Seattle City Light began construction this week on a new solar microgrid at Miller Community Center, located in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. The microgrid, a demonstration project, will provide backup power storage for the community center during emergency events, such as a windstorm or unplanned power outage.
The solar microgrid project, designed and installed by contractor Worley, will include the installation of solar panels and a fenced-in battery energy storage system with microgrid controls. Construction is scheduled for completion in March 2021. Once activated, the University of Washington will perform analytics on the microgrid’s operations.
As part of the project, the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture hired Seattle artist Julia Harrison to develop an artwork installation for the microgrid project. This installation will occur in spring 2021.
City Light and Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) selected Miller Community Center to host the $3.3 million demonstration project, after a careful assessment of sites. Funding was provided through a $1.8 million investment from City Light and a $1.5 million Washington Department of Commerce grant.
For more information about this project, please visit seattle.gov/light/atwork.
Seattle City Light, one of the nation’s largest publicly owned utilities, generates and delivers affordable, reliable and environmentally responsible power to the homes, businesses, and communities we serve. We provide carbon-neutral electricity, generated primarily from carbon-free hydropower, to over 900,000 residents in Seattle and the surrounding areas.
Seattle Parks and Recreation provides welcoming and safe opportunities to play, learn, contemplate and build community, and promotes responsible stewardship of the land. We promote healthy people, a healthy environment, and strong communities.