San Diego Zoo Global and EDF Renewables North America Announce On-Site Operation of Battery Energy Storage

Storage System will Reduce Zoo’s Energy Costs without Upfront Expenses

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--EDF Renewables North America and San Diego Zoo Global today announced the operation of a 1-megawatt (MW)/4-megawatt hour (MWh) battery storage facility located on San Diego Zoo’s property in Balboa Park. The companies hosted a celebration to recognize the project at the Zoo along with City of San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer and Councilmember Chris Ward.

Mayor Faulconer commented, “We are fortunate to have partners like the San Diego Zoo leading the way with the use of renewable energy sources and helping advance the City of San Diego’s landmark Climate Action Plan. I’m looking forward to working together to continue finding ways to reduce our carbon footprint.”

The San Diego Zoo leveraged EDF Renewables’ Energy Services Contract to deploy the storage project to reduce energy costs at the Zoo facility by utilizing the battery to mitigate spikes in usage thereby lowering demand charges. The system will also minimize energy costs by recharging the battery when energy is at its lowest available rates, and then later discharging that power to the Zoo when costs are highest.

“This new battery storage system reduces the San Diego Zoo’s need for fossil fuel, supports clean energy, and lowers our energy costs,” said Adam Ringler, Director of Performance Improvement for San Diego Zoo Global. “This is a great opportunity to not only support the City of San Diego’s sustainability goals but it allows us to direct more resources towards our mission of saving species.”

The San Diego Zoo was able to avoid all upfront costs and ensure full alignment of interests by utilizing EDF Renewables’ Energy Services Contract, whereby EDF Renewables is only paid based on the actual utility bill savings realized by the Zoo as a result of the battery operation. The battery solution also acts as a hedge against rising utility rates.

Raphael Declercq, Executive Vice President, Distributed Solutions at EDF Renewables said, “We are very proud to serve the Zoo, an iconic member of the San Diego community, where 450 of our employees work at our North American headquarters; the type of energy storage we are deploying here has become an economical asset that helps California businesses reduce their electricity bills, increase their energy resiliency and allow integration of more renewable energy into the grid.”

EDF Renewables Distributed Solutions is a part of EDF Renewables North America, a market leading independent power producer and service provider with over 30 years of expertise in renewable energy. The Distributed Solutions group offers on-site clean energy for office buildings, load serving entities, corporates and industrials. The company delivers solar, storage and electric vehicle charging stations as an individual offering or as a full microgrid offering. For more information visit: www.edf-re.com/distributedsolutions.

About EDF Renewables:

EDF Renewables North America is a market leading independent power producer and service provider with over 30 years of expertise in renewable energy. The Company delivers grid-scale power: wind (onshore and offshore), solar photovoltaic, and storage projects; distributed solutions: solar, solar+storage, EV charging and energy management; and asset optimization: technical, operational, and commercial skills to maximize performance of generating projects. EDF Renewables’ North American portfolio consists of 16 GW of developed projects and 10 GW under service contracts. EDF Renewables is a subsidiary of EDF Renouvelables, the dedicated renewable energy affiliate of the EDF Group. For more information visit: www.edf-re.com.

The Distributed Solutions group offers on-site clean energy for load serving entities, commercial and industrial customers. The company delivers solar, storage and electric vehicle charging stations as an individual offering or as a full microgrid offering. For more information visit: www.edf-re.com/distributedsolutions.

About San Diego Zoo Global:

As an international non-profit organization, San Diego Zoo Global works to fight extinction through conservation efforts for plants and animals worldwide. With a history of leadership in species recovery and animal care, San Diego Zoo Global works with partners in science-based field programs on six continents, and maintains sanctuaries and public education facilities in many places. Inspiring passion for nature is critical to saving species, and San Diego Zoo Global’s outreach efforts share the wonder of wildlife with millions of people every year. Current major conservation initiatives include: fighting wildlife trafficking and the impacts of climate change on wildlife species; broad-spectrum species and habitat protection efforts in Kenya, Peru and on islands worldwide; preventing extinction in our own backyard; and expanding efforts to bank critical genetic resources and apply them to the conservation of critically endangered species. To learn more, visit sandiegozooglobal.org.