Roadrunner Food Bank

Project Details

Affordable Solar worked with Road Runner Food Bank to design and install a solar-plus-energy-storage system that maximizes grid energy cost offset and also substantially reduces peak demand charges by PNM, the electric utility.

This is the first commercial solar-plus-storage system designed to reduce peak demand on the customer side of the utility meter, that was approved by PNM for interconnection to the grid. Affordable Solar worked closely and persistently with PNM to achieve this milestone. By doing so, Affordable Solar has built up PNM’s comfort level to work with Affordable Solar on future projects of this kind.

The overall project consists of two rooftop solar systems with a combined power output capacity of 500kW DC / 395 kW AC plus a 81kWh energy storage and control system with the capacity to respond to peaking demand by delivering up to 60kW AC of power nearly instantaneously. The rooftop solar arrays consist of Hyundai Heavy Industries His Series photovoltaic (PV) modules secured on the flat roof by utilizing the Unirac RM ballasted mounting system that does not penetrate the roof. The solar photovoltaic arrays feed DC electricity to fifteen Yaskawa Solectria PVI series, 3-phase string inverters for a total power output capacity of 395 kW AC. The solar system is interconnected to PNM’s electric utility grid and generates over 860,000 kilowatt-hours of clean electricity annually which is used by Road Runner Food Bank.

The energy storage system consists of a 81kWh Samsung Lithium-Ion battery bank that feeds two Ideal Power (IBC-30kW-480) battery, grid-interactive inverters for a total output capacity of 60kW AC, and a Sharp Electronics control system that monitors simultaneously in real-time the solar system output and the building demand in order to determine when to discharge the battery bank and when to charge the batteries.

This project was financed by and is owned by Affordable Solar. Affordable Solar signed a 25-year solar-generated energy purchase agreement and a 10-year power efficiency services (demand reduction) agreement with Road Runner Food Bank. As such, this project is another example that demonstrates Affordable Solar’s commitment to stand behind its projects and their performance as well as a commitment to deliver electricity cost savings to its customers for the long run.

Project On-Line: June 2017 (last phase)