Rhode Island Convention Center • Providence, Rhode Island

Parkville MicroGrid

Session: Enabling Technologies for Energy Resiliency

Antonio J. MattaHartford, CT

August 11, 2016

Energy Exchange: Federal Sustainability for the Next Decade

Create a stand‐alone MicroGrid that will link all services and through a fuel cell power source provide all of their electrical needs

Parkville MicroGrid

Concept– Hartford, CT has major power interruptions caused by storms resulting in loss of community services even with emergency generators

– Parkville cluster provides essential community services in one on‐site and two off‐site locations

– Services include: school, library, senior center, health center, grocery store and gasoline station

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Goal

Energy Exchange: Federal Sustainability for the Next Decade

School Library

Senior Center Health Center

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Parkville MicroGrid

Interconnected Facilities – on site

Energy Exchange: Federal Sustainability for the Next Decade

Grocery Store

Gasoline Station4

Parkville MicroGrid

Interconnected Facilities – off site

Energy Exchange: Federal Sustainability for the Next Decade5

Parkville MicroGrid

Site Plan

Energy Exchange: Federal Sustainability for the Next Decade6

Parkville MicroGrid

Context City of Hartford looking for a resilient power solution to serve critical community facilities that

could act as a refuge for residents during emergencies or bad weather

Results City of Hartford project consists of 800 kW baseload power with 640 kW of grid islanding

capability to provide a community MicroGrid.

Customer Value Constellation and Bloom Energy were able to provide a PPA to the City of Hartford that had

significant cost savings, avoided upfront capital for passive backup equipment, and met sustainability objectives through Bloom’s energy solution

Normal Output

Automatic Transfer Switch

Utility Grid (CL&P)

SchoolEm

erge

ncy

Nor

mal

Grid Islanding Output

Gas Station

Supermarket

Disconnect Switch

Automatic Transfer Switch

Emergency

Project Overview

Energy Exchange: Federal Sustainability for the Next Decade

– City of Hartford, Department of Public Works – customer

– Weston and Sampson – customer’s energy consultant

– Bloom Energy – fuel cell design and construction

– Constellation  – overall design and project management,   fuel cell and MicroGrid site design / interconnect and construction / system owner

– GI Energy / Van Zelm Engineers / Environmental Systems Design –Constellation’s consultants

– Eversource – MicroGrid design, construction and operation

– Connecticut Natural Gas – design and construction of high pressure gas line 

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Parkville MicroGrid

The “Players”– Community

• Parkville School• Senior Center• Library 

– Regulatory Committees• Parkville Neighborhood 

Revitalization Zone• Planning and Zoning• Zoning Board of Appeals• CT Siting Council

Energy Exchange: Federal Sustainability for the Next Decade

– DEEP MicroGrid Grant ‐ $2,063,000

– City Financing (Municipal Bonds) ‐ $1,300,000

– Financial Incentives• Low Emission Renewable Energy Credits (LRECs)• Virtual Net Metering (VNM)

– Overall energy savings over current utility rates (projected) ‐ $500,000

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Parkville MicroGrid

Financial Components

Energy Exchange: Federal Sustainability for the Next Decade9

Parkville MicroGrid

Nov 2012

Jul 2013

Summer 2013 Fall 2013 – June 2015 June 

2015Fall 2015

Dec 2015

CT DEEP Grant Program Released

Initial engagement with local development 

companies and the City

First 9 grant recipients awarded

Development of the Project

Bloom PPA 

signed

EPC contract negotiation

• EPC Contract Execution

• Permitting Approvals

• Detailed Design and Engineering Completed

Key Development Activities• Selection of generator technology: Initially CHP but lack of onsite heat load led to use of a Bloom fuel cell• CT LREC bid submission and award: Bidding strategy required to ensure you are “picked up” while protecting 

project economics• Virtual Net Metering: Site load under normal conditions @ 20% of fuel cell output required a structure to export excess energy that is only used by the MicroGrid during grid outages

• Securing Eversource engagement and sign‐off: New model for all parties requiring a collaborative effort• Ensure adequate pipeline gas pressure: Dedicated high pressure gas line for Bloom fuel cell provides extra 

reliability but greater upfront cost

Dec 2016

System COO

Fall 2016

Construction

Schedule

Energy Exchange: Federal Sustainability for the Next Decade10

Parkville MicroGrid

• Economically viable (at or below current cost of electricity) 

– LREC (Low Renewable Energy Credit) help to solve this problem along with VNM (Virtual Net Metering)

– DEEP Grant • Technology selection: Very little thermal load 

resulted in switch from a traditional engine to a Bloom fuel cell

• Technical hurdles – Gas pressure, Bloom MicroGrid, spare UPM, VNM

• Many players involved – City, Eversource, CNG, Constellation, Bloom, Bloom/Constellation

• Coordination and ability to migrate through varied complexities

• A MicroGrid system that will help manage electricity costs and supply emergency power to a portion of the city’s Parkville neighborhood

• Connecticut’s first MicroGrid to be developed thorough a public‐private effort

• One of the first MicroGrids to be developed under Connecticut’s Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP) MicroGrid Grant Program

• Proof that utilities, project developers, manufacturers, state and local government, and project owners CAN work together to make MicroGrids happen … 

Challenges Results

Challenges and Results

Energy Exchange: Federal Sustainability for the Next Decade

Site clearing Underground Utilities

Fuel Cell  Operational11

Parkville MicroGrid

Construction Photographs

Energy Exchange: Federal Sustainability for the Next Decade

• Contact Information– Antonio J. Matta– City Architect– Hartford, CT– tmatta@hartford.gov– (860) 757‐9982

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