ZEROBASE MICROGRID FOR SUSTAINABLE MANUFACTURING
MAUI, HAWAII
OCEAN VODKA PRODUCTION FACILITY
The State of Hawaii faces unique challenges in securing and developing sources of electrical power. The lack of local coal and petroleum deposits coupled with the island chain’s remote location means that most conventional energy resources must be imported over great distance at a high cost.
Within the last decade there has been a significant push within Hawaii at both the government and grassroots level to develop effective, reliable renewable power sources to supply the state’s energy requirements. Hawaii’s tropical location and consistently clear weather makes it a prime staging ground for both small and large-scale solar energy installations.
Ocean Vodka, a family-owned organic farm and distillery based on the island of Maui, sought to power their production process entirely from renewable sources. Ocean Vodka continually aims to employ the most sustainable and efficient production methods available, and recently introduced ZeroBase’s solar microgrid to their facilities to utilize the enormous potential of Maui’s tropical climate.
ZeroBase worked closely with Ocean Vodka to provide a microgrid; a modular system that integrates power generation, storage, and distribution into a self-contained package. The solution for Ocean Vodka included a 100kW microgrid, 60kW of Solar PV panels, and 600kWh of advanced energy storage.
Most renewable energy installations are either linked to the public grid or operate entirely off of it; the ZeroBase microgrid is capable of both. Ocean Vodka facilities are powered be solar panels and stored solar energy in the battery, and by the grid when solar resources are insufficient. When the batteries are full the microgrid can sell excess solar power to the utility. In the event of a utility power outage, the microgrid will automatically identify a failure and switch the Ocean Vodka facility to operate exclusively off of solar panels and battery banks. This unique design ensures total power continuity even in blackout conditions.
The result for Ocean Vodka has been independence from highly volatile energy costs, a guarantee of continued operations when the grid goes down, and a highly visible demonstration of Ocean Vodka’s commitment to sustainability. After federal and state tax credits, payback on the system will be realized in under three years.
ZEROBASE HYBRID AND RENEWABLE POWER PRODUCTS GREATLY REDUCE OR ELIMINATE THE COST AND RISK OF FOSSIL FUEL DEPENDENCE.
ZeroBase is a leading innovator in renewable and hybrid distributed power. Specializing in highly rugged off-grid systems designed to deliver power to some of the most remote locations on the planet, ZeroBase has produced and deployed hybrid power systems for the U.S. Department of Defense, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, and other domestic and foreign government agencies.