The U.S. Army Garrison (USAG) Fort Hunter Liggett in Jolon, California, held a groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday, May 27, to begin the installation of its new electrical distribution microgrid system. The $21.6 million microgrid project will make USAG Fort Hunter Liggett the first U.S. Army installation to achieve 100% net zero energy use for critical power loads.
The microgrid will interconnect loads served by new and existing generation sources with control capabilities and the ability to operate autonomously. USAG Fort Hunter Liggett will have the capability to generate and distribute electricity independently from the grid for at least 14 continuous days.
Hannah Solar Government Services (HSGS), a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) renewable energy company based out of Charleston, South Carolina, has been awarded a contract to install the new 3.75-MW solar PV system, the 5-MWh battery energy storage and provide the associated electrical system upgrades to complete the microgrid system. The completed microgrid system will integrate these new microgrid components along with the existing solar PV and battery storage at the base.
The USAG Fort Hunter Liggett is the U.S. Army Reserve’s largest training installation at 165,000 acres with training opportunities for both the U.S. military and allied nations. The installation is a leader among U.S. Army installations in striving to reach federal renewable energy goals. The new microgrid system will improve energy security while achieving the U.S. Army Directive’s critical mission resiliency and achieving net zero energy use at USAG Fort Hunter Liggett by 2022.
“USAG Fort Hunter Liggett is a leader among U.S. Army installations in setting its critical facility energy resilience goal by 2022. We are proud to have been selected for the construction of the microgrid system.” said Col. (R) Dave McNeil, CEO of HSGS.
