Athens Water Treatment Plant – Microgrid 

Project Overview

The microgrid includes an existing Kokosing Solar installed a 658-panel solar array on site that powers a new 250 kilowatt/ 1,140 kilowatt-hour battery energy system. It is expected that this system will be able to maintain power to the plant for up to five days in the event of an outage. When an outage occurs, the microgrid will take over, delivering power to the plant within minutes.

As part of the demonstration project, AEP Ohio, in partnership with the city of Athens, will perform a series of planned outages over the next 11 months to test the microgrid’s effectiveness in various situations.

The project is part of AEP Ohio’s effort to demonstrate that microgrids can keep the power flowing in the event of an extended outage.

Legal and tax structure: The microgrid is owned by the city of Athens and operated by AEP Ohio. Specifically, AEP Ohio will be able to learn how behind-the-meter, customer-sited microgrids can simultaneously help the customer and the utility grid.

Project Financing: In keeping with the educational nature of the installation, the project is funded by grants.

Permitting and interconnection experience: Permitting was done through the general contractor, Claypool. Kokosing Solar provided support and documentation through the permitting and interconnection process.

Location: Athens, Ohio

System Size: 224 kW/ 250kW BESS

Completed: 2022