California State University and Advanced Microgrid Solutions Announce a Portfolio of State-of-the-art Hybrid Electric Buildings®

Advanced energy storage systems will save $3.3 million in energy costs and provide regional grid support

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Jun 22, 2016, 12:00 ET

LONG BEACH, Calif., June 22, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- California State University (CSU), the nation's largest public four-year university system, and Advanced Microgrid Solutions (AMS) today announced the installation of a portfolio of Hybrid Electric Buildings® at CSU campuses that will reduce energy costs and provide critical support to the electric grid in the Aliso Canyon area. The systems will be implemented in multiple phases and constitute the largest advanced storage project at an educational institution in the nation. The first phase of the project will reduce the CSU's electric utility costs by more than $3.3 million and will store enough energy to power 2,000 homes.

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"This exciting partnership adds to many collaborative efforts implemented by the CSU to boost efficiency and cut costs," said CSU Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Financial Officer Steve Relyea. "By helping integrate more renewable energy onto the grid, this transformational system will support California's environment and direct resources to support the academic mission of the CSU."

In the initial phase of the landmark project, San Francisco-based AMS will oversee the design, installation and operation of a 1,000kW/6,000kWh energy storage system at CSU's Long Beach campus. AMS will subsequently install two storage systems at the CSU Office of the Chancellor and the Dominguez Hills campus, for a total of 2,000kW/12,000kWh of energy storage. Additional CSU campuses will be able to enroll in the advanced energy storage project through a standardized contract and offering.

"The CSU is setting the standard for sustainability among higher education institutions, both statewide and across the nation," said Susan Kennedy, Chief Executive Officer of AMS. "We are proud to work with them and provide Southern California Edison with critical capacity during this time of emergency."

AMS will break ground at CSU Long Beach this summer, and the system is expected to be completed by October 2016. Construction at the Office of the Chancellor is anticipated to begin in early 2017 and be completed by mid-2017.

With a financial performance guarantee, Hybrid Electric Buildings® provide cost-effective sustainability and support values-driven facilities management. The buildings use Tesla Powerpack commercial batteries to store energy during nonpeak hours, typically at night. During times of high demand, AMS's advanced analytics software seamlessly shifts buildings from the electric grid to the AMS energy storage system, reducing grid congestion and easing the need to build additional peaker plants.

About the California State University

The California State University is the largest system of senior higher education in the country, with 23 campuses, 49,000 faculty and staff and 474,600 students. Half of the CSU's students transfer from California Community Colleges. Created in 1960, the mission of the CSU is to provide high-quality, affordable education to meet the ever changing needs of California. With its commitment to quality, opportunity, and student success, the CSU is renowned for superb teaching, innovative research and for producing job-ready graduates. Each year, the CSU awards more than 105,000 degrees. One in every 20 Americans holding a college degree is a graduate of the CSU and our alumni are 3 million strong. Connect with and learn more about the CSU at CSU Social Media.

About Advanced Microgrid Solutions

Advanced Microgrid Solutions (AMS) is pioneering the use of energy storage systems for electric utility grid support. Using a technology-agnostic approach, the company designs, finances, installs and manages advanced energy storage solutions for commercial, industrial and government building owners. To learn more, visit www.advmicrogrid.com.

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SOURCE Advanced Microgrid Solutions