After causing the California second largest wildfire never, and dozens more In recent years, it’s no secret that Pacific Gas & Electric is interested in alternatives to aboveground transmission lines.
One option touted by PG&E, one of the nation’s largest utilities, is to bury thousands of miles of power lines in “high fire risk areas.” That effort is underway, and it will cost billions and take a decade or more to complete, based on utility company projections. Yet another piece of the puzzle may be microgrids.
power boxa start-up working on such technology, says its mini power plants can do a better job of delivering reliable, low-carbon power to people who live “on the edges of the distribution lines.”
No route will kill PG&E awful environmental recorded audiobut as climate change drives most extreme heat waves, solar-powered microgrids could help remote communities keep the lights on even when the macrogrid fails, while eliminating some dangerous power lines in the process. That’s the idea, and that’s why Grass Valley, California-based BoxPower raised a $5 million Series A round from backer Swell Energy. Aligned Climate Capital.
“By placing the microgrid about 250 feet from the customer, BoxPower eliminates all overhead power lines,” BoxPower co-founder and CEO Angelo Campus said in a statement to TechCrunch. With solar panels, large batteries and backup propane generators, the power generated by the startup ultimately reaches rural residents “through low-voltage underground wires,” Campus said.
Along with utilities, BoxPower says it has also worked on residential, commercial and agricultural projects, which are typically “islanded” or not connected to the main grid. In all, the startup says it currently operates more than 35 microgrids in California, Puerto Rico, Alaska and Hawaii.
“BoxPower is on track to deploy an additional 25-30 microgrid systems this year,” Campus added.
