SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ENGIE Storage and Downey Unified School District [Downey, Calif.] today announced the installation and deployment of 3.5 MW/ 7 MWh of battery energy storage systems that ENGIE Storage will operate using its GridSynergy® software at seven school sites throughout the district. Downey Unified’s use of the battery storage systems will cut its electricity bills by reducing demand charges, which are assessed based on spikes in electricity usage caused by air conditioning and stadium lighting, as two examples, at three high schools, one middle school, and three elementary schools. California typically has the highest demand charges in the U.S. and average demand charges by California Investor Owned Utilities have increased, on average, nearly 80 percent over the past decade. Demand charges can account for approximately 50 percent of non-residential utility bill costs for consumers in California. Downey Unified is expected to save more than $5.7 million over the lifetime of the system, which was funded through the use of Proposition 39 dollars.
“Our Board of Education is always looking for creative ways to save money and energy storage will provide our district with utility cost savings,” said Downey Unified Superintendent Dr. John Garcia. “Installing energy storage will not only reduce our energy bills significantly this year, it will assist for years to come.”
ENGIE Storage’s GridSynergy system is a comprehensive, software-driven energy storage solution. The GridSynergy cloud-based software draws on historical and real-time data to calculate optimal charge and discharge cycles for the lithium-ion batteries. GridSynergy will continually adapt to the district’s energy needs.
“ENGIE Storage has energy storage systems installed at 80 schools in California,” said Christopher Tilley, chief executive officer at ENGIE Storage. “Downey Unified’s installation will not only save the district millions of dollars, but it will help enhance the reliability of California’s electric grid by reducing the strain on overloaded utility distribution networks.”
About ENGIE Storage Services NA LLC
ENGIE Storage helps power the world more efficiently and sustainably. As the United States’ number one distributed energy storage company, it serves energy producers, distributors, and consumers, including utilities, network operators, and energy consumers in business and government. Visit www.engiestorage.com to learn more.
ENGIE Storage is part of ENGIE North America Inc., which offers a range of capabilities in the U.S. and Canada to help customers decarbonize, decentralize, and digitalize their operations. These include clean electricity generation, cogeneration, and energy storage; retail energy supply that includes renewable, demand response, and on-bill financing options, and comprehensive services that help customers run facilities more efficiently and optimize energy use and expense. Nearly 100 percent of the company’s power generation portfolio is low carbon or renewable. Globally, ENGIE is the largest independent power producer and a leading energy efficiency services provider in the world, employing 160,000 people. For more information on ENGIE North America, please visit our Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook pages or the www.engie.com or www.engie-na.com web sites.
About the Downey Unified School District
The Downey Unified School District provides a comprehensive curriculum supporting three high schools, four middle schools, 13 elementary schools and one adult school. The district is committed to developing all students to be self-motivated learners and productive, responsible and compassionate members of an ever-changing global society. Our highly qualified staff foster meaningful relationships with students, parents, and the community while providing a relevant and rigorous curriculum in facilities that advance teaching and learning. It is the vision of Downey Unified to have all students graduate with a 21st Century education that ensures they are college and career ready, globally competitive and citizens of strong character. Visit our Facebook, Instagram or Twitter (Downey Unified), or our website www.dusd.net, to learn more about our award-winning programs and our students’ achievements.
