(Credit: Engie Storage)Downey Unified School District in Downey, California, has installed and deployed 3.5 MW/7 MWh of battery energy storage systems from Engie Storage. Engie will operate using its GridSynergy software at seven school sites throughout the district. Downey Unified’s use of the battery storage systems will cut its electricity bills by reducing demand charges, which are assessed based on spikes in electricity usage caused by things like air conditioning and stadium lighting, at three high schools, one middle school, and three elementary schools.
Downey Unified is expected to save more than $5.7 million over the lifetime of the system, which was funded through the use of Proposition 39 dollars.
California typically has the highest demand charges in the US, and average demand charges by California Investor Owned Utilities have increased, on average, nearly 80% over the past decade, Engie Storage says. Demand charges can account for approximately 50% of non-residential utility bill costs for consumers in California.
The GridSynergy system is a software-driven energy storage solution. The cloud-based software draws on historical and real-time data to calculate optimal charge and discharge cycles for the lithium-ion batteries. GridSynergy will continually adapt to the district’s energy needs. Engie Storage says it has energy storage systems installed at 80 schools in California.
