Sterling Energy Storage Project Selected as a Finalist for 2017 Energy Storage North America Awards, Voting Open Until July 7

The Sterling Municipal Light Department (SMLD) Energy Storage Project has been selected as one of eight finalists for the 5th Annual Energy Storage North America Innovation Awards. The projects were selected based on their outstanding achievements in either centralized or distributed storage and their impact on the energy storage ecosystem, services supplied to customers and the grid, and unique technology application.

The SMLD Energy Storage Project deployed a first-of-its kind 2 MW, 3.9 MWh, lithium ion GSS® grid energy storage system in Massachusetts and offers the following innovative benefits:

• The system is the largest system of its kind installed in New England—in a record three months—and the first utility scale solar+storage microgrid project in Massachusetts.
• Linked to a 3.4 MW solar energy installation, the system can provide up to 12 days of clean backup power to the nearby police station and emergency dispatch center in case of a grid outage.
• The Sterling Energy Storage Project demonstrates applications that energy storage can be used for and the positive economic benefits that can be derived from it. It shows an expected payback of installed costs in less than seven years (discounting grants).
• Analytical studies conducted by Sandia considered multiple benefit streams from energy arbitrage, frequency regulation, reduction in monthly network load, reduction in capacity payments to ISO New England, and grid resiliency.
• A Procurement guidance document summarizes the lessons learned and is intended to support other Massachusetts Department of Energy’s Community Clean Energy Resilience Initiative awardees in energy storage procurement. Additionally, these materials offer useful information for municipalities in other States to consider as they develop solicitations for resilient energy storage projects.

The SMLD Energy Storage Project was completed by the Sterling Municipal Light Department, Sandia National Laboratories Energy Storage Technology Department, Clean Energy Group, US DOE Office of Electricity Energy Storage Program led by Dr. Imre Gyuk, NEC Energy Solutions, and Parker Hannifin.

Winners for the awards will be determined by public voting (100%) and votes will be accepted until July 7 at midnight (PDT).