Summary
UC San Diego Library Archive sought to reduce demand charges, optimize time-of-use (TOU) pricing arbitrage, and secure backup power for its special collections and archives. Smartville deployed a 500kWh 2nd life Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) integrated with UCSD’s 200kW rooftop solar to deliver improved energy cost efficiency and reliable power resilience.
Client Background
UC San Diego Library Archive is a critical facility that preserves valuable collections. Maintaining a controlled environment at all times is essential for protecting these archives, demanding both cost-effective and reliable power solutions.
Challenge
The archive faced challenges with fluctuating energy costs, especially high demand charges and complex TOU pricing structures. Additionally, protecting the rare collection from power outages required dependable backup power solutions that avoided costly diesel generators or less sustainable alternatives.
Solution
The solution involved installing a 500kWh 2nd life BESS integrated with a 200kW rooftop solar PV system. This combination allowed the archive to reduce peak demand charges through effective load shifting, perform arbitrage by storing energy during low-cost periods and deploying it during high-cost intervals, and ensure backup power availability during outages.
This graph displays how solar energy is generated and stored by the battery system throughout a two week period. The yellow bars represent periods when the rooftop solar panels produce electricity, while the blue bars show the battery system storing extra energy or supplying energy when needed to optimize costs and maintain reliability.
Results
- Demand charge reduction significantly lowered monthly energy bills
- TOU pricing arbitrage optimized energy use cost-effectiveness
- Reliable backup power capability guaranteed protection of rare archives
- A sustainable approach leveraging solar and repurposed battery technology