Summary
Taylor Farms, North America’s largest producer of healthy fresh foods, partnered with Ameresco, Bloom Energy, and Concept Clean Energy to install a microgrid capable of taking one of their California food processing facilities completely off the traditional energy grid. The project combines Ameresco’s 2 MW / 4 MWh battery energy storage system, 6 MW of Bloom fuel cells, and 2 MW of solar power from Concept Clean Energy into a microgrid that is designed to power the entire 450,000 sq. ft. facility in San Juan Bautista, CA.
“We are looking forward to the energy stability this will provide our San Juan Bautista, California facility. Fresh food reliability is essential for our customers and it’s more critical than ever to provide quality, fresh foods to North Americans.”
– Bruce Taylor
Chairman and CEO, Taylor Farms
2 MW
Solar Power Generation
6 MW
Fuel Cell Capacity
2 MW / 4 MWn
Battery Energy Storage System
450,000 Sq. Ft.
Facility Size
Customer Benefits
This partnership allows Taylor Farms to explore disconnecting from the regional power grid amid energy price escalations and reliability challenges and is designed to deliver the following benefits:
- Fuel cells and battery energy storage generate resilient, always-on power
- Reliable daytime power generation from solar
- Stable microgrid and storage provides security during periods of energy capacity shortfall addressing California’s ongoing impact from extreme weather events
- Enables Taylor Farms to take control of their energy needs and establish price and power predictability
- Shows commitment to customers and serves as a model for decarbonizing agricultural production facilities – a major source of greenhouse gas emissions
Solution
Taylor Farms’ commitment to providing healthy fresh foods to customers could not be disrupted amid energy reliability challenges. To fulfill the facility’s 365/24/7 power needs completely, this collaboration combines the strength of each technology and eliminates the need to rely on strained power grids. The renewable energy resources that will power the integrated microgrid include:
- 6 MW fuel cells (Bloom Energy)
- 2 MW power generation from solar (Concept Clean Energy)
- 2 MW / 4 MWh battery energy storage system (Ameresco)
