Cabo is known for its pristine waters and quiet beaches, but severe challenges have threatened the tranquility of the area. Recently, major power outages and high demand charges have brought uncertainty for residents. With these unpredictable factors, the need for resilient and reliable energy management systems has increased. The ARC microgrid controller was the perfect solution to manage the outages while optimizing energy costs for this residence.

ARC’s resiliency mode helps prepare the system for a potential outage. The controls allow this 64 kWh storage system to prioritize conserving its charge using the available energy resources, like solar. When an outage strikes, the controller islands the system, using the battery storage system as the grid-forming source for nearly instantaneous backup. To further conserve energy, unnecessary loads will drop off at specific states of charge, ensuring the most important loads of the system are still operable throughout the outage. 

During normal operation, the ARC controller will optimize energy savings by discharging the battery at peak energy usage, keeping the demand under the demand charge management limit at all times. The area’s Federal Electricity Commission does not allow for solar export back to the grid. To meet this requirement, active solar curtailment is also incorporated into the controls of this system, assuring there is zero export while utilizing the maximum amount of renewable energy. 

With help from Blue Planet Energy and Innovacion Solar, the ARC controller executes the ideal balancing act, all without disrupting the peace.