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Alevo to Deploy Largest Energy Storage System in Delaware

March 18, 2016 / News & Updates, Press Release

First commercial order for North Carolina Headquartered Energy Storage Provider

March 18th, 2016 – (PHILADELPHIA, PA) Alevo Group, a leading Energy Storage Provider, on March 17, 2016 announced it is deploying an 8MW/4 MWh energy storage system in Lewes, Delaware. Alevo has worked closely with the City of Lewes and the Lewes Board of Public Works (BPW) on the project, which will be used to repurpose a retired generator building housing generators once operated by the BPW. Once complete, the deployment will be the largest of its kind in the State of Delaware.

The Lewes project is the first announced deployment for Alevo’s GridBanks and follows the company’s inauguration at an official event at its manufacturing facility in Concord, North Carolina in late 2014. At the event, Alevo unveiled plans to deliver massive efficiencies to power generation globally through its innovations in battery technology and data analytics. The GridBank deployment in Lewes is the first in a series of major commercial deployments the company has scheduled for 2016.

Using Alevo’s GridBank technology, Alevo will be able to sell ancillary services into the PJM regulation market, while providing the city improved power quality, a more reliable electric grid system and the ability to shave peak demand for its customers. The project provides yet another example that energy storage is not only commercially viable, but that it allows stacking of multiple value streams to enhance project economics and provide significant benefits to the electric grid.

The undertaking by the City of Lewes will be a major contributor to their burgeoning status as an innovative city for implementing energy efficiency measures. SEPA, which is the solar community’s national Solar Energy Power organization, has ranked the City of Lewes as 10th in the nation for solar penetration, and the integration of Alevo GridBanks into its infrastructure will accelerate the capability to improve upon this dramatically.

“The Lewes Board of Public Works has high expectations for the Alevo batteries and operating system that will be dispatched through Customized Energy Solutions (CES)” said Theodore W. Becker, Mayor of Lewes. “Lewes is a small municipal utility that is located at the “end of the extension cord” of PJM. We have had few options to manage and improve our capacity and transmission charges since taking our generation capacity out of the market in 1999 due to stiffening environmental rules. We also have a dilemma of a significant renewable energy presence in our distribution system- both a significant wind turbine installation (University of Delaware 1.5 MW wind turbine) and one of the highest per capita installations of solar (10th in the Nation for small utilities*), which can cause upward pressures for demand costs to the system. The installation of the 8 MW battery will provide a significant tool to manage our capacity charges, our peak demands and transmission charges, and we anticipate it to be a boon for the citizens of Lewes.”

Housed in an old oil-fired generator building, the Alevo GridBanks will provide Lewes with a modern, clean technology. The news follows an operational agreement Alevo struck with Customized Energy Solutions, one of the world’s premier providers of energy market operations services, to provide operations services via their Philadelphia based Market Operations Center for up to 200MW of grid storage to the North American wholesale energy market.

“Lewes BPW is a great partner for Alevo and we look forward to a long relationship with them and other municipalities,” explained Jeff Gates, Vice President, Alevo. “With support from Lewes BPW, Alevo has been able to bring this project to market quickly, which will not only increase the overall efficiency of the PJM grid, but also add significant value to our local partner and their customers.”

About Alevo

Alevo is a leading provider of energy storage systems designed to deliver grid-scale electricity on demand. Its innovative battery technology and GridBanks enable new source-agnostic architecture for electrical grids that reduce waste, greenhouse gases and other emissions, create efficiencies and lower costs for the world’s energy producers. Founded in 2009, Alevo Group is headquartered in Martigny, Switzerland.

About Customized Energy Solutions

Established in 1998, Customized Energy Solutions assists clients in managing and staying ahead of the changes in the wholesale and retail electricity and natural gas markets. Serving hundreds of clients, Customized Energy Solutions offers best-in-class hosted software solutions and consultative services focused on optimizing energy market operations.  CES is committed to promoting economic development through the advancement of transparent, efficient and non-discriminatory practices in the energy markets.  CES empowers clients by helping them better understand and manage the inner workings of energy markets and new technologies.  CES provides the highest level of energy information technology and services to clients around the globe.