Trimark’s End-to-End Solution Is Key in Commissioning World’s Largest PV+BESS Project

First Resources in Edwards/Sanborn Project Reach Commercial Operation.

Folsom, CA, January 4, 2022 – The first four phases of the world’s largest solar-plus-storage (PV+BESS) project have reached their Commercial Operations Dates (COD). Trimark Associates, Inc. played a crucial role in the Edwards/Sanborn project by providing systems and services required for comprehensive plant control, ADS dispatch, revenue metering, dynamic loss calculation, site monitoring, communication, and CAISO NRI approval.

The first four resources in this massive project total 479 MW of combined generation and storage. A power resource is a set of generation or storage assets that are metered and controlled together. The first two resources to reach COD (SBESS 1 and SBESS 2) each provide 100 MW of grid-connected energy storage. One BESS is a 2.25 hour system and one BESS is a 4 hour system.  All in all this can provide up to 700MWh in aggregate.

In addition, the E2 (247 MW) and E3 (32 MW) resources are hybrid PV generation and Battery Energy Storage (BESS). When complete, the Edwards/Sanborn project will generate 1,118 megawatts (MW) of solar and support 2,165 megawatt-hours (MWh) of energy storage. The project will ultimately include 14 resources including battery storage and Photovoltaic (PV) generation in addition to the Edwards/Sanborn Substations, and the Sunward Switchyard – the point of interconnect with Southern California Edison’s transmission grid.

A unique characteristic of Trimark’s integrated PV-BESS control is the ability to support reliability functions that grid operators require to manage grid stability. By their nature, batteries can respond instantaneously to CAISO Automated Dispatch System target values. Trimark’s T1-S SCADA provides an ideal means to fulfill ancillary services and requirements of the 5-minute energy market. Through a secure API, Trimark’s T1-S SCADA accepts and validates CAISO’s dispatch then applies the requested set point to execute the command instantly.

The project, located in Kern County, California, is owned by Terra-Gen. Mortenson Construction acts as the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contractor for both the solar and storage. Terra-Gen and Mortenson selected Trimark as a subcontractor for the SCADA portion of the project which also includes meteorological (“Met”) stations, networking equipment, and a Dynamic Loss Compensation (DLC) system to address Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) requirements. Under a separate contract with Electrical Consultants Inc., Trimark is also providing complex revenue metering, including CAISO-compliant revenue meters.

Mark Morosky, Trimark’s President and CEO, is excited to demonstrate Trimark’s capabilities in hybrid PV-BESS control at this scale: “These projects leverage Trimark’s T1-S SCADA to support battery energy storage as a vital element in executing grid stability strategies. Our secure control of utility-scale BESS in response to a CAISO Dispatch Operating Target (DOT) is essential to fully integrate energy storage into the energy market and support a greener electric grid.”

About Trimark

Trimark Associates, Inc. (Trimark) delivers industry-leading solutions to allow real-time operational control, enable informed management of power production operations, and ensure regulatory compliance. Trimark’s turnkey products, engineering, and customer support services control, measure, and manage all aspects of power production that utility-scale power producers require to maintain peak business performance.

About Mortenson

Mortenson Construction is a private U.S.-based construction company headquartered in Minneapolis. Founded in 1954, Mortenson provides project planning, design, program management, preconstruction, general contracting, construction management, and turnkey solutions. Mortenson’s project portfolio is one of the largest of any EPC.

About Terra-Gen

Terra-Gen is an owner, operator and developer of utility-scale renewable and clean energy assets, including wind, solar, energy storage, and geothermal generation facilities. Established in 2007, Terra-Gen’s operating portfolio encompasses over 1,238 MW across the western United States.

###