As part of its environmental sustainability, the US Port of San Diego said it will soon begin infrastructure improvements to support future installation of a renewable, solar-powered microgrid at the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal, one of the Port’s two marine cargo terminals. The microgrid is expected to help the port improve its air quality.
At its meeting on 12 February 2019, the Board of Port Commissioners awarded a nearly $1.6 million contract to Chambers, Inc. to replace the roof of warehouse B at the terminal. The work includes removal of the existing multiple-ply, built-up roof system and installation of a new, lighter and more durable single-ply Thermoplastic Polyolefin membrane roof system.
Demolition on the warehouse roof is expected to begin in late March 2019 and the roof replacement is anticipated to be completed by December 2019.
The Microgrid Project is expected to help to satisfy a key mitigation measure – requiring the use of renewable energy – identified in the Environmental Impact Report for the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal Redevelopment Plan.
Additionally, the microgrid will help the Port:
- meet its greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals as established in its Climate Action Plan;
- improve air quality by advancing electrification powered by clean, solar energy;
- save an estimated $168,000, or 60%, per year over current utility rates; and
- enable the operation of critical terminal infrastructure for approximately 12 hours without being connected to the larger electrical grid.
The Microgrid Project will not only help us reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality, it will also make us more resilient in the event of natural or human-caused disasters that impact the electric grid. With the added bonus of reducing energy costs, this project is good for the community, for businesses on the terminal, and for the Port,
…said Chairman Garry Bonelli, Board of Port Commissioners.
With installation anticipated by summer of 2020, solar photovoltaic panels will power the microgrid, which will also include battery energy storage, energy efficiency improvements, electrical infrastructure improvements, and a centralized microgrid controller.
The microgrid project is being funded through a grant from the California Energy Commission (CEC), which includes $4,985,272 from the CEC, $4,427,973 in matching funds from the Port, and an additional $201,963 in matching funds from the University of California San Diego, a partner with the Port on the microgrid project. The total cost of the project is anticipated to be approximately $9,600,000.
The grant is part of the CEC’s Business Case Demonstration for Advanced Microgrids program, which aims to advance California’s energy and greenhouse gas policies in four key areas:
- Electrification: Improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
- Resiliency: Demonstrate a reliable, resilient and safe system.
- Technological Advancement: Provide technological advancement and breakthroughs to achieve the state’s statutory energy goals.
- Replicability: Develop a model that can be utilized in other locations.