Advanced Energy Storage System Launched at Philadelphia Navy Yard

A battery that helps improve the quality and reliability of the electric grid was officially brought online this week at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. The battery uses a special control system to inject or draw energy from the grid based on a signal from a utility. The battery is part of the new GridSTAR Smart Grid Experience Center being developed at the Navy Yard spearheaded by Penn State and the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation, the Department of Energy, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Experience Center will feature energy storage, a smart grid demonstration home, electric vehicle charging stations and an indoor-outdoor training facility, and will be used to illustrate functioning smart grid technologies for a variety of audiences.

David Riley, a faculty member in Penn State's Department of Architectural Engineering and director of the GridSTAR Center, said "Energy storage is an important part of building a more resilient and efficient electrical grid. This battery system has already helped us learn about the complexities of building and launching a grid interactive battery system. We are using the lessons to inform new courses and training programs about the development of a smart grid."

Solar Grid Storage LLC played a critical role in the project and will help to manage the new system in a way that demonstrates the economic viability of energy storage systems. "We are proud to have helped bring the first commercially developed energy storage system online in the region," stated Philadelphia native Don Bradley, founder and senior vice president of Solar-Grid-Storage. "We were able to use the GridSTAR project to inform several other projects in which energy storage and solar technology will be combined to create viable renewable energy projects."

One such project based in Laurel, Md., brought online Oct. 15, features 400kW of solar energy and a 500 kWh battery system. The specific role of the GridSTAR battery will initially be to help maintain the frequency of AC power on the grid. In the future the device could be used to help smooth out solar photovoltaic energy produced at the Navy Yard and also to reduce peak demand energy costs. "The GridSTAR Center is a model for what the grid of the future will look like," said Tom Leyden, CEO of Solar Grid Storage.

"GridSTAR's new microgrid combines clean and renewable solar power with energy storage enabling a series of new benefits including emergency backup power, peak demand reduction and power balancing on the grid," explained Leyden. "Simply put, solar plus storage will ensure a more stable, resilient and smarter grid."

The GridSTAR Net Zero Energy Demonstration Structure is the first phase of the GridSTAR Center and will serve as a valuable hub for workforce training, building performance testing, energy management research and “smart” microgrid modernization deployments.

“The GridSTAR Net Zero Energy Demonstration Structure will create a live, interactive demonstration of electrical systems technologies, serve as a hub for hands-on education and training, and provide a rich infrastructure for data and research,” Riley continued. “In leveraging the talented pool of Pennsylvania-based public and private sector leaders, the GridSTAR Net Zero Energy Demonstration Structure offers tremendous potential to further drive the adoption of energy efficiency, solar energy and energy storage systems in our residential communities.”

The GridSTAR Net Zero Energy Demonstration Structure utilizes industry-leading construction techniques and an innovative strategy for energy generation, management and coordination within the host microgrid. Using modular construction techniques, the wall systems for the structure were assembled by Simplex Industries at their climate-controlled Scranton, Pa., facility. A team of building product manufacturers is supporting the project through product donations and technical expertise, including: Photovoltaic roofing, fiberglass and spray foam insulation, foundation drainage and waterproofing systems, insulated vinyl siding and gypsum board from CertainTeed Corporation; State-of-the-art, wireless lighting controls, motorized shades and occupancy sensors from Lutron Electronics; Off-grid power distribution equipment and energy efficient LED lighting from Eaton; Solar design and advanced inverter/battery solutions provided by Solar Grid Storage; and Ultra-sophisticated, wireless SmartSiteâ„¢ outdoor lighting systems from Amerlux that will broadcast information about the project to passersby.

PIDC, the master developer of The Navy Yard, provided the microgrid infrastructure and managerial collaboration in partnership with the GridSTAR Center. The Navy Yard’s Smart Energy Campus is a collaboration of businesses, universities and government, focused on making The Navy Yard a national center for energy research, education and commercialization. By actively engaging all of The Navy Yard’s assets — its people, infrastructure and buildings — the Smart Energy Campus is developing and deploying net generation solutions in energy efficiency, smart grids and related engineering and IT fields.

The highly instrumented building will be connected to a microgrid test loop within the larger unregulated microgrid of The Navy Yard. Components will be able to be easily installed and removed using “plug and play” adaptations that will also be connected to the PJM electricity market and operate in response to real-time price signals.

The modular components of the structure will be delivered to The Navy Yard in May, with on-site construction and interior finishing continuing through the end of June. Once complete, the structure will be used as a research facility, a classroom laboratory and a showcase for ultra energy efficient living. The additional phases of the GridSTAR Center will include a solar training facility and electric vehicle (EV) charging station, which will provide a comprehensive infrastructure to further optimize solar power generation and energy storage.