Nexamp activates two solar+storage projects in Massachusetts

US distributed solar power generation company Nexamp has completed two energy storage projects, marking another milestone toward the buildout of a cleaner and more resilient regional power grid, an official statement said.

Co-located with existing Nexamp community solar farms in Massachusetts, the battery storage projects are expected to provide critical frequency regulation services for the ISO New England market in addition to other grid functions.

The projects are located in the grid-congested area of Central Massachusetts, in the National Grid service area:

• Brockelman Road is a solar + storage project capable of generating 1.7 megawatts (MW) of solar energy alongside 1 MW/2 megawatt-hours (MWh) of battery storage.
• Clark Road is a solar + storage project with 7.1 MW of solar capacity and 3 MW/6.1 MWh of storage.

Both participate in the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) Program, which provides incentives for co-located solar and storage projects.

“Energy storage is critical for our ability to deploy renewable energy to broadly resolve issues of energy security and climate change,” says Mark Frigo, Vice President of Energy Storage, Nexamp. “With each project that goes live we not only create value for our customers, but also contribute to a cleaner grid that is more stable and resilient.”

The storage projects participate in the Massachusetts Clean Peak Energy Standard program as well as ISO New England’s capacity and frequency regulation markets. The Clean Peak Energy Standard program provides incentives to clean energy technologies that supply electricity or reduce demand during times of peak power usage. The capacity and frequency regulation markets fulfill reliability functions for the regional power market, deploying resources to avoid outages and ensure that sufficient supply is online to support the power grid.

“Nexamp and Borrego share a long history of helping Massachusetts advance on the promise of a cleaner, more resilient energy future for its residents and businesses,” notes Nexamp Senior Vice President of Corporate Development, John Murphy.

In addition to the energy storage solutions Nexamp is developing alongside its own solar generation facilities, the company offers various on-site battery storage solutions, with and without solar, to help companies, utilities, and other organizations reduce electricity costs and realize a variety of reliability benefits. These solutions can reportedly also provide clean, consistent, and stable power for sensitive operations.