On April 15, Bolingbrook, IL based G&W Electric, a leading provider of transmission and distribution system electrical equipment, was recognized by Governor JB Pritzker and Comed utility leadership for its innovative manufacturing campus microgrid. Elements of the G&W Electric microgrid have been incentivized by the state of Illinois through the 2021 Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, a measure intended to move the state towards its goal of 100% clean energy by 2050. CEJA incentives include an extension of Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SRECs), rebates for energy storage systems installed with solar, and reductions in the cost of interconnection that encourage development of distributed renewable energy and energy storage technologies.
G&W Electric’s microgrid is a lighthouse project demonstrating an intelligent clean energy path forward for Illinois manufacturers, featuring a 2.4MW bifacial solar array, 2MW vanadium flow battery, a 1MW flywheel, and 2MW of conventional back-up generators. The state-of-the-art microgrid protects G&W Electric’s critical production of electrical grid components that support grid modernization. In addition to operational resiliency, the microgrid delivers clean energy to the grid, contributes capacity during peak grid stress, and provides grid services to ensure regional electrical power quality.
Illinois’ incentives for distributed renewable energy and energy storage (installed behind commercial and residential electric meters) recognizes the critical importance of distributed energy resources (DERs) in the clean energy grid. DERs provide energy generation and capacity alongside the longer term development of transmission lines and utility scale renewable energy projects. In addition, facility microgrids provide resilience to the state’s economy, providing Illinois businesses and service providers the ability to weather power disruptions.
Distributed energy storage plays a key role in supporting the regional grid, with the ability to provide dispatchable generation capacity during periods of high demand, as well as to provide critical grid services. As energy storage in the state scales up, DERs will reduce the need for inefficient and expensive fossil fired ‘peaker plants’.
Greenleaf Advisors brought energy partner Intelligent Generation to support the G&W Electric team in the design and operational optimization of their microgrid. Intelligent Generation manages distributed clean energy systems to enable asset owners to earn new revenues, save on electric bills, and protect critical infrastructure, all while providing needed services to the regional electrical grid. The US Dept of Energy has recognized the importance of virtual power plants, aggregated networks of distributed energy resources such as those operated by Intelligent Generation, for their importance in enabling the global transition to clean energy.
Contact Ben Bezark at bbezark@greenleafadvisors.net if you are interested in a conversation about optimization of distributed energy storage for economic, operational, and environmental impact.