First-Of-Its-Kind Microgrid for Portland

The push for energy resilience peaks as Oregon prepares not only for a looming, unpredictable mega-earthquake, but also for the region’s immediate wildfire threats and citywide power outages. Among the first to integrate a solar-plus-storage microgrid is Portland’s Fire Station 1.

Like all of Portland’s fire stations, Fire Station 1 is equipped with a diesel generator to power the facility during grid interruptions. But generators rely on fuel, and as soon as the fuel runs out, so does power. To withstand longer outages, there needed to be a more reliable and environmentally-sustainable solution.

 

A partnership between Portland’s Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS), Portland General Electric (PGE), and Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) granted Fire Station 1 funds to install a microgrid system – combining solar PV, battery storage, and a controller that enables the station to run solely on renewable energy. This microgrid became a flagship project for clean energy in Portland that the city can use to learn about the needs of critical infrastructure, test the potential for microgrids throughout the city, and educate first responders on effectively and safely handling solar-plus-storage systems.

“This novel energy management solution is an example of how we can work together to create modular, simple-to-deploy clean energy microgrids” said John Merritt, VP Marketing Solutions and Appications Engineer, CE+T America.