Mesa del sol unveils first US Smart Grid

ALBUQUERQUE – May 17, 2012 – Mesa del Sol, Albuquerque’s visionary mixed-use, master planned community in the southern part of the city, once again made history when it unveiled its new Smart Grid System – the first of its kind in the nation. The Smart Grid System, in conjunction with the PNM Prosperity Energy Storage Project,the nation’s first solar storage facility that is fully integrated into a utility’s power grid, is a showcase for future smart grid projects. The project objective is to innovate Smart Grid Controls to overcome the challenges presented by the intermittency associated with renewable energy sources.

The newly installed microgrid uses on-site solar, fuel cell, natural gas and back-up battery storage to power the 78,000 square foot Aperture Center at Mesa del Sol.

Partnering with Mesa del Sol on the Smart Grid is Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), PNM, Sandia National Laboratories, The University of New Mexico and 9 Major Japanese companies including Shimizu Corporation. The system was unveiled today with VIPs and dignitaries on hand.

NEDO is investing $22 million in the smart grid. In addition to funding to construct the system, NEDO will monitor and test the system for the next two years. Once complete, the entire project will be turned over to the University of New Mexico’s Center for Emerging Energy Technologies for continued research and smart grid development.

The Aperture Center will require 400 kilowatts of electricity during its peak times.  The smart grid will manage energy generation sources, the electrical grid and energy storage sourcesin a sustainable way. To meet the Aperture Center’s needs, NEDO installed a 50 kilowatt solar photovoltaic system, an 80 kilowatt fuel cell, a 240 kilowatt natural gas powered generator and a 160 kilowatt/hour battery storage system as well as a state-of-the-art building energy management system and sensors for controlling energy use inside the building.

“The new smart grid has a building management system that is automated and manages the electric supply and distribution between our on-site generation sources, energy storage and PNM’s power grid,” explained Manny Barerra, Mesa del Sol’s Director of Engineering.

“The Smart Grid at the Aperture Center is another example of Mesa del Sol walking its talk,” said Mesa del Sol Vice President of Development Chris Anderson. ‘We have built this community to be sustainable at every level. It’s not an after thought but a key facet of everything we do.”