Ameresco Receives 6 MW BESS Contract

Massachusetts-based renewable energy leader Ameresco announced that the U.S. Army has awarded its Federal Solutions Group a contract to add a comprehensive battery energy storage system (BESS) to the existing 18.6 megawatt (MW) direct current (15.0 MW alternating current) solar renewable energy facility at the Fort Detrick Army Garrison in Frederick, Maryland.

Partnering up with DLA Energy, Ameresco will deploy a 6 MW / 6 MWh BESS on the 67-acre facility. The BESS will function as a demand response asset and will supply frequency regulation services to the PJM-Independent System Operator.

In addition to that, the installed system will be microgrid-ready, enabling future resiliency functions at the Garrison. The BESS is purposed to provide guaranteed utility cost savings of $125,000 yearly to the government. The project is expected to be completed around early 2023.

Ameresco and Fort Detrick Army Garrison share a relationship that dates back to 2015, when the company was awarded a 26-year Renewable Energy Supply Agreement (RESA) and site lease to design, establish, finance, operate, and maintain the 18.6 MW-dc solar renewable energy generation system (REGS). 

“The new BESS aligns with the Army’s Installation Energy and Water Strategic Plan to provide resilient, efficient, and affordable energy on our installations,” said Paul Farnan, Acting Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment. “It is designed to help reach future resiliency goals, and directly aligns with the Army Installations Strategy and the Army Climate Strategy.”

“We commend the Army for taking yet another step to improve their energy infrastructure through battery energy storage technologies at Fort Detrick,” said Nicole Bulgarino, Executive Vice President, Ameresco. “This installation ties in the renewable energy generation from the existing solar arrays to a system that will allow the base to be microgrid-ready, ultimately creating a more resilient and future-energy ready base.”