UC San Diego Expands Microgrid with Battery Storage to Boost Resilience and Efficiency
UC San Diego is enhancing the capacity of its nationally recognized microgrid by installing a 2.5 megawatt battery-based energy storage system. The new installation will integrate with the university’s 2.8 MW fuel cell—built in 2011—and allow for energy generated off-peak to be stored and deployed during periods of high demand.
The system includes energy storage units, a power conditioning system, thermal management, and controls. It will support the campus’s clean energy efforts by improving the efficiency of the microgrid, which already produces 92% of the university’s electricity through a combination of solar, fuel cell, and natural gas co-generation.
The battery system, supplied by BYD, uses non-toxic lithium iron phosphate chemistry, known for its safety and environmental profile. Once operational, UC San Diego will be eligible for up to $3.25 million in incentives through California’s Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP).
The installation is part of a broader campus-wide effort to demonstrate and evaluate a variety of storage technologies, including second-life EV batteries and ultra-capacitor-based systems. This project continues UC San Diego’s leadership in building a resilient, efficient, and sustainable grid for the future.
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