Albuquerque Public Schools announces the opening of the district's largest solar installation together with the school district's most extensive battery storage system at Atrisco Heritage Academy High School. The solar PV array contains 2,208 Tier-1 solar modules creating 1.3 gigawatt hours of energy annually. The Tesla Megapack 2 can store 2,884kWh of energy to deploy daily for peak shaving and energy cost savings.
The solar+storage system will reduce district energy costs by $3.5 million dollars over the system's 25-year lifetime. The battery energy storage system is set up to reduce daily utility demand charges for the school. Future development of the project will allow the Battery to provide emergency power to the school during grid outages, allowing the school to serve as a community emergency shelter. The project was spearheaded by Albuquerque Public Schools HVAC Systems Energy Conservation and Sustainability Strategies team, and is part of a long standing comprehensive initiative by APS to be efficient and cut energy costs and energy usage.
"This project is another step in our long-term commitment to environmental responsibility. APS is proud to be at the forefront of solar power and energy storage deployment in the public school sector." said Karen Alarid, APS Executive Director of Capital.
Dr. Imre Gyuk, Director of Energy Storage Research, DOE Office of Electricity, noted "This is advanced energy technology for the benefit of the public, saving energy and reducing costs. The project will serve as an example for other schools in New Mexico and throughout the U.S."
"As a National Lab, Sandia National Labs conducts projects around the country. It's nice to do one in our own backyard. And this project will allow us to investigate how electrical energy storage performs in real-time," said Dan Borneo, the Sandia Projects Program Lead.
Atrisco Heritage Academy High School is a bilingual education facility rich in diverse ethnicities and higher education college prep programs. Atrisco Heritage High School serves 2,200 students, of which 14% come from disadvantaged households. The school is recognizing a decrease in high school enrollment, making energy demand charges crucial. With the advanced PV and battery technology, the school will lower peak demand costs and could potentially be used as a shelter during power outages and environmental crises for the surrounding communities.
"Albuquerque Public Schools is pleased to partner with the Department of Energy, Sandia National Laboratories, and the State of New Mexico to create an innovative project that paves the way for a responsible, cost-effective and sustainable future for our students and community," said Yolanda Montoya-Cordova, President, APS Board of Education.
"Energy storage is a critical component in reaching our state's ambitious clean electricity goals," said Louise Martinez, EMNRD Energy Conservation and Management Division Director. "Pairing energy storage and solar power will help APS reduce electricity costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with electricity use. We are excited to support this project that demonstrates the value of using energy storage and solar for grid security to others across New Mexico."
Designed and constructed by OE Solar, a locally founded solar EPC, the Atrisco School solar+storage project is supported by a $650,000 cost-share from the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Electricity (DOE-OE) and a $50,000 grant from New Mexico EMNRD, with Albuquerque Public Schools bearing the majority of the cost for the project. Sandia National Laboratories is providing technical support for the project and will collect operational data to inform DOE's national research as part of the DOE-OE Stationary Energy Storage Program under the direction of Dr. Imre Gyuk. Through its contract with Sandia National Laboratories, the Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA) is playing a coordinating role in project development, reporting, and documentation.
About Albuquerque Public Schools
Albuquerque Public Schools is the largest school district in New Mexico and one of the nation's largest, covering more than 1,230 square miles of geographical area. Currently, APS has 13 high schools, 2 K-8 schools, 12 schools of choice, 27 middle schools and 88 elementary schools, plus 29 APS-authorized Charter schools. APS has approximately 75,000 students and 11,000 employees. An elected Board of Education composed of seven members, serving staggered terms of four years each, governs APS. The Superintendent is Scott Elder. www.aps.edu
About OE Solar
OE Solar is a premier solar EPC (engineering, procurement, construction) based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, serving an ever-expanding region of the Southwest. Established in 2009, focusing on innovation, craftsmanship, and community, OE Solar has designed and built nearly 30 MW of solar energy infrastructure for Municipalities, Schools, Federal Governments, Sovereign Nations, and Fortune 500 companies. OE Solar empowers communities by opening new revenue streams, creating jobs while consistently engaging in solar education, and partnering with emerging technologies. Their award-winning renewable energy work is recognized nationally, and they are a Top 100 EPC in the nation. oesolarnm.com
About the Clean Energy States Alliance
The Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA) is a national, nonprofit coalition of public agencies and organizations working together to advance clean energy. CESA members - mostly state agencies - include many of the most innovative, successful, and influential public funders of clean energy initiatives in the country. CESA's Energy Storage Technology Advancement Partnership (ESTAP), funded by U.S. DOE-OE and Sandia National Laboratories, is a federal-state funding and information-sharing project that aims to accelerate the deployment of electrical energy storage technologies in the U.S. www.cesa.org
Clean Energy States Alliance
www.cesa.org
Contacts
Albuquerque Public Schools: Tony Sparks, tony.sparks@aps.edu, (505)848-8816
OE Solar: Galina Kofchock, galinak@osceolaenergy.com, (505)249-8828
CESA: Todd Olinsky-Paul, todd@cleanegroup.org, (845)625-8807
