Signature Healthcare recently entered into a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) solution with Siemens to help broaden its energy management efforts at Brockton Hospital in Massachusetts. As part of the agreement, Siemens will install and operate the renewable energy system that will include solar panels, a battery energy storage system (BESS), and microgrid controls.
“When we first worked with Signature Healthcare almost five years ago on an energy savings performance contract facilitated by a comprehensive refinancing package from Siemens Financial Services, the end-focus was more on immediate cost savings,” says Paul Hayes, President, Regional Solutions & Services, Americas for Siemens Smart Infrastructure USA. “Now, the healthcare organization is looking at which sustainability measures it can take to still save resources and enhance its demand and grid-edge capabilities while also helping the environment and enhancing patient / visitor experience.”
Solar panels, totaling 1.9 MW, will be fixed atop four newly installed carport canopies in the hospital’s parking lot. State-of-the-art microgrid controls will connect the panels to a 4 MWh-BESS that will help offset peak energy demands while also serving as a supplemental onsite generation resource to bridge short-term grid disturbances. Siemens electrical gear, switchboards, panelboards, and a recloser help round out the distributed energy infrastructure.
Stormwater management will also be incorporated into the project during the carport canopy buildout. This will ensure the water properly drains into existing stormwater sewers. New asphalt parking lots and the replacement of deteriorating curbs will be part of the project, eliminating associated future expenses for Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital.
“Installing this combined renewable solution on our Brockton campus will allow us to realize a number of benefits, including capital cost reduction, utility bill cost savings, less future cost volatility, and grid-based revenue generation,” says Stephen Borges, Vice President, Finance Operations at Signature Healthcare. “Siemens designed the renewable hybrid facility to maximize the potential of several key value components that will help us well into the future.”
The hybrid renewable energy system is expected to be fully installed by late 2023 and is estimated to produce greater than 2,000 MWh of renewable energy in its first year of operation. Siemens Financial Services remains a senior lender to Signature Healthcare and continues to provide alternate financing solutions.
— Solar Builder magazine
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