The 34th Annual Environmental Conference kicks off today at the San Diego Convention Center, and we are excited to stand among a group of local companies and organizations being recognized for environmental excellence.
Led by the Industrial Environmental Association, a leading voice on environmental issues in San Diego, the conference brings together about 500 attendees for two days from a variety of fields, such as environmental compliance, health and safety, legal, regulatory, and engineering sectors, to exchange ideas on the latest environmental regulations and innovations.
Two of our energy storage projects – the lithium-ion battery facility in Escondido and vanadium redox battery system in South County – earned honorable mentions. Energy storage plays a key role in our region’s clean energy future. Today, we have more than 115 megawatts (MW) of energy storage in operation and more is on the way. We are in the planning stages for 170MWs of additional storage.
North America’s Largest Lithium-Ion Battery
Last year, local residents and businesses began receiving power from what was at the time the world’s largest lithium-ion battery (now North America’s largest). The 30-MW facility located in Escondido can store up to 120 megawatt hours of energy, the energy equivalent of powering 20,000 homes for four hours.
Inside the facility, 400,000 battery packs housed in containers act like a giant sponge, soaking up and storing energy when it’s abundant – when the sun is shining, the wind is blowing and energy use is low – and delivering power to our customers when they need it most.
Pioneering Advanced Storage Technology
We are also testing vanadium redox flow battery storage technology in partnership with Sumitomo Electric. Located in Bonita, the four-year flow battery demonstration project began in 2017. We are testing the technology for its ability to provide voltage and frequency support and shift energy demand while leveraging renewable energy when it’s available. In combination, those capabilities improve power grid reliability as more solar and wind energy comes online.
Whether it is vanadium redox flow or lithium-ion batteries, we are committed to using the latest energy technologies to maximize value for customers and help build a clean, safe and reliable power grid.
Local Companies Lead the Way to a Cleaner Future
In addition to honorable mentions for SDG&E and Gilead Sciences, four organizations were recognized with Environmental Excellence awards for projects, which span the replacement of a 100-year-old fuel pier to the development of a state-of-the-art waste diversion facility to support our region’s commitment to zero waste.
Congratulations to our fellow honorees: Gilead Sciences, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, EDCO, CPKelco San Diego (a past SDG&E Energy Showcase winner), and the City of Riverside Public Works Department.