Enel X announced it installed a new microgid for one of the Northeast’s largest independent owners, suppliers and operators of energy stations and convenience stores — Alltown Fresh in Ayer, Massachusetts.

The Alltown Fresh Ayer microgrid incorporates Enel X’s portfolio of distributed energy and electric mobility solutions, including an 87-kW / 174 kWh battery, an 87-kW rooftop solar array, and a 50kWDC fast-charging station, supported by Enel X’s Distributed Energy Resources (DER) Optimization software (DER.OS) and JuiceNet software and JuicePass for EV drivers. By integrating the system behind the same meter, on-site solar power will help charge electric vehicles (EVs). During a grid outage, the facility’s critical loads can continue to be powered.

“The increasing frequency and impact of extreme weather events underscore the need for far more sustainable and resilient power, especially for critical infrastructure,” said Surya Panditi, head of Enel X North America. “However, solar energy paired with battery storage is not only valuable during emergencies. The Alltown Fresh microgrid is attractive to EV drivers who want to power their vehicles with renewable energy, and it’s valuable to businesses to support the local grid by decreasing overall demand and reducing emissions while reducing costs.”

The microgrid is the first project to be completed under InnovateMass’ Resilient Service Stations Challenge, which seeks to ensure continuous power for service stations near evacuation routes across the state.

Enel X also partnered with National Grid under the EV Make Ready Program to upgrade the grid to support EV charging, power for the service station, and interconnection of the distributed energy resources co-located behind the same meter. This is expected to be the first commercial deployment of its kind, demonstrating the efficient use of utility incentives.

“National Grid is proud to support the first location to combine DCFC with solar panels and a battery storage system in Massachusetts,” said John Isberg, VP of customer sales and solutions at National Grid. “Our partnership with Enel X will help National Grid prepare for increased demand from electric vehicle charging stations by using innovative system design to mitigate the impacts of DCFC charging on the grid and maximize the benefits of increased electric vehicle adoption. We are proud to support this initiative and look forward to the future learnings from the launch of this project.”

Enel X’s innovative microgrid solution is modular and scalable for the growing number of fleets and businesses sustainably electrifying their infrastructure while saving on energy costs. Enel X offers a flexible financing solution bundling all microgrid assets to support businesses in resiliency efforts. The customer pays a flat rate for the solar power generated, receives a share of the energy storage asset’s financial benefits, and keeps the EV charging revenues.

Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) launched the Resilient Service Stations Challenge to seek innovative solutions to offer measurable energy resilience to service stations while boosting clean energy adoption across the state.

“MassCEC is dedicated to accelerating clean energy technologies, companies, and projects that support the vibrant and growing clean energy industry in the Commonwealth,” said Jennifer Daloisio, CEO of MassCEC. “We’re pleased to support the Enel X microgrid project as it provides a clean, renewable solution to simultaneously reduce the electricity costs of a service station, and ensure its resilience during a power outage.”

News item from Enel X

Kelsey is managing editor of Solar Power World and host of the Contractor's Corner podcast.

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