Case Study
Building Microgrids for Resiliency
Scale Microgrids aims to deliver sustainable1, affordable, and reliable power to commercial and industrial customers by deploying microgrid and on-site distributed energy solutions. Collectively, Scale’s current projects are estimated to result in the reduction of GHG emissions by almost 1 million MTCO2e (metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent).
One of Scale’s recent projects is in the Petaluma School District, where utility power outages and wildfires in California have threatened the district’s ability to provide a quality and consistent education. Scale Microgrids has partnered with Petaluma City Schools to design and build multiple microgrids, with 100% renewable energy, that can provide over two full days of backup power. These projects are also intended to optimize savings generated from the microgrid by maximizing funding from California’s Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP).
Energy capacity shortfalls and extreme weather events are creating unpredictability for local utility grids. We’re in a unique position to offer school districts in California an energy system where they don’t need to choose between economics, sustainability, and resilience. The systems at Petaluma will be the first school microgrids in California designed to provide multiple days of backup power for the entire campus with only solar and battery energy storage, while still providing attractive lifetime savings to the district when compared with rising utility electricity rates.”2
Ryan Goodman,
CEO & Founder, Scale Microgrid Solutions
Microgrid at Petaluma
The microgrids will include a 4.2 MWh battery energy storage system, a microgrid controller, and 831 kW of existing solar PV. Scale will utilize state-of-the-art lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, which are attractive because they’re not dependent on scarce raw materials like cobalt and nickel.
100%
Clean, Backup Power
4.2 MWh
Battery Energy Storage System
831 kW
Solar PV
48+
Hours of Clean Resilience
1 Where a portfolio company or its activities are described as “sustainable”, that is not intended to imply that the portfolio company is a “sustainable investment” within the meaning of SFDR.
2 For important disclosures regarding endorsements, refer to Endnote H in the 2022 Sustainability Report.
* as of Q3 2023