A green energy microgrid developed through the Connecticut Green Bank’s program for commercial properties has launched, providing power to four community facilities at the Daughters of Mary of the Immaculate Conception’s New Britain campus.
The microgrid was built through a partnership between Boston-based Schneider Electric and Citizens Energy Corp. The $7 million project converted the 137-acre campus to using all renewable energy to power four separate buildings. Schneider Electric said in a statement that the microgrid would reduce energy costs for the organization, which provides care for older adults and other social services.
The technology was developed through the Connecticut Green Bank’s Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) program that helps building owners secure low-interest capital to fund energy improvements. The program lets organizations pay for improvements over time through a voluntary benefit assessment on property tax bills.
The project also received a $3.9 million grant from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
The microgrid’s technology combines 1.4 megawatt hours of battery storage capacity with a total of 1.2 megawatts of solar generation to create a self-sufficient system, the statement said. The installation also includes a natural gas generator for emergency use.
Two local Connecticut companies, Ecosolar Installations and Associated Real Estate Services, participated in developing the project by assisting with the grant process and providing local stakeholder management, the statement said. Ecosolar was also the primary construction lead responsible for construction and electrical work, including solar, storage, natural gas generator and controls.
The project was named for the late Mother Mary Jennifer Carroll, the statement said, crediting her for leading the religious order’s move toward sustainable energy.
“This project exemplifies the Green Bank’s vision for a ‘planet protected by the love of humanity,’ as the energy savings from this system allow the Daughters to enhance their mission of caring for those in need,” Bryan Garcia, president and CEO of the Connecticut Green Bank, said in the statement. “When I met Mother Jennifer at the first ribbon cutting five years ago, her words were a source of inspiration helping connect our work in green energy to the human impact in our communities. Congratulations to everyone who made this project happen.”
