California Awards $3.5 Million for Microgrid at Frito-Lay Food Processing Plant

on November 13, 2020

The California Energy Commission has awarded Frito-Lay a $3.5 million grant to build a solar-powered microgrid at a food processing facility in a project the agency is touting as a model for the industry.

The microgrid will be installed at a snack food processing facility in Rancho-Cucamonga, California, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to allow the plant to keep running during power outages.

SunPower will provide the project’s solar equipment and microgrid controller while Tesla will supply the project’s energy storage component, according to the CEC, which approved the grant Nov. 10.

The solar panels are expected to produce about 3,500 MWh a year, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by about 850 metric tons annually. The battery system will be able to supply the plant’s critical load for up to six hours before needing to be recharged.

CEC sees microgrid as industry model
“By implementing a microgrid at a food processor, this project will demonstrate the benefits of renewable energy production and electricity reliability to other industrial customers, as well as the benefits of microgrid technology more broadly to utilities and other involved parties,” Kevin Uy, a CEC staff in the agency’s energy research and development division, said in a memo supporting the grant.

Microgrids can help food production facilities deal with planned and unplanned power outages, which can lead to significant financial and product losses, Uy said during the meeting when the commission unanimously approved the grant.

Also, solar microgrids provide a renewable alternative to backup diesel generators, according to Uy.

The battery storage component provides customers with cost savings and resiliency while supporting the grid through strategic charging and discharging, Uy said.

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Fractal Energy Storage ConsultantsCalifornia Awards $3.5 Million for Microgrid at Frito-Lay Food Processing Plant