Construction begins on Granada Garage microgrid energy generation and storage project
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Construction began on Aug. 21 of a new 425-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system and battery energy storage system at the Granada Garage.
The project is expected to generate, store, and supply electricity to the Granada Garage, Granada Offices, and the 911 Call Center while also reducing the electricity costs at the Central Library across the street detail the City of Santa Barbara.
The City relays that once fully operational, the system is projected to produce around 700,000 kWh per year of renewable electricity, equivalent to the annual demand from 150 homes in Santa Barbara.
The Granada Garage will remain mostly open throughout the construction of the project with intermittent closures in localized sections and the roof entirely closed for several months detail the City in a press release.
Locally, the City of Santa Barbara has an initiative to build microgrids, systems capable of generating and storing electricity, for critical municipal facilities.
According to the City, the first microgrid as part of this initiative is at Fire Station 1 on West Carrillo Street and will go online within the next few months. It will provide a resilient source of electricity to the Fire Station and the Office of Emergency Services.
Future microgrid sites that the City has already noted are the Carter Water Treatment Plant and the Franklin Neighborhood Center/Eastside Library complex.
Microgrids can operate even when disconnected from the grid. A continued source of power can be crucial, especially in the event of an emergency detail the City in a press release.
The battery storage system at the Granada Garage project was funded in part through Southern California Edison's Self-Generation Incentive Program.
“This project is a win-win-win on economics, resilience, and the environment,” said Alelia Parenteau, the City’s Sustainability & Resilience Director. “We are thrilled that it will make this critical facility more resilient while generating local, renewable electricity at a cost-effective rate. This project directly supports the City’s Strategic Energy Plan goal of 100% renewable electricity for the entire community by 2030.”
Statewide, Governor Newsom signed a slate of bills to streamline energy generation and storage projects in July as part of the 2023-2024 state budget deal as well as a new bill in late August, to facilitate increased integration of renewable energy into the utilities-based electrical grid.
Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins said, “Given the growing impacts of climate change, it’s critically important that our state invests in safety nets that will bolster our energy resiliency and help us meet our climate goals. Procuring energy from reliable and responsible sources also protects California against future fluctuations in the energy market.
