Wisconsin School Project Gives Kids A Solar Plus Storage Microgrid Learning Environment
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A Wisconsin school is getting a solar plus storage microgrid project that will save the district significant money on energy.
Intelligent power management company Eaton will provide the solar plus storage microgrid to support affordable, resilient, and sustainable power in the Wisconsin school district. The system will be the largest of its kind in the state and is anticipated to help the Menasha Joint School District save $190,000 in annual energy costs. Scheduled for completion in 2025, the project aims to achieve net zero energy status and will serve approximately 1,000 students.
The Menasha Joint School District is pursuing Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) tax credits to maximize the project’s value. Eaton guided the microgrid design and equipment specifications to effectively address the IRA’s domestic preference requirements.
The clean energy project powering the Maplewood Intermediate/Middle School for the Menasha (WI) school district will deliver substantial energy cost savings ($190,000/year). In 2022, the Menasha Joint School District passed a $100 million referendum to construct Maplewood Middle School.
The Menasha Joint School District (MJSD) is constructing Maplewood Intermediate/Middle School from the ground up. The district wants to provide a modern and sustainable learning environment that utilizes advanced energy conservation strategies and contributes to regional carbon neutrality goals.
More than 30 parents, teachers, community members, and district staff have been meeting since 2021 to evaluate MJSD’s strategic plans, its instructional goals, the current needs of students and families, and district-wide enrollment. Known as the Vision Committee, this dedicated team of volunteers has also been learning about the status of its existing facilities among other goals. The Vision Committee has focused on potential facility solutions that improve academic opportunities and student outcomes, modernize learning environments, and maximize operational efficiency and taxpayer investment.
“One major goal for the district was to ensure our new facility was an energy efficient and sustainable model conserving taxpayer dollars and natural resources,” said Brian Adesso, director of business services at Menasha Joint School District. The Vision Committee’s work ranged from project visualization to design and installation, drawing upon Eaton’s “depth of expertise and comprehensive solutions” in the district’s “journey toward net zero.”
Battery Energy Storage System
Critical community infrastructure now requires safe, sustainable, and resilient solutions for customers who need to simplify their transition to a low-carbon energy future, says Nelly Maximous, vice president of energy transition sales at Eaton.
“This project is a prime example of how sustainable electrification can support a stronger and greener future. We’re confident our proven expertise and clean energy management solutions will provide long-term value for the region, school district and environment.”
Eaton’s solar plus storage microgrid incorporates 1.3 megawatts (MWac) of solar PV panels, energy storage, and natural gas generators. Together, the mix generates the energy required for operations and provides carbon-friendly power.
The microgrid controller and battery energy storage system enables the school district to manage where, when, and how electricity is consumed. The microgrid controller is fully integrated into a switchboard, which is a foundational electrical component used to help power facilities everywhere. That makes it easier and faster to deploy a microgrid right out of the box.
The flexible, resilient power is supported by Eaton’s latest microgrid controller and battery energy storage system. Eaton’s xStorageTM battery energy storage system (BESS) enables the school to strategically store and dispatch energy to maintain uptime. As a result, the BESS maximizes onsite solar consumption and reduces energy costs.
The xStorage BESS optimizes energy usage and supports energy storage, electric vehicle integration, and grid modernization. In the event of a utility power interruption, the xStorage BESS provides an environmentally friendly backup, reducing reliance on traditional generators with its 250 to 1000 kWh of usable stored energy. Additionally, it enables efficient solar self-consumption by storing excess energy from onsite sources like solar panels and supports demand response by using stored energy to manage peak demands and avoid utility fees.
The xStorage system includes a control cabinet with an auxiliary transformer, power conversion system (PCS)/inverter, and up to three battery cabinets, each housing six or eight battery modules. Predictive 24 x 7 monitoring and management proactively identifies risks and reduces downtime.
Buildings as a Grid Approach
For generations, electrical systems were designed based on historical data, meeting legacy energy requirements, weather patterns, and expectations. It’s now important to see a building as a power source that can leverage existing energy infrastructure with a modular approach. That means scaling to meet changing energy needs. Building owners then can balance sustainability, affordability, and reliability through flexible and cybersecure energy systems.
Eaton’s Buildings as a Grid infrastructure combines local power generation, energy storage and intelligent control to deliver maximum benefit from your energy system. Eaton’s approach is to:
- bolster the power distribution backbone essential to building operations;
- improve resilience both behind and in front of the meter;
- lead microgrid development;
- transform dormant energy assets;
- safely adding renewables, storage and electric vehicle infrastructure.
Final Thoughts about a School’s Solar Plus Storage Microgrid
The rapid growth in electrification, an energy transition driven by climate change, and explosive growth in connectivity created the foundation for the MJSD collaboration. The new solar plus storage microgrid is setting the standard for young peoples’ expectations of how electricity can be sourced locally and independently.
Eaton’s Maximous told CleanTechnica that the solar plus storage project sets a norm for students’ future expectations for powering their devices and lives.
“Demand for electricity is rising faster than expected and schools need resilient energy to support learning. Whenever students (and teachers) power up their computers and other electronic devices, they need to be able to depend on their energy systems to provide uninterrupted power. With the clean energy microgrid project at Maplewood Intermediate/Middle School, these young future leaders can now rely on always-on power to support learning and whatever else they need.”
This solar plus storage microgrid project is Wisconsin’s second net-zero, all-electric school and part of a larger regional decarbonization plan. As these young people transition into adulthood, they’ll know about the promise and power of renewables, which will transfer to their own lifestyles.
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