One of the initial discussions in the planning of Brevard County’s first solar city hall in Satellite Beach was whether the capability of generating electricity from the sun could be used for emergency purposes, like charging cellphones following a hurricane.
Toward that end, and in a move which could benefit other cities looking to go solar, the Satellite Beach City Council recently approved up to a $50,000 match (in-kind contributions in the form of staff time, equipment and facility usage over the next three years) to serve as a test city for smart-grid technologies for the use of solar power in emergencies.
The Department of Energy’s $1.7 million Advanced Systems Integration for Solar Technologies grant would take a close look at the city’s initial solar power systems to “ensure continuity of operations” under both normal and emergency situations.
If awarded, Satellite Beach will work toward the development and implementation of smart-grid technologies, possibly with the use of battery storage systems, that will allow its facilities to become more efficient, especially off the grid.
The grant application is being led by professor Dr. Troy Nguyen of FIT’s Department of Mechanical and Civil Engineering. The program was brought to the attention of city officials by Satellite Beach Sustainability Intern Zachery Eichholz.
Findings and data sets from the testing will be summarized into a comprehensive integration plan that will “serve as a technical and economic roadmap” for other local governments.
If the three-year grant application is approved, the city would receive notification of the grant award in March.
