Robert B. Weisenmiller, Chair, California Energy Commission

Sacramento, CA, U.S.A. --- (METERING.COM) --- January 11, 2013 - A microgrid initiative at the University of California, San Diego has been awarded further funding of $1.6 million by the California Energy Commission – supplementing a previous award for the project of almost $1.4 million

In addition the CEC approved funding of $220,554 to expand the university campus' charging network for plug-in electric vehicles.

“The return on this investment extends far beyond the San Diego campus,” said Energy Commission chair Robert B. Weisenmiller. “It provides a crucial real life demonstration of technology that can help to provide California a future of clean, sustainable and reliable energy.”

The UC San Diego microgrid serves a campus community of more than 45,000 people, and generates more than 90 percent of the electricity used on campus annually, resulting in savings in power costs of more than $800,000 per month.

The CEC funding is being matched with $1.525 million from the university. These funds will be invested, in part, in analyzing multiple stand-alone energy storage technologies to further improve the microgrid.

Microgrids are expected to offer California a way of achieving several important state energy policies and goals, including increasing renewable electricity generation to 33 percent by 2020, reducing carbon dioxide emissions, and accelerating the adoption of clean energy technologies.

In addition to the microgrid, the campus is on track to having the largest, most diverse range of electric vehicle charging stations at any university in the world. By June 2013, the university expects to have a total of 54 charging outlets, most Level 2, with more than 70 percent available for public use.