Scale Microgrids has been awarded a $4.2 million grant from the California Energy Commission (CEC) through the Community Energy Reliability and Resilience Investment (CERRI) program to develop a campus microgrid at Santa Barbara City College (SBCC).
The microgrid will integrate solar, battery storage, and EV charging, establishing SBCC as a designated Community Resilience Hub capable of providing backup power during outages.
Santa Barbara County experiences more than twice the average outage duration and frequency of the rest of Southern California Edison’s system and ranks in the 99.4th percentile for natural disaster risk according to FEMA. The local grid relies on a single power line crossing 40 miles of terrain prone to wildfires, earthquakes, and landslides.
In the event of an emergency, the campus will serve as a safe gathering place where residents can receive supplies, charge electronics, and access medical treatment.
During normal operations, the microgrid will reduce peak demand by storing solar energy during the day and discharging it during high-demand periods, lowering electricity costs for the college.
“We’re proud to have the support of the Energy Commission on this important project,” said Shea Hughes, Scale’s VP of Business Development, in a statement. “Santa Barbara faces unique grid reliability challenges and vulnerabilities that make local resilience solutions such as solar, battery storage, and microgrids a critical need for communities in the area.”
The project is currently in the planning and design stage and will create union-supported jobs and internships for the local workforce.
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