California pairs 368 MWh battery with 300 MW solar farm to power 22,000 homes

The Sandrini Energy Storage system.EDP A new 368-megawatt-hour (MWh) battery energy storage site that boasts enough capacity to power the equivalent of more than 22,000 homes has just gone online in the US state of California. The Sandrini Energy Storage project is located in Kern County. It was launched by Houston-headquartered renewable energy firm EDP Renewables North America (EDPR NA) and the Redwood Coast Energy Authority (RCEA). It can reportedly deliver 92 megawatts (MW) of power and 368 megawatt-hours (MWh) of energy storage capacity. It additionally sits along the 300 MW Sandrini Solar site. Together, the two projects form a large renewable energy hub that can store electricity and deliver it when needed. According to EDP, the project should strengthen California’s power grid and make greater use of the state’s renewable energy. “Sandrini Energy Storage represents an important investment in California’s energy future,” Sandhya Ganapathy, EDPR NA CEO, said. Energy for peak hours Solar farms produce electricity during daylight. However, the demand often peaks at different times. Battery storage can therefore address this gap by saving power when available and releasing it later when great demand increases. For this purpose, the novel storage facility is located within the existing 300 MW Sandrini Solar energy site. It supplies RCEA with 100 MW of power. Furthermore, the authority also holds an energy storage service deal that covers 100 percent of the new project’s storage capacity. According to Ganapathy, pairing renewable energy production with storage can make electricity available at times of higher demand. “Energy storage transforms renewable power into reliable, around-the-clock electricity, ensuring clean energy is available when demand is highest,” she explained. Meanwhile, Beth Burks, RCEA executive director, said that the project will add new clean energy capacity and boost the generation provided by Sandrini Solar. Burks added that it will also support grid reliability. Massive economic benefits The Sandrini Energy Storage project is additionally expected to bring millions in economic benefits to the region. According to EDP, it will contribute more than USD five million in revenue for local public services and infrastructure. Authorities will use that revenue for local schools, roads, emergency services and equipment, and parks. The storage project also created roughly 50 construction jobs. Combined with the solar project, the two created about 250 jobs, and are expected to generate more than USD 25 million in local tax revenue. “Projects like Sandrini strengthen grid resilience, support economic growth, and help build a more affordable, dependable energy framework for California,” the CEO concluded in a press release. “We’re grateful to work hand in hand with our communities and Redwood Coast Energy Authority to bring Sandrini online.” This site further strengthens EDPR NA’s presence in California. The firm currently has approximately 1,230 MW of gross operating wind, solar, and energy storage capacity across the state. Those facilities can power the equivalent of more than 485,000 California homes. EDPR NA’s California facilities have brought around USD 154 million in economic impact. This includes over USD 41 million for local governments and over USD 33 million in payments to landowners. In June, the firm inaugurated the 200 MW/800 MWh Flatland Energy Storage project in Coolidge, Arizona, that can power nearly 44,500 Arizona homes. Get the latest in engineering, tech, space & science - delivered daily to your inbox.Based in Skopje, North Macedonia. Her work has appeared in Daily Mail, Mirror, Daily Star, Yahoo, NationalWorld, Newsweek, Press Gazette and others. She covers stories on batteries, wind energy, sustainable shipping and new discoveries. When she's not chasing the next big science story, she's traveling, exploring new cultures, or enjoying good food with even better wine.