The system is providing multiple on-site and grid-assisting services, including peak demand reduction, solar PV "shaping" to smooth out variability, and back-up power for critical loads in the event of an outage.
The microgrid, the largest in Central America, includes a 500-kW / 1 MWh lithium-ion battery storage resource connected to 276 kW of solar PV. It is controlled by Demand Energy's Distributed Energy Network Operating System (DEN.OS), which optimizes how these resources interact and perform.
Under normal conditions the system will smoothly integrate intermittent solar PV for on-site self-consumption; when an outage occurs, the microgrid will 'island' itself off from the grid and continue operating in standalone mode.
Demand Energy Operations vice president Shane Johnson said: "Like most sensitive manufacturing and laboratory operations, the Establishment Labs facility must receive a continuous flow of quality power.
"This DEN.OS-controlled intelligent microgrid offers a rapid payback thanks to significant savings from peak power reduction, and it will deliver instantaneous back-up power to support clean room operations when needed — preventing production losses during outages.
"The system eliminates the stranded costs of traditional diesel generators while offering a healthy return on investment through optimizing renewable solar generation, which drives a reduction in GHG emissions that supports Costa Rica's goal to be the world's first carbon-neutral country."
Rio Grande Renewables president Brian J. Schmidly said: "This new generation of microgrid technologies is a game-changer in the region. They are not only cleaner than traditional grid electricity and diesel generators, but they're also more affordable now than in previous years.
"We expect to see demand for microgrids grow as customer awareness increases and the benefits are clearly demonstrated. We applaud early adopters like Establishment Labs for taking a leadership position on environmentally responsible manufacturing and for being the first in the region to deploy this type of climate-friendly technology to help save money and compete internationally."
Establishment Labs' chief operating officer Salvador Dada said: "We are committed to long-term environmental sustainability and green manufacturing, and value our partnership with Rio Grande Renewables and Demand Energy. They were instrumental in helping us finance and construct the first state-of-the-art storage-plus-solar PV microgrid in Costa Rica.
"This investment will not only provide critical back-up power capability, it will also make our manufacturing plant more energy efficient and help us obtain Carbon Neutral and LEED Gold certifications. We are extremely happy with the results and will consider this type of technology in all our future plant designs."
Demand Energy's DEN.OS is an intelligent software control, distributed energy resources (DER)/site optimization, and fleet aggregation platform. DEN.OS comprehensively reduces energy/power costs while maximizing economic returns from behind-the-meter storage systems alone — or in combination with renewables and other DERs.
