Change is happening at Otis Air National Guard Base on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Because the base will soon be an island attached to the grid. This is a first for New England and the military. Moreover, the micro-grid will earn income by participating in the utility’s demand-response program. Payback will be five years, and equally excitingly, the storage batteries will be lead-acid too.
Key Achievements of the Otis Air National Guard Base Grid
This will be the first time a micro-grid at a U.S. military site meets 100% of electricity needs. Moreover, this will be around the clock, and connecting to an independent system operator for sending and receiving energy on demand.
The Otis Air National Guard Base grid will use a battery-based energy storage system deploying a 1.6-MW / 1.2-MWh lead-acid battery. Islanded energy input will come from a 1.5-MW wind turbine, emergency-backed by a 1.6-MW diesel. The project manager believes this will the first of many similar Air National Guard and Ministry of Defense Projects because it is such a success.
Demand Response and Grid Revenue Streams
The primary purpose is to improve energy reliability, security, and resilience on the base. However, the project will reap economic benefits by participating in New England’s frequency services market. This is over and above being able to share energy with the utility.
The system schedules for final testing in October 2018.Thereafter, it should pay for itself in five years or less, and achieve a 2:1 savings-investment ratio during a twenty-year life. Annual net revenue stream forecasts are between $500,000 and $1 million.
Of this, $100,000 to $200,000 will come from utility ‘capacity tag’ savings. Further, participating in New England’s frequency services market could net another $300,000 to $500,000 annually. The total project cost will be around $6.7 million. Therefore this is an exciting breakthrough for the renewable energy storage industry,
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Preview Image: F-15s Return to Otis Air National Guard Base
