Schneider Electric, the global specialist in energy management and automation, won a subcontract from Constellation, a subsidiary of Exelon Corp., to support the development of smart controls as part of an energy savings performance contract at the U.S. Marine Corps Logistics Base (MCLB) in Albany, Georgia.
Energy security and resiliency is a priority for military installations tasked with keeping personnel safe through rebuilding and repairing ground combat and combat support equipment, as well as support of installations on the East Coast of the United States.
In late 2016, Constellation was selected by Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) to implement a $170 million, 23-year energy savings performance contract, providing energy conservation measures and distributed generation for MCLB.
The project includes the installation of an 8.5 MW biomass-fueled, steam-to-electricity (STE) generator, high-efficiency transformers, lighting and boiler upgrades, as well as system controls for a landfill gas electricity generator and centralized monitoring and operation of electricity generation and distribution for the base.
Under the Constellation contract, innovative controls, designed and installed by Schneider Electric, will be the backbone of the system controls to reduce energy use, increase energy security and meet energy demand from renewable sources at MCLB. These controls will manage the base’s distributed energy resources (DER) as well as optimize energy efficiency and “Net Zero” resiliency at the base. Schneider Electric will also provide cybersecurity, ongoing system maintenance and energy optimization services.
“By bringing together distributed energy resources and managing their use through innovative controls, the U.S. Marine Corps Logistics Base gains the ability to determine its energy future through reliable energy management and the use of renewable energy resources,” said Mark Feasel, Vice President, Electric Utility Segment, Smart Grid & Microgrid at Schneider Electric. “Working with Constellation and the ecosystem project partners to effectively manage energy gives the U.S. Marine Corps Logistics Base flexibility in energy generation to be more efficient, more reliable and more sustainable well into the future.”
Data warehousing software will provide the ability to “island” and control distributed energy resources. Schneider Electric will also provide services enabling upgrades to allow for remote start and stop, and real and reactive power production control. Other Schneider Electric services will enable remote monitoring, visualization and reporting of energy loads, and flexibility of generation control to achieve “Net Zero” energy consumption. These tools will improve the reliability and resiliency of the MCLB Albany’s electrical distribution grid to decrease outage time.
