Solar+ Storage Integrated Energy Management Demonstration in a Supportive Housing Facility
Innovations and energy savings for multi-tenant, low-income housing using solar+storage technology.
The Regents of the University of California on behalf of the Riverside campus
Recipient
Riverside, CA
Recipient Location
31st
Senate District
60th
Assembly District
$1,622,131
Amount Spent
Active
Project Status
Project Update
In 2024, the solar + battery system was successfully permitted, constructed, and tested for full operation and functionality. The system demonstrated reliable performance across multiple scenarios, including on-grid operation, off-grid operation, and seamless resynchronization. The interconnection application process is currently underway and awaiting Permission to Operate (PTO) from the utility. Additionally, two publications are in development to showcase advancements in renewable energy forecasting models and demand response management strategies.
The Issue
Battery Energy Storage System (BESS)-integrated energy management activities can increase peak demand and utility loads if not properly managed. Behind-the-meter photovoltaic (PV) generation further complicates utility control, as its production is independent of grid management. Uncoordinated energy production and storage present additional challenges for efficient energy distribution. However, pairing PV and BESS with advanced controls offers significant potential for optimizing energy use, even without controllable loads. Despite this opportunity, community-scale PV and BESS solutions for multi-family residences have faced slow adoption in California, primarily due to limited demonstrations proving that such systems can simultaneously benefit building owners, tenants, and the grid.
Project Innovation
The project deploys a front-of-the-meter 100 kW high-performing solar PV system, a behind-the-meter 100 kW/186 kWh lithium-ion BESS, a smart inverter combined with optimizers, and an advanced energy management platform to demonstrate various use cases and highlight the advanced functionalities of smart inverters. These components will be integrated to explore demand-side energy management strategies, including load shifting, solar PV self-consumption, emergency backup, demand response, and ancillary grid services. While the system will have the capability to autonomously respond to energy management and demand response requests using grid-charged energy, load shifting and ancillary grid services will be limited by the battery's inability to charge directly from solar under normal on-grid operation. Solar PV self-consumption will occur only during outages, when the battery can store excess solar generation to power critical loads. Despite these operational constraints, the system will provide reliable emergency backup and deliver energy and demand charge cost savings for both the building owner and tenants.
Project Goals
Project Benefits
This project integrates BESS and solar PV technology with advanced control algorithms and smart inverter autonomous functions. The system uses high-efficiency solar panels paired with a lithium-ion BESS to demonstrate smart inverter capabilities for autonomous grid services and energy management under diverse operational conditions and interconnection agreements. The project will evaluate the impact of smart inverter-provided grid services and solar-plus-storage operation on overall system performance. It also explores utility-initiated demand response functions and establishes an architecture designed to support future expansion for power regulation and potential wholesale market participation.
Affordability
This project will reduce peak energy demand by using battery energy storage to shift building and community loads. By lowering peak energy consumption, the project aims to enhance energy affordability through reduced utility costs for the facility.
Reliability
This project will demonstrate the commercial feasibility of deploying dispatchable energy integrated into a PV/BESS configuration with smart inverters to enhance reliability through advanced energy management strategies and emergency backup.
Key Project Members
