Yesterday, ENGIE Storage announced that San Diego International Airport (SAN) installed a 2 MW/4 MWh GridSynergy energy storage system. Paired with the airport’s existing 5.5 MW of solar capacity, the new energy storage system will reduce energy charges during peak demand, which according to ENGIE equate to approximately 40 percent of the airport’s monthly electricity costs. The system is expected to begin operation in early 2020.
The airport will be using GridSynergy’s cloud-based software, which will draw on past and present energy generation and usage data at the airport to calculate optimal charge and discharge cycles for the lithium-ion batteries. GridSynergy will continually learn and adapt to the airport’s energy needs over the next ten years, said ENGIE.
“We are continuously exploring ways to operate more efficiently and reduce the airport’s carbon footprint as energy cost and demand rise,” said Kimberly Becker, SAN’s President/CEO. “This system becomes an important tool in that effort by helping to harness our onsite renewable energy opportunities and maximize their benefits well into the future.”
Solar generation is one of many initiatives included in the airport’s comprehensive strategic energy plan. Other initiatives include LED lighting retrofits, HVAC efficiency improvements, additional solar and battery storage, and industry leading energy efficient design of new facilities to include the proposed replacement of Terminal 1.
