Virgin Islands Energy Office unveils micro-grid at St. Croix Educational Complex

The Virgin Islands Energy Office on April 23, 2024, unveiled a micro-grid at the St. Croix Educational Complex that officials said would allow the campus’s emergency hurricane shelter to operate during extended grid outages and reduce reliance on fossil-fuel generators.

Energy Office Director Kyle Fleming said the system includes 150 kilowatts of solar generation and 220 kilowatt-hours of energy storage to provide backup power for the shelter sections of the campus during outages.

Officials said the micro-grid includes 375 panels, has 24-hour backup capability and can withstand wind speeds of up to 180 mph.

Under normal conditions, the system is expected to reduce the school’s utility costs by about $10,000 a month, according to the Energy Office.

The project was partially funded by a $650,000 Energizing Insular Communities grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior, according to Government House.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony at the campus was attended by Gov. Albert Bryan Jr., Lt. Gov. Tregenza A. Roach, Senate President Novelle E. Francis Jr., Education Commissioner Dionne Wells-Hedrington, Energy Office Director Kyle Fleming and St. Croix Educational Complex Principal Rodney E. Moorehead.

Official source: https://www.vi.gov/vi-energy-office-unveils-energy-resilient-micro-grid-at-st-croix-educational-complex/