NEDO of Japan invests $22 million in Mesa del Sol Smart Grid project

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NEDO of Japan invests $22 million in Mesa del Sol Smart Grid project

Greentech Lead America: Japan’s New Energy and Industrial
Technology Development Organization (NEDO) is investing $22 million in Mesa del
Sol’s new Smart Grid project.

NEDO is also participating in two (Los Alamos and
Albuquerque) of the five smart grid projects which formed the New Mexico Green
Grid Initiative.

NEDO will also test the system for the next two years.
The project will be handed over to the University of New Mexico’s Center for
Emerging Energy Technologies for continued research and smart grid development.

The Aperture Center will need 400 kilowatts of
electricity during its peak time. The smart grid will manage energy generation
sources, the electrical grid and energy storage sources in a sustainable way.

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 building energy
management system and sensors for controlling energy use inside the building.

The Smart Grid System, in association with the PNM
Prosperity Energy Storage Project, is a showcase for future smart grid
projects.

The objective of the project 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.

Besides NEDO, PNM, Sandia National Laboratories, The
University of New Mexico and 9 major Japanese companies including Shimizu
Corporation have partnered with Mesa del Sol for the Smart Grid project.

“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,” said 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. 

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