While many school districts have added solar panels over the last several years in an effort to reduce energy costs, a handful of forward-thinking California districts have coupled that technology with another powerful energy saver most have yet to consider.
That technology is lithium ion battery storage. Just as the name suggests, batteries—which vary in size from a storage closest to a parking space—store energy. That way, when clouds cover the sun during the day and solar power drops, the batteries can take over, thus avoiding costly peak demand rates. Solar recharges the battery during low demand times or more affordable times of the day and night, so the cycle can be repeated.
With peak rates, on average, as much as $5.00 per kWh vs. as little as 23 cents per kWh for non-peak rates, the savings from using temporary battery power quickly add up. At the same time, battery technology has expanded rapidly in the last several years and prices have fallen enough to make combining batteries with solar power a cost-effective combo.
That’s great news, because combining battery storage with solar power is proving to be a dynamic energy saver, especially for California schools. “This is one of the only ways school districts can manage those peak demand costs in California,” says Marc Starkey with Schneider Electric. “It’s a small footprint that can have a big financial return, and rain or shine, the batteries are going to work every single day.”
Stockton Unified School District—a large urban/rural district in the San Joaquin Valley—was already one of the most energy efficient districts around, with solar panels over several sites. Having previously implemented several conservation measures, the district needed to find a way to squeeze out additional energy savings in order to optimize their entire Prop 39 allocation.
After working with Schneider Electric, the district discovered it could do that and more by bundling their existing solar arrays at two high schools with lithium ion batteries. “We had already completed a lot of the low-hanging fruit when it comes to energy savings,” says District Superintendent, Dr. John Deasy. “So we were really surprised how much extra savings we could get simply by combining battery storage with solar.”
“That’s not a bad return on our investment,” says Steve Breakfield, the district’s Facilities & Planning Director. “We’re extremely happy with the savings we’re able to achieve with battery storage.”
Even better, Stockton can use the money from its energy savings to redirect dollars back into the classroom, fund deferred maintenance needs or even add new teaching positions. “When we saw how the batteries could help us with those much needed improvements, we really saw the value in investing in that technology,” says Deasy. “It was a no-brainer.”
Stockton unveiled its new Battery Energy Storage System during an October 29th Energy Awareness Recess at Edison High School. The morning featured a ribbon cutting event to allow students in attendance to learn more about how their Stockton USD is leading the way in sustainability.
Currently, estimates show that only about 3% of California school districts are using battery storage. But as the costs continue to drop, and peak demand rates continue to climb, more and more are recognizing battery’s benefits:
But as with all new initiatives, it’s important to work with a trusted partner on battery storage initiatives. Look for an energy management company willing to be held accountable for energy savings. Reputable energy management companies should also offer third party software showing actual savings and maintain accountability.
“Working with Schneider Electric has been great,” says Breakfield. “They really helped us to see why investing in battery storage made so much sense and how it could help us achieve our other goals as well.”
SAN DIEGO, Dec. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- UNIGRID Battery, a University of California, San Diego spin-off startup company, announces that it has received its first commercial MWh-scale purchase orders for their advanced sodium ion batteries. The company was founded in 2021 from the groundbreaking Ph.D. research work by Dr. Darren H. S. Tan and Dr. Erik A. Wu, who were both advised by Prof. Zheng Chen and Prof. Shirley Meng, prominent figures in the battery field.
UNIGRID saw an immediate opportunity for sodium ion in North America''s residential, behind-the-meter energy storage system (ESS) market (ie., the power packs– like Tesla''s Powerwall– that are installed in homes). They have moved quickly to scale up and produce their first product, their first-generation cylindrical cell.
"There is a massive market gap that current battery technologies cannot meet. Sodium ion is very compelling as it is a less-expensive and safer battery without the lithium supply chain uncertainties." - Darren H. S. Tan, CEO.
Due to this combination of properties, sodium ion batteries are emerging as the next big wave in battery technology. UNIGRID''s unique approach, the use of a tin anode instead of hard carbon, is a breakthrough for sodium-ion batteries; it increases the volumetric energy density to be competitive with and even exceed that of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, overcoming a previous competitive disadvantage.
"Tin alloy anode in sodium ion overcomes the common failure modes of silicon, such as particle cracking from volume expansion, active material losses, and capacity degradation. Tin opens up many possibilities for sodium ion." - Erik A.Wu, CTO of UNIGRID.
Third party testing and validation on the advanced sodium ion batteries has been completed, and UNIGRID is on track to deliver MWh quantities of its advanced sodium ion batteries to customers in 2024. The team is currently ramping up production in San Diego, California, in order to meet the rapidly growing interest and demand for their sodium-ion batteries.
"The U.S. has massive reserves of sodium and has huge potential to strengthen our grid''s resilience. We fully expect batteries to be an essential appliance for every home, like a refrigerator, but for electrons." - Dr. Shirley Meng, Professor of the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago and Adjunct Professor of Nanoengineering at University of California San Diego. Professor Meng also serves as the Chief Scientist for Argonne''s Collaborative Center for Energy Storage Science (ACCESS)
Li-ion batteries have made great progress in enabling electric vehicles and portable devices. However, powering our nation''s grid, enabling more renewables, and driving forward a successful clean energy transition requires a diverse array of energy generation and storage technologies, and the UNIGRID team believes that sodium-ion will have a significant part to play in the energy landscape moving forward.
The district has 1 early learning center, 5 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, 1 high school, 1 Alternative Schools, and one community adult school. It has a total of 5,989 K-12 students and 3,000 adult students.[2]
Monrovia Unified School District''s Board of Education members are elected at-large and to a four-year term. The elections are held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November starting with the 2018 election. It is composed of five members.
About Monrovia school energy storage
As the photovoltaic (PV) industry continues to evolve, advancements in Monrovia school energy storage have become critical to optimizing the utilization of renewable energy sources. From innovative battery technologies to intelligent energy management systems, these solutions are transforming the way we store and distribute solar-generated electricity.
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