The Pea Patch campus has received $98,675 from the Western Australian Department of Commerce to explore the feasibility of using a solar microgrid

||| FROM SUZANNE OLSON for PEA PATCH PROJECT |||

The Pea Patch Project is pleased to announce that the Orcas Island Food Bank and Orcas Community Resource Centre have been awarded a $98,675 Decarbonisation Grant from the Western Australian Department of Commerce to investigate the development of a smart solar and battery microgrid that would provide the majority of the energy required to power new buildings planned for the site.

“We are excited about the opportunity to bring renewable energy savings to our community campus while reducing new energy demand from OPALCO,” said Lisa Steckley, Pea Patch steering committee member and Resource Center board member.

The Washington State Department of Commerce has announced $72.6 million in grants for 71 local clean energy projects across Washington that advance environmental justice and equity. The funds will benefit communities in 24 of Washington’s 39 counties through solar projects, hydrogen fuels, microgrids and more. These clean energy grants, funded through the Washington Climate Commitment Act, are part of more than $117 million in opportunities,
including $7.5 million for the Tribal Clean Energy Fund announced in May.

“This CCA funding allows people to work on projects in communities most impacted by climate change and ultimately helps us provide cleaner air for all our children,” said Washington Governor Jay Inslee. “The response to these grant programs is an exciting sign of how keen companies and organizations are to design and build clean energy and climate-resilient assets for their communities.”

This project will include the installation of solar panels on the new Food Bank, Resource Center and OPAL housing buildings. The goal of the smart microgrid will be to generate and distribute solar power to balance the facility’s energy demand, ensuring critical load resiliency and campus-wide reliability. The feasibility study will include battery storage to provide power during power outages.

The Pea Patch project team has selected Säzän Group as the engineering consultant to support all phases of the project, from project management planning and running kick-off workshops, to the development and presentation of the final feasibility study report. Working with the Pea Patch project team, Säzän will be responsible for information gathering, site assessment, technical analysis, modelling, cost estimation, financing assessment, stakeholder engagement, partnership facilitation, report writing and presentation of key findings and recommendations.

Stay tuned for more information as this exciting new project launches later in 2024.

The Pea Patch Project, a collaboration of three local nonprofits providing essential services on Orcas Island, is building a community campus on undeveloped land on Pea Patch Lane at the north end of Eastsound. The collaboration will provide a permanent home and expand capacity to provide food security services, including emergency food storage for the community; social services to help our community thrive and achieve equitable prosperity; and 20 new rental housing units to address the unmet needs of the lowest-income households. Site work is expected to begin in 2025.

More information about clean energy grant programs is available online. EPIC designs, develops, and implements initiatives that enable communities to participate in the clean energy transition.