Faith Technologies partners with Schneider Electric to build one of the largest, most advanced microgrids in the Midwest
MENASHA, Wis.–Faith Technologies, in partnership with Schneider Electric, is engineering and building the largest, most advanced microgrid in the Midwest to power the Gordon Bubolz Nature Preserve using renewable energy. The new 18,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art environmental center is expected to be complete and open to the public in January 2018. Faith Technologies is partnering with The Boldt Company on the construction of the building.
The Gordon Bubolz Nature Preserve, located in Appleton, Wisconsin, is a 725-acre non-profit nature preserve that connects the community to nature for a healthier, stronger and more sustainable future. The microgrid will include photovoltaic solar, a hydrogen fuel cell, battery storage, micro turbine and a natural gas generator, which will enable Bubolz to demonstrate the most advanced methods of energy conservation in the world, with STEM programs to educate students of all ages.
“Photovoltaic solar is the fastest growing energy resource in America, and Faith Technologies and Schneider Electric are working with innovators like Bubolz to bring together distributed energy resources like cogeneration and photovoltaic solar systems,” said Philip Barton, Schneider Electric Microgrid Competency Center Director. “By working with Faith Technologies and Schneider Electric, Bubolz will have an advanced microgrid to maximize their renewable energy on and off the grid. By marrying the Internet of Things to its energy system, the Bubolz microgrid will be able to optimize when it consumes, produces or stores energy, thereby demonstrating the highest levels of sustainability, reliability and efficiency through tools like Schneider Electric Energy Control Center and EcoStruxure Microgrid Advisor.”
Faith Technologies will construct the microgrid and install Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure Microgrid Advisor, which will manage the distribution of energy resources at Bubolz, including photovoltaic solar power, a microturbine, batteries and hydrogen fuel cells.
“We are very excited about our partnership with Schneider Electric and Bubolz for this innovative microgrid project,” said Charlie Fredrickson, vice president of investments at Faith Technologies. “Not only will the microgrid be the main power source for Bubolz, but it will also demonstrate what is possible with on-site power generation and energy management.”
Other benefits of the advanced microgrid includes the potential to have zero carbon emissions and to achieve 50 percent lifetime power savings. The microgrid will provide power to Bubolz’s main facility, as well as the smaller buildings on the property, while achieving net-zero energy consumption.
“The Bubolz microgrid will keep Wisconsin and the Midwest on the forefront of research to transform the way we source and manage energy,” said Fredrickson.
About Faith Technologies
Faith Technologies, Inc. is a national leader in electrical planning, engineering, design and installation. With more than 2,400 employees, Faith Technologies is one of the largest privately-held contractors in the United States. Established in 1972, Faith Technologies is committed to safety on and off the job site, and in 2016 was awarded the Associated General Contractors of America’s Safety Excellence Award in the specialty contractor division. The company is nationally ranked in Electrical Construction & Maintenance’s “Top 50 Electrical Contractors” and “Top 40 Electrical Design Firms,” Engineering News-Record’s “Top 600 Specialty Contractors,” as well as Solar Power World’s “Top 500 Solar Contractors.” Faith Technologies is headquartered in Menasha, Wisconsin, with regional offices throughout Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Wisconsin. For more information, visit www.faithtechnologies.com, or the blog at www.faithtechnologies.com/blog. For information on Faith Technologies’ electrical risk management services, visit www.faithERM.com.
