Storage

National Grid taps Nexamp for solar-plus-storage non-wires alternative

National Grid taps Nexamp for solar-plus-storage non-wires alternative
(The solar-plus-storage project will be sited at this substation near Watertown, New York. Credit: Nexamp)

Nexamp and National Grid are deploying an 8.4 MW solar energy system along with 31 MWh of energy stroage at a substation in Watertown, New York. The paired system is intended to eliminate the need for additional transmission lines or substation upgrades through a Non-Wires Alternative (NWA) approach.

The project features more than 20,000 solar panels and 10 Tesla Megapack systems. Together, the solar and storage components are expected to give National Grid the ability to call on the system for up to 5.7 MW / 29 MWh up to 25 times per year either from the panels or the batteries. 

The project is capable of offsetting the energy needs of more than 1,000 customers who get their electricity from National Grid.

The Watertown Renewables project is expected to be completed early next year.

In August, Nexamp was tapped to take part in a recently launched National Grid DG customer “Self-Performance Pilot” program in Massachusetts. The program is intended to reduce costs and shorten the timeline from construction to interconnection for distributed generation (DG) solar projects.

Under the pilot program, National Grid is allowing developers to design, procure, and construct certain required modifications in compliance with its standards. The program scope is limited to overhead or underground distribution line system modifications 15kV class, or below, that can be performed without working on or near energized National Grid infrastructure.

The projects Nexamp is building within this program are located in New Braintree, Mass. and represent a total of approximately 4 MW DC of solar generation.

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