The UC San Diego (UCSD) project utilizes advanced energy storage management and optimization. The 50 MW campus load is served by two 13.5 MW gas turbines, one 3 MW steam turbine, and a 1.2 MW solar-cell installation that together supply 85% of campus electricity needs. The campus also utilizes 2.8 MW of fuel cells in addition to Thermal Energy Storage (TES) provided by a chilled water storage tank with a 2.2M gallon capacity, which is complemented with a minimum 12 MWh of electricity energy storage and a fleet of 20 Nissan EVs that are able to charge/discharge in response to the optimized dispatch signals. These elements are key components of the UCSD Micro Grid Energy Storage Program, which showcases a diverse technology portfolio of 20 electric vehicles and at least five interoperable, cyber-secure microgrid use cases for the local distribution utility, that are nationally replicable and scalable. The project demonstrates the potential role of energy storage as the missing link that combines clean renewable energy with demand response in order to achieve smooth, reliable, and predictable load response to more granular, locational dynamic pricing signals.
Project Location: San Diego, California Project Type: Microgrid Capacity: 42.5 MW
ZG Service: Consult – Market Analytics and Asset Valuation
ZGlobal performed studies to integrate resources onto online platforms that support full dispatch into the CAISO markets as Virtual Generation. In addition, ZGlobal provided simulation studies for price signals from the CAISO Day Ahead market for a previous or similar day to ensure project feasibility.