CES has worked with the University of Massachusetts System (“UMass”) since 2012. UMass is a five-campus public research university system renowned for its academic programs, research, and adherence to its public service mission. UMass provides access to high-quality, affordable education to more than 70,000 undergraduate and graduate students across five campuses located across the Commonwealth in Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth, Lowell, and Worcester.
Over the last 15 years, CES has helped UMass evaluate and pursue onsite and offsite renewable energy opportunities and become a national leader in behind-the-meter energy storage. With CES’ help providing initial feasibility analysis, RFP development and administration, and contract negotiation support, the five campuses have contracted with more than 20 offsite solar projects throughout Massachusetts, totaling nearly 70 MW of generation capacity.
Since 2015, CES has developed and administered a multi-phased plan for UMass to develop onsite solar and battery storage systems across its campuses. Through this effort, UMass Amherst now hosts the largest behind-the-meter solar generation system in Massachusetts. In 2016, UMass Amherst installed more than 4 MW of rooftop solar PV and parking canopy systems. In 2021, UMass Amherst installed another 3 MW of solar parking canopies on campus. All onsite solar installed on campus is designed and configured to be able to operate in UMass Amherst’s campus microgrid, which utilizes a 20-megawatt district combined heat and power system, onsite solar, and behind-the-meter battery systems to be able to island the campus in the event of an outage on the utility’s local transmission system.
In addition to maximizing onsite solar, CES has helped UMass be at the forefront of battery storage adoption. In 2017, CES worked with UMass to obtain state and utility incentive funding to install behind-the-meter lithium-ion batteries at three campuses: Amherst, Boston, and Dartmouth. CES’ evaluation and solicitation support enabled UMass to evaluate financing and ownership strategies that best meet each campus’ financial and operational objectives. In 2021, as part of the second phase of onsite solar development on campus, UMass Amherst installed a second lithium-ion battery is co-located with one of the new solar parking canopies and is fully integrated in UMass Amherst’s microgrid. The campuses are evaluating additional opportunities for new energy storage capabilities onsite.
