Sonoma Clean Power Program Helps Commercial Customers Navigate Storage Options

June 23, 2020

California community choice aggregator Sonoma Clean Power (SCP) has developed a program under which commercial customers can receive a complimentary backup energy audit.

SCP said the audit can help these customers to answer the following questions:

* Whether battery storage is financially feasible;
* How much storage would be needed to power critical electrical loads during a power shutoff; and
* How storage could be integrated into existing operations to benefit their business throughout the year.

The CCA said that as investor-owned utility Pacific Gas & Electric’s Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) events become regular occurrences for communities in California, “and as natural disasters such as wildfires intensify, having a reliable source of backup power has become a necessity for nearly every business.”

That is why SCP developed the Energy Resiliency Audit Program (ERAP).

ERAP will help businesses have a better understanding of their backup energy options, including more sustainable options such as battery storage. Battery-stored energy is cleaner, safer, and quieter to use than gas powered generators, and can also help lower a site’s overall electric costs.

SCP has partnered with the Center for Sustainable Energy, a nonprofit energy program administration and advisory services organization, to connect local businesses with energy experts and engineers who will evaluate businesses’ operations and advise the best steps to take moving forward.

An ERAP audit will provide the information needed to implement a solution to improve resiliency during PSPS events, develop a cost-saving strategy which may lower electricity bills, and estimate the cost of installing commercial battery storage.

Small and medium commercial customers, essential businesses, and businesses that were impacted by prior PSPS events are all eligible to participate in the program for free.