Amond World / Origo Investments

Faced with delays for a utility grid connection, Origo Investments partnered with Scale to develop an off-grid clean energy microgrid to power their Amond World cold storage facility in California’s Central Valley.

Almond farms are a major contributor to California’s agricultural economy, accounting for 80% of the world’s almond production, but many small- and medium-sized farms store their crops outdoors due to a lack of access to cold storage. The new Amond World facility will provide 100 million pounds of state-of-the-art cold storage capacity in the heart of the Central Valley, extending shelf life and increasing profitability for the region’s farmers.

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The need for more cold storage capacity for Central Valley farmers is clear, but utility interconnection in rural areas is a persistent problem. In this case, PG&E, the region’s electric utility, informed Origo that they would be unable to get power for two to three years. By turning to Scale for an off-grid microgrid, Origo was able to avoid this queue and bring the Amond World facility online at least six months sooner.

Big Picture Impact

100%

Off-Grid Power

30%

Energy Savings Vs. Utility

40%

Lower CO2 Emissions

Amond World Microgrid Capacity

In addition to long waits for interconnection, the Central Valley is prone to wildfire risks and Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS). The microgrid provides 100% reliable power for Amond World’s customers. Moreover, by relying on solar and battery storage for a substantial share of the facility’s power, the microgrid will deliver reductions in electricity costs as well as greenhouse gas emissions compared to the utility grid.