Trinity Fruit turns to Scale Microgrid Solutions for power outage protection

Trinity Fruit Company BB #:161683 is one of the premier growers, packers and shippers of fresh fruits in California’s Central Valley.

They feature a full line of California fruits supported by a network of worldwide growers.

Committed to practicing sustainable agriculture and production, their facility has been outfitted with motion sensor lighting and solar panels to displace nearly 100% of the company’s electricity.

For food industry facilities across California, Public Safety Power Shut Offs are creating massive operational challenges and risks. For businesses to maintain their eco-friendly operation, they need to ensure that their facilities run both efficiently and reliably.

There are two major reasons for food packers, manufacturers, and distributors in California to be concerned about their electricity service. These reasons are increased operation costs and supply chain interruptions.

The cost of a power outage is currently $50,000-100,000 per hour depending on the size and type of operation. In addition to the estimated value of outage time, annual electricity rates for the food industry have already been confirmed to increase 18% by 2023.

Although long duration power outages are expected with the continued degradation of California’s electrical grid, even short-term outages have a major impact. Short term outages in a packing or food production plant will require a recalibration of sophisticated cooling, compression, packing, and assembly systems.

Together both increased operation costs and supply chain interruptions not only result in a major operational headache for plant managers but also have a ripple effect on client satisfaction down to the grocery store supervisor level.

With zero dollars down from Trinity, Scale Microgrid Solutions BB #:368584 will deploy their Rapid Response Modular Microgrid (R2M2), incorporating solar, energy storage, smart controls, and backup dispatchable generation to provide clean resilience and further reduce the overall environmental footprint of the facility.

Scale’s platform has been designed with simplicity in mind. Components are manufactured and tested off site and integrated seamlessly with the facility.

Scale will build on to the existing 1320 kW solar PV system with an additional 490 kW. They will also incorporate a 1,072 kW/2,145 kWh battery energy storage system and a 1200 kW dispatchable natural gas system.

The service agreement will not only provide uninterruptible power and sustainability but will also save Trinity over $3 million dollars during the scope of the contract.

Tim Hade, Co-Founder and COO of Scale Microgrid Solutions says, “California is currently facing multiple crises including some of the largest ever wildfires and extreme heat waves leading to an energy shortage. Because of this, we are commissioning R2M2 in California at record speed. By partnering with Trinity Fruit Company, we’re able to be a solution to the problem of increasing demand for food needing to be met with increasing energy reliability and efficiency.”

“The food industry, California’s lifeline, is facing intense water supply, employment, and supply chain issues. These challenges are further being exacerbated by our state’s energy shortages and grid deterioration. Intelligently designed microgrids are an essential component of a successful SQF Food Safety Program, and further provide an additional source of revenue. Utility energy price increases are out of control, and the future of opting out is here,” says Guillermo Gomez, Scale Microgrid Solutions.

About Scale Microgrid Solutions:

Scale is a vertically integrated distributed energy platform, with a core focus of designing, building, financing, owning and operating cutting-edge distributed energy assets that offer cheaper, cleaner, and more resilient power. Their team of energy and financing experts accelerate growth in distributed energy projects by providing financing to technology providers, energy developers, and OEMs, while also directly helping large energy-consuming customers to take charge of their energy infrastructure and future-proof their businesses.

Media Contact:
Nicole Green
Director, Marketing and Branding
Scale Microgrid Solutions
nicole.green@scalemicrogridsolutions.com