Santa Margarita Water District
Faced with growing risks of wildfire-related power outages, the Santa Margarita Water District in Orange County, California is partnering with Scale to build microgrids that will deliver everyday cost savings and energy resilience.
At the Chiquita Water Reclamation Plant, Scale will integrate a battery storage system with the facility's existing solar PV installation and backup generator. The microgrid's advanced controls will enable the battery to generate daily cost savings by shifting utility grid use to avoid peak hour electricity consumption and reduce demand charges.
During power outages, the battery system will be able to provide up to 8 hours of zero-emission backup power when charged from the facility’s existing solar installation. The microgrid controls will also enable the generators to work in tandem with the battery during outages, running at higher efficiency and reducing costs as well as emissions.
Big Picture Impact
$100,000+
Annual Cost Savings
8 Hours
Of Battery Backup
24/7/365
Remote Monitoring
Chiquita Microgrid Capacity
The microgrid at SMWD's Chiquita Water Reclamation Plant integrates 6 MWh of battery storage with existing on-site solar PV and backup generation, delivering everyday cost savings and enhancing the resilience value of each resource. Scale will own and operate the microgrid under a microgrid service agreement (MSA), with 24/7/365 on-site and remote monitoring by Scale.
The MSA also eliminates up-front costs for SMWD, replacing a large capital expense with a monthly service fee and allowing the utility (and its customers) to save on energy costs from day one. Scale will next collaborate with SMWD to install a battery-powered microgrid at its new Ranch Water Filtration Plant, which is currently under construction.
6 MWh
Battery Storage
1 MW
Solar PV
2 MW
Backup Generators
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