Construction work has begun on a renewable-energy-plus-storage microgrid at Marcus Garvey Village, a 625-unit mixed-income apartment complex in New York City owned by L+M Development Partners.

The microgrid includes a 400 kW solar photovoltaic system and 400 kW fuel cell, supported by 300 kW/1.2 MWh lithium-ion batteries and controlled by Demand Energy's Distributed Energy Network Operating System.

Marcus Garvey Village in New York.The control system is designed to reduce power consumption by managing the generation and storage of renewable energy to save money through demand charge reduction. It is also expected to enhance resiliency during an outage, lower operational cost, deliver load relief to the local utility, and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Demand Energy's technology is expected to help ensure that the housing development consumes any energy it generates, without exporting to the grid. That capability aligns with utility Con Edison's Brooklyn-Queens Demand Management requirements.

In September 2016, New York City established an energy storage goal of 100 MWh by 2020, along with an expanded solar target of 1,000 MW by 2030. Storage is expected to play a role in meeting the city's plan to cut greenhouse gases by 80% by 2050.

Demand Energy, is a unit of Enel Green Power North America, Inc. Its Distributed Energy Network Optimization System is intended to help maximize the economic returns of behind-the-meter storage systems.