When storms hit, Chesco microgrid would keep lights on
Power outages could be a worry of the past for businesses in one Chester County township if a proposed solar-powered electrical grid becomes reality.
Power outages could be a worry of the past for businesses in one Chester County township if a proposed solar-powered electrical grid becomes reality.
Developers want to build one of the region's first solar microgrids on what was once a problem-plagued landfill in East Whiteland Township. The $15 million system would have more than 11,000 solar panels spanning 30 acres, and produce six to seven megawatts of power specifically for local businesses.
A microgrid can connect to an area's main electrical grid, or it can function autonomously, continuing to run during mass outages due, for example, to severe weather. It also can reduce energy costs and bring a measure of energy independence to the community it serves.
"It's pretty exciting," said Bob Keares, managing partner of Microgrid Energy Partners of Great Valley and Coatesville Solar Initiative, who proposed the East Whiteland project. "A lot of people these days are attuned to the benefits of solar and microgrid technology."
Use of microgrids is on the rise in cities and towns nationwide, although military sites and universities still operate most of them, according to Boston-based GTM Research, which analyzes energy markets. Pennsylvania's four operating microgrids can generate 17 megawatts of power; New Jersey's six can produce up to 43 megawatts. The states rank 14th and 10th, respectively, in microgrid capacity.
Most community microgrids produce fewer than 10 megawatts. Nationwide, 131 megawatts of community microgrids are operational, and more than 200 megawatts worth have been proposed.
The East Whiteland system would sit atop the Knickerbocker Sanitary Landfill, where municipal waste had been dumped for more than 30 years before it was forced to close in the early 1990s. The state Department of Environmental Protection had filed legal actions against the owners for violations including not properly covering waste with soil and not monitoring groundwater quality.
Joseph Rubino, co-owner of the property and an East Whiteland resident, said he has long searched for a good use for the land, "something that leaves a nice legacy that doesn't negatively impact the community. And it's renewable energy, something everyone's looking for."
The Obama administration has supported microgrids as a way to improve the country's energy grid resiliency - its ability to withstand or recover quickly from disruptions, such as a bad storms. The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded millions of dollars in the last few years for community microgrid projects, including $1.2 million for the development of one at the Navy Yard in South Philadelphia.
Peco is planning to build a microgrid as part of a pilot program in outage-troubled Concord Township, Delaware County. In May, the company asked for Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission approval. Construction is to start next year and be finished in 2020.
In 2013, the Department of Energy worked with NJ Transit and other state agencies to develop designs for a microgrid system for rail operations and other infrastructure. The proposed microgrid received hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding for resiliency projects in response to Hurricane Sandy.
The power produced by the East Whiteland microgrid would be stored in batteries. Businesses, especially those with data centers that can't risk losing information, would be the target customers.
The property's proximity to such potential clients as the Great Valley Corporate Center attracted the developers.
Keares and his partner, Ed Simpson, have entered talks with township officials and signed a letter of intent with the property owner to lease the land. They next must submit their plans and get the necessary approvals to operate on the former landfill, which is zoned for offices and businesses. The state Department of Environmental Protection monitors the site annually.
610-313-8207 @MichaelleBond
