Naushon Island Case Study_rev5_km

CASE STUDY
Naushon Island, MA
Island Microgrid
System
Delivering Power, Anywhere
The Energy Challenge
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An island that is completely reliant on 2 diesel generators that run 24 hours a day for its power,
has drawbacks: volatile fuel prices, high-maintenance generators, fuel transportation issues, noise,
and dirty energy, all adding up to a unsustainable and expensive model.
The Island Microgrid Solution
Integrating renewables, back-up generators, and battery energy storage in an environmentally
controlled shelter with a performance monitoring interface.
THE BENEFITS:
70%
REDUCTION IN ISLAND
GENERATOR RUNTIME
55%
SAVINGS IN FUEL,
TRANSPORTATION AND
MAINTENANCE COSTS
10 Year
PAYBACK ON
INVESTMENT
CASE STUDY DETAILS
Case Study, Naushon Island, MA
When you live, vacation or conduct business on an island that is completely reliant on 2 diesel generators
that run 24 hours a day for its power, you quickly become familiar with the drawbacks: volatile fuel prices,
failing generators, fuel transportation issues, and dirty energy—all adding up to an unsustainable and
expensive model that clashes with the pristine surroundings of a beautiful and intimate beach community.
Naushon Island, off the southern coast of Cape Cod, faced these challenges and embraced the energy
future by implementing an island microgrid solution for their power needs.
Integrating 30 independent solar arrays with back-up generators and battery energy storage in an environmentally controlled shelter to create 126.9kW of photovoltaic power, became the island microgrid solution
that delivered cost-savings, energy independence, and reliability to the residents of Naushon Island.
Northern Reliability designed the power system to work with the Island’s existing power grid and built in
multiple layers of protection to ensure “flicker-free” power and avoid any downtime if a component
needs maintenance or replacement. Excess solar power is stored in a 4,800 Amp hour, industrial battery
system which powers the Island’s loads during low solar periods. Our System Controller—the brains of
the operation—monitors the battery rate of charge, fuel tanks, generators, environmental conditions,
and system faults and alarms. We also offer advanced performance monitoring options, providing the
customer with a window into their system’s operation right at their fingertips.
The island microgrid solution has allowed the Naushon Island community to reduce generator runtime by
70%.
"Northern Reliability was a perfect fit for our innovative off-grid village scale power
system. We have been able to turn off our generators most of the time, relying on
PV and a battery bank, and cutting out most of our fuel-oil consumption.”
Paul Elias, Trustee, Naushon Trust
Power Application:
Year-round, reliable power for residential loads on an island geography
System Configuration:
• 129kW of photovoltaic power divided into 30 independent and redundant solar arrays
• Two 55kW generators with 12 independent and redundant 4.4kW rectifiers for back-up battery charging
• 4,800 Ahr, dual redundant string, AGM VRLA battery system with ground fault protection
• 60kW, three-phase inverter with 63 independent and redundant 1kW modules configured as N+1
• Power Equipment Shelter Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system with fire detection
• Custom Programmable Logic Control (PLC) system
• Custom SCADA system
The Northern Reliability and Island Microgrid Story
Whether you refer to microgrids as virtual power plants, minigrids, smart grids, or distributed generation,
they all deliver the same value: energy security and independence, decreased dependence on fossil fuels,
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and intelligent energy management. No longer a solution focused only on remote communities, microgrids are increasingly becoming part of the 21st century energy landscape. Northern Reliability’s proven
expertise in designing efficient power systems from Antarctica to Asia make it a trusted partner in the
emerging microgrid dialogue taking place in your world.
340 Mad River Park
Waitsfield, VT 05673
Phone (802) 496-2955
Fax (802) 329-2096
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