Montgomery County has entered into an innovative public-private partnership with Schneider Electric and Duke Energy Renewables to construct microgrid systems at two of the County’s critical public safety buildings; the Public Safety Headquarters and Montgomery County Correctional Facility in Clarksburg by mid-2018. The microgrids generate clear power using solar energy systems and natural gas generators.
This will permit these public safety buildings to operate independently of the electrical grid, ensure uninterrupted public services during emergencies, replace aging equipment, and install cybersecurity measures, without any upfront costs to the County. The Microgrids will provide more reliable and efficient power and improve resiliency for Montgomery County following major storms or extended outages.
The microgrids are a natural extension of Montgomery County’s successful deployment of advanced renewables and other eco-friendly technologies on County facilities. This includes 11 solar arrays already installed as part of a project that will generate a total 11 million kilowatt hours of electricity each year (enough to power more than 1,100 single family homes) and save $15 million in utility costs over the next 20 years. The County also successfully implemented a combined heat and power system at the County’s Pre-Release Center last year.
To learn more visit the County Department of General Services Office of Energy and Sustainability website. Read full press release.
See recent article in the Washington Business Journal http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/news/2017/02/10/montgomery-county-is-taking-two-large-buildings.html
