NREL's REopt Helps Fort Carson To Save Big (Text Version)

This is the text version of the video NREL's REopt Helps Fort Carson To Save Big.

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Meet BESS, the U.S. Army's Battery Energy Storage System, stationed at Colorado's Fort Carson.

As of January 2019, BESS in the largest peak-energy-shaving battery within the Department of Defense.

BESS was enlisted to save Fort Carson more than $500,000/year in energy costs over the next 20 years.

The battery system's 8.5-MWh capacity can be charged at night when electricity prices are at their lowest and then discharged late in the day when costs are at their highest.

While BESS is currently tasked with demand charge reduction, it could be used to increase resilience at the site.

BESS was developed in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Colorado Springs Utilities, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), and industry.

NREL researchers used their robust REopt model to optimize BESS's preliminary design and predict its potential energy-cost savings.

Since 2007, NREL has used REopt to evaluate energy opportunities at more than 10,000 sites, including military installations, college campuses, commercial businesses, and remote communities.

NREL has also released the core components of the REopt model in the form of REopt Lite, a free, online tool that helps users understand the optimal energy solution for any site.

Now, anyone can use REopt Lite to evaluate the economic viability and resilience benefit of a battery system, solar PV, or wind installation at a particular site.

These tools are funded by the Department of Energy's Federal Energy Management Program, whose primary aim is to help agencies meet energy- and water-reduction requirements and goals.

Learn how NREL is helping Fort Carson and others save energy and increase resilience at reopt.nrel.gov.