To help clients realize greater levels of sustainability and to ensure reliable operations, Black & Veatch constructed a microgrid to power the company’s Innovation Pavilion at its World Headquarters in Overland Park, Kansas.
A microgrid is a small-scale electrical grid with its own power system that can operate separate from or alongside the electric grid. Commissioned in 2015, Black & Veatch’s microgrid uses renewable energy, natural gas and battery storage.
Black & Veatch’s microgrid system features three rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) panel groups – monocrystalline, polycrystalline and microAC inverter-based polycrystalline – that provide 50 kilowatts (kW) of electricity. The system also includes a 100 kW lithium-ion battery energy storage system (BESS) and a geothermal field with 15 wells drilled 500 feet deep.
“We made this investment to expand our offerings as a proven Engineering, Procurement and Construction provider, particularly given few EPC companies can say the same regarding microgrids and renewable energy. We’re providing our World Headquarters with the same advanced technology we deliver to clients.”
Jon Erickson, Director of New Initiatives, Black & Veatch