HSGS-Ameresco, a joint venture certified as a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) by the Small Business Administration and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), announced that it has been awarded a contract to install a microgrid system at the White Sands Missile Range (WSMR), the Department of Defense’s largest open-air military test facility in New Mexico.
The new microgrid system is for several of the base’s potable water wells and is designed to include a new 700-kW solar PV array, a 500-kW natural gas generator and a 500-kW battery energy storage system. The system is designed to provide 14 days of power to energize the water wells in the event of a power outage, supporting critical missions at the Army Research Lab, Material Test Directorate, fire department and a Fort Bliss power projection platform.
“We are excited to implement this project to enhance the reliability of WSMR’s energy system,” said Dave McNeil, president and CEO of HSGS-Ameresco. “This diverse solution set will strengthen the base’s energy and water resilience, so that it is no longer dependent on a single source of power.”
The scope of the project also features updated electrical panels, transformers and controls; a fiber optic communication line, a fire alarm system, meters, cyber security measures, anti-terrorism measures and security fencing, among others. HSGS-Ameresco will provide all supervision, labor, materials, equipment, supplies and transportation necessary to perform the microgrid project.
“We’re thrilled to have been selected as a partner on this project for a site that is so important to our national security,” said Nicole Bulgarino, executive VP, Ameresco. “This microgrid system is designed to enable the base to provide continuous power during a loss of utility event for wells on site that provide critical water supply to the installation.”
Construction is set to begin in December 2022 and is expected to reach completion by late 2023.
News item from HSGS-Ameresco
