Siemens can run Wendell HQ from ‘microgrid’ if power goes out :: WRAL.com

Siemens on Monday unveiled a new microgrid at its Wendell manufacturing and electrification headquarters, a system the company says can power the facility independently from the grid using on-site solar and battery storage.

The 1.25-megawatt AC microgrid combines a solar carport array with a 3.9-megawatt-hour battery energy storage system and is designed to manage electricity generation, storage and usage in real time.

Company leaders said the project is one of the largest solar-plus-storage industrial microgrids connected to Duke Energy’s distribution system in the Carolinas.

The system can automatically disconnect and operate in “island mode” during outages, allowing the facility to maintain power for production and other operations. Siemens said the microgrid is capable of meeting 100% of the site’s energy needs through renewable energy under certain operating conditions.

The project also includes 42 electric vehicle chargers and an integrated energy management system that coordinates solar generation, battery storage, building operations and EV charging.

“This capability not only strengthens energy reliability at the Wendell campus but also contributes to broader grid stability for the surrounding community,” the company said in a press release.

Siemens said the facility has already achieved operational carbon neutrality through broader campus efficiency initiatives and estimates the microgrid will reduce grid energy consumption by about 2.5 megawatt-hours annually while avoiding roughly 800 tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year.

The company said the project comes as utilities and manufacturers face growing electricity demand tied to population growth, electrification and energy-intensive industries.

“Given the strong growth we’re experiencing across the regions we serve, protecting customer reliability in a cost-effective manner is a core focus of Duke Energy’s grid modernization efforts,” said Venu Ghanta, Duke Energy’s vice president of North Carolina regulatory affairs and policy.

Siemens executives said the Wendell campus will also serve as a demonstration site for customers and workforce training programs focused on energy resilience and electrification technologies.