Case Snapshot: Fort Belvoir Microgrid

Bolstering the nation’s defense with an integrated microgrid solution

Location: Fairfax County, VA

Scope: Fort Belvoir is a military hub, home to the Army Cyber Command, the Intelligence & Security Command, 10 different Army major commands, 19 different agencies of the Department of the Army, eight elements of the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard, and 26 Department of Defense agencies. Also located here are a Navy construction battalion, a Marine Corps detachment, a U.S. Air Force activity, and an agency from the Department of the Treasury.

As a major defense and intelligence hub, reliable power is critical to performing important missions and tasks. In the event of utility loss of power, Fort Belvoir needed a solution that would allow it to continue to operate.

PowerSecure designed, engineered, constructed and installed a microgrid solution that took the fort’s existing 9,750 kW backup generation and coupled it with 14 sections of 35 kV fully integrated NexGear paralleling switchgear and controls.

These reliability assets afford Fort Belvoir the flexibility to add future generation capabilities, protection schemes, 24/7 monitoring and demand management/peak shaving.

Benefits:

• Greater reliability with standby mode when the system senses loss of utility power.
• Future generation capabilities.
• Protection schemes.
• 365/24/7 monitoring.
• Cost-saving with demand management/peak shaving.
• Remote system operation.