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TCAAP Energy Integration Resiliency Framew ork <br />Policy White Paper – Energy Supply Alternatives <br /> <br /> 24 <br />Precedent <br />Fort Collins Microgrid: The Fort Collins Microgrid in Colorado is a collaborative demonstration of <br />how a mixed portfolio of distributed energy generation resources can be used to provide increased <br />efficiency and penetration of renewables. The microgrid is powered by five main generators, <br />including the main campus facilities at Colorado State University, but also includes a large brewery, <br />a laboratory, and city facilities. The project was mobilized by a $6.3 million grant from the US <br />Department of Energy with $4.7 million from national and local investors. All in all, the system w ill <br />contain 345 kW of solar, 700 kW of combined heat and power, 60 kW of microturbines, and 5 kW of <br />fuel cells and hopes to reduce peak loads by 20% to 30%. <br />5.2. Thermal Energy Supply Alternatives <br />The local natural gas utility is expected to provide natural gas transmission to all of the development <br />within the TCAAPP site. With the installation of natural gas and electric infrastructure, buildings could <br />install tradition thermal generation technologies such as boiler, furnaces, electric -driven chillers, and <br />packaged air conditioning units. However, the following technologies could work in collaboration with <br />the electric and natural gas grids to optimize the utilization of local thermal energy and improve the <br />overall efficiency of TCAAP. <br />5.2.1. Thermal Energy Storage <br />Thermal energy storage is the process by which thermal energy in the form of hot or chilled water is <br />stored in a large tank for district energy distribution at a later time. The benefit of thermal energy <br />storage (TES) is the ability to generate thermal energy while both production costs and load demand <br />are low and store the energy for high demand, high cost periods. Demand met during high demand, <br />high cost periods by the TES tank shift load responsibility away from the central utility plant, reducing <br />peak demand of the system during costly hours. Thermal storage allows for predictable operations of <br />equipment at a central utility plant, increasing equipment efficiency by operating at optimal outputs. <br />TES also provides additional system backup in the event of a gas or electric grid service disruption, or if <br />ambient conditions exceed design conditions of the central utility plant equipment. <br />TES tanks can be integrated into a number of different structures, such as a parking ramp, underneath <br />a park or adjacent to an industrial process facility. Optimal TES sizing depends on a balance between <br />increasing tank capacity to reduce fixed costs on a dollars per gallon basis and maintaining acceptable <br />tank dimensions. However, chilled water tank capacity when installed at the beginning of a district <br />cooling or heating project can benefit the connected system by reducing the number of chillers or <br />boilers, improving the economics of TES.