understanding cost-effectiveness, renewable integration, and resiliency potential.
Project Innovation
This project will design and implement a scalable template for the implementation of zero-emission technologies at warehouse facilities. In collaboration with Daimler Trucks North America, STEM, inCharge, BP Pulse, TRC Companies, and the Inland Empire Community Foundation, Sysco will install a 1.2MW charger with 40 ports for onsite charging, expand onsite generation with 1.54 MW rooftop solar photovoltaics (PV), and install 1 MW of battery storage. These components will be integrated with a centralized energy management platform to reduce costs through charge management and optimized DER dispatch. The optimized charge management software provides significant cost- and demand-saving benefits to California ratepayers by reducing an estimated 2.7 MW of load when compared to an unmanaged system. The project will achieve $15.1 million in cost-savings, off-grid resiliency, and renewables integration.
Project Goals
Project Benefits
Upon completion, the site will enable a zero-emission transition through electrification of the facility's remaining Class 7, Class 8, and refrigerated equipment. The project will achieve $15.1 million in cost-savings, off-grid resiliency, and renewables integration. Project benefits also include lifetime emissions reductions of 25.32 tons NOx, 0.06 tons PM, and 10,069 MT CO2e in a disadvantaged community that experiences a pollution burden in the 95th-100th percentile.
Consumer Appeal
By demonstrating the capability and potential cost efficiency of DER packages to charge distribution warehouse vehicles, this could greatly improve customer appeal in this subsector.
Reliability
By charging behind the meter with storage and islanding capability, this fleet will enjoy greater reliability in their vehicle operation than if they were grid connected.
Affordability
The project aims to integrate DER packages tailored for MDHD fleet electrification, which can help lower costs associated with fuel and maintenance for the fleets, leading to potential cost savings and increased efficiency.
Economic Development
By providing cost and performance data that can inform other MDHD EV deployments, the project can potentially stimulate economic development in the field of EV manufacturing and related industries.
Environmental Sustainability
The project aims to integrate rooftop solar, battery storage, and an energy management system to ensure renewables integration and resilience, which can help reduce the environmental impact of fossil fuel-based transportation, leading to potential improvements in public health.
Equity
The project can potentially promote equity by advancing commercial offerings that accelerate MDHD fleet electrification, which can provide cleaner and more sustainable transportation options for all communities, including ports and industrial areas that are often located near low-income/disadvantaged communities.
Safety
The project's testing of new technology Li-ion EV batteries can potentially increase safety by advancing the development of safer and more reliable battery systems for electric vehicles. Additionally, by promoting off-grid resiliency, the project can potentially increase safety by ensuring that the fleets have access to reliable and uninterrupted power supply in case of power outages or other emergencies.
Energy Security
The project's emphasis on reducing reliance on fossil fuel sources and promoting the use of domestic carbon-free sources of energy can potentially increase energy security by reducing dependence on foreign oil imports and promoting energy independence. Additionally, by providing cost savings through the use of DER packages tailored for fleet electrification, the project can potentially improve energy security by reducing fuel price economic impacts.
Key Project Members
Charlie Cox
Stephane Fosso
Kirk Ringkamp
Charlie Cox
Brad Christie
Lakshmi Komatreddy
Nathan Hart
Christopher Davis
Subrecipients
Gladstein, Neandross & Associates, LLC
Inland Empire Community Foundation
Match Partners
