Alcatraz Island

PV panels on the roof of buildings of Alcatraz Island.
Lightbulb illustrating 75%.

Prior to 2012, power generation was provided via diesel generators. The volume of diesel fuel shipped to the island has decreased approximately 75% from 2012.

LocationSan Francisco, California
System TypePhotovoltaic (PV) microgrid
System Size305 kW
Installation Cost$8.5 million
Project Completion2012
Project Savings400,000 kWh/year (energy), 337,000 kg/year greenhouse gases (GHG)
Load Service AreaCell house building
Project ChampionLaura Castellini
FEMP AssistanceFeasibility study, design development, design review, and system performance evaluation

With $8.5 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, NPS installed a solar-powered microgrid atop the roof of the main cell house building. The microgrid system integrates the new PV system with diesel generators via digital controllers and inverters to power the island. The surplus of electricity is sent to a special energy storage unit.

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