Santa Rosa Junior College Microgrid

Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC) is currently developing a renewable energy generation based Microgrid concept and design to address power reliability and resilience, so as to maintain operations during power outages, and to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Increasingly frequent wildfires pose multiple risks to the safety of SRJC students, staff, and the surrounding community as well as compromise the ability of the local utility companies (Pacific Gas & Electric, PG&E) to meet campus energy needs.

Therefore, the proposed Microgrid has been designed and optimized to meet resilience requirements, allowing SRJC to maintain business continuity through partial-day outages, as well as provide emergency services to students, staff, and the local community during longer outages. The proposed Microgrid will also address the college’s environmental impact goals and related policy goals.

The SRJC campus is currently reliant on electrical power from the PG&E grid, which uses approximately 15% fossil-derived energy sources, whereas the proposed Microgrid would supply approximately 29% of the campus total electricity demand with 100% emissions-free PV solar energy.

Further, recommendations have also been made regarding how utilities and community colleges can apply the approaches outlined to overcome identified roadblocks to streamline the Microgrid design process.