Schneider Electric and Scale Microgrid Solutions will design, build and finance a microgrid for Fifth Season. Scale Microgrid Solutions will design, build, own, and operate the system for Fifth Season, utilizing its standardized microgrid modules. The microgrid will leverage Schneider Electric battery storage, switchgear, and advanced controls technology to deliver sustainable and dynamic energy management for Fifth Season's newest, highly autonomous vertical farm in Pittsburgh, PA.

The Fifth Season microgrid combines distributed energy resources, including a rooftop solar array, a battery energy storage system, a natural gas generator equipped with advanced emissions control technologies, and Fifth Season's precision agriculture platform to help the company reach its goal of efficiently producing 500,000 lbs. of local produce during the new facility's first year of full operation.

"Our vertical farm in Pittsburgh is reconnecting consumers to locally grown fresh food. This is a first step in solving some of the largest problems facing society caused by the broken food system, however, this industry must achieve long term economic and environmental sustainability," said Grant Vandenbussche, Chief Category Officer at Fifth Season. "This microgrid enables our journey to create a sustainable system that delivers healthier, fresher greens to local communities through both economic and environmental efficiencies."

The microgrid is being financed by Scale Microgrid Solutions' microgrid-as-a-service business model, helping Fifth Season save capital that can be used toward additional operational investments, while also immediately benefiting from more efficient, sustainable and economic energy consumption. Commissioning of the full energy system is scheduled for mid-2020 and it will be the first site of several that are to be constructed for Fifth Season in the next three years.

"Fifth Season is cognizant that vertical farming facilities can be energy-intensive and by pairing solar generation with batteries to work with the grid, they will enable demand response, peak shaving and time of use pricing," said Drew Gravitt, a manager leading microgrid economic optimization business development for Schneider Electric. "We're excited to work alongside Scale Microgrid Solutions to help Fifth Season improve energy resilience and cost while enabling renewable integration to meet its clean energy targets."

For more information:
www.se.com
www.scalemicrogridsolutions.com
www.fifthseasonfresh.com

Publication date: Thu 30 Jan 2020