This project will demonstrate a cyber-secure microgrid that incorporates high penetration wind generation and energy storage as its central elements.  The demonstration will be located at Otis Air National Guard Base (ANGB) at Joint Base Cape Cod (JBCC), and will utilize an existing 1.5MW wind turbine and 1.6MW diesel generator.  In addition, a 1.6MW/1.2MWh Ecoult Ultrabattery® Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) and Raytheon’s Intelligent Power and Energy Management (IPEM) Microgrid Control System (MCS) will be installed in order to demonstrate two primary objectives: 1) Completion of 120 hours of reliable off-grid islanding using a combination of high penetration wind generation, energy storage, and backup diesel generation, while minimizing fuel usage and maintaining high power quality. 2) Cyber-secure integration with ISO New England (ISO-NE) to generate revenue through participation in the regulation services market, which is complimented by demand management to achieve cost benefits targeting a < 5 year Simple Payback (SPB) and Savings to Investment ratio (SIR) of >2 on MCS and BESS installation. The demonstration system will prove that power quality can be maintained in a microgrid, utilizing primarily high penetration wind generation and energy storage; and that regulation services and demand management can be executed in a cyber-secure manner to create economic benefits for the DoD.  In doing so, the demonstration system will provide Otis ANGB with secure, sustainable and affordable power to perform its critical missions while moving toward energy independence.

The proposed demonstration system relies upon a BESS inverter-based voltage and frequency control approach which is fundamentally different than the current approach of relying primarily on diesel generation.  Building upon the work of project EW-201242, the demonstration system will use BESS-level sub-cycle control to maximize power quality; and MCS supervisory control to dispatch, curtail, or load shed to maintain generation/load balance and manage BESS state of charge (SoC). Diesel generation and automated load shedding will be used only during periods of low wind production and/or high load to minimize fuel consumption.  In this system, the BESS will provide seamless planned transitions on and off the grid, as well as Loss of Grid Ride-Through (LoG RT) - automatic transition to islanded operation – in the event of an unplanned loss of the grid.  The BESS relies upon Ecoult’s Ultrabattery® lead carbon battery technology to provide High Rate Partial State of Charge (HRPSoC) operation needed to compensate for high penetration wind variability and respond accurately to ISO-NE’s regulation signal. Ultrabattery® technology accomplishes this by combining a super capacitor with a lead-acid battery in a single-unit, improving both power and lifespan when compared to standard lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries.  Raytheon’s IPEM MCS will provide a cyber-secure interface to ISO-NE and perform energy management functions to coordinate microgrid operation.  The IPEM MCS is fundamental to creating economic value by participating in regulation markets and directs the BESS for demand management.  It also ensures stable, reliable, and efficient operation during off-grid islanded operations by dispatching the diesel generator, performing automated load shedding, and curtailing wind generation.

Combining the Ultrabattery® BESS and IPEM MCS technologies, the demonstration system will provide energy security by fully utilizing high penetration wind generation resources and minimizing the reliance on fossil fuel generators.  BESS LoG RT capability provides an additional degree of energy security not typically found in diesel generator-based microgrids and eliminates the need to black-start when the grid is lost.  By establishing a capability to conduct high-value grid services in a cyber-secure manner, the installation is anticipated to generate substantial cost savings to support a < 5 year SBP and SIR > 2.  These economic benefits offer the potential to motivate third party investors to support BESS and MCS installation, addressing a key limitation to the proliferation of microgrids throughout the DoD.