Demonstration of Community-Scale Low-Cost, Highly Efficient Photovoltaic and Energy Management System

The need for grid-connected energy storage will continue to grow due to the penetration of renewables and increasing demand for a secure and stable grid. Utilizing retired electric vehicle lithium-ion batteries (second-life lithium-ion batteries) is appealing to energy storage applications since they provide comparable performance at a reduced cost. This report outlines the design, construction, and benefits to California of a commercial scale microgrid at the Robert Mondavi Winery at the University of California, Davis. The microgrid consisted of 200 kilowatts of solar photovoltaics and 280 kilowatt-hours of energy storage supporting the load of two buildings. I energy storage system constructed under this project consisted of second-life Nissan LEAF battery modules to demonstrate the performance potential of second-life electric vehicle batteries for stationary energy storage.iiieducingearch team developed an energy management system to maximize onsite use of photovoltaic power and minimize peak-time energy demand while reducing the carbon footprint of the winery. The report discusses implementation challenges encountered during the project such as fire codes and component supply issues for microgrids. Benefits of this microgrid included energy savings, with up to 39 percent peak energy use reduced and $12,000 per year saved on electricity bills, iiieducinging the carbon footprint of the winery by 14,000 kilograms of carbon dioxide per year.