Kent Campus 7.2 kWDC Solar PV fixed tilt racking modules and 1.5 MW Battery Energy Storage System
The Kent State ground mounted 7.2 MW dc Solar PV with Terrasmart fixed tilt racking modules, fixed at 20 degrees, and 1.5 MW Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), is located on 2 separate sites. The north site uses about 9 acres of a 33-acre parcel across the street from Summit East Parking area at 1900 Summit Street and the south site uses about 14 acres of a parcel south of S.R. 261. This exciting new array will provide about 10% of the annual electricity needed on Kent Campus and will be operational at the end of 2024The total new array has 13,026 (550w) panels with projected annual production of 8,500 MWh and the BESS capacity is 1.54MW and 1.725MWh. The electrical connection to the 13.2 kV Kent State grid is behind the Ohio Edison Meter. The Kent Campus will use all the clean renewable electricity and will not export any electricity to the external Ohio Edison electric grid. As with the Kent State Summit Street Power Plant, this solar asset will continue to reduce stress on the Ohio Edison/PJM electric grid. The other eight (8) existing Kent State solar arrays, combine with this new project to produce an annual total of about 13.7 MWh of clean electricity, reducing our carbon footprint by about 10,700 tons!
This new system was carefully analyzed and is expected to be economically beneficial to Kent State, but only because the BESS was added. The efficiencies of the natural gas electric turbines installed in about the year 2000, at the Kent State Summit Street Power Plant along with Combined Heat and Power Plant equipment, make solar PV arrays alone on Kent Campus difficult to support economically. Kent State will utilize a 3rd party contract to leverage the BESS system for revenue. This will be through an electric grid program to improve area electric grid power quality through Fast Frequency Response aka, Regulation D control. The BESS will be externally controlled based on rapid signals, to discharge or charge depending on the stability need of the electric grid.
This project is administered through a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for a 30-year period. Costing little capital to Kent State University, the developer assumes all project and maintenance costs while Kent State purchases all clean renewable electricity produced by the system. OnSite partners (formerly AEP OnSite Partners) was deemed the best value selection after in-depth, multiple expert analysis of all proposals after a 2019 RFP. Melink Solar is the Engineering Procurement Construction (EPC) Contractor. The COVID-19 pandemic and solar module moratorium caused delays early in the project. More recent supply chain challenges after the pandemic, created challenges that the developer and the Engineering Procurement Construction (EPC) Contractor have solved. Additionally, a second site was required with legal deed revisions that added to complexities and delays. The construction process has been progressing smoothly with all sub-contractors working quickly and efficiently.
A process of studies and approvals by Ohio Edison/First Energy Corporation, was required to ensure safety of the electric grid and coordination of the renewable electricity produced.
Native Pollinator seeding is planned for both array sites. This practice is beneficial to; reduce rainwater runoff, reduce mowing and the associated fuel/CO2 and encourage improved numbers of beneficial birds, bees and insects.
The PV array and BESS systems will be expandable if desired in the future as campus size and electricity required increases.