U.S. grocery firm Kroger has teamed up with energy equipment and services company e2Companies to enhance power quality at its distribution center in Paramount, California.
Kroger operates nearly 2,800 grocery stores under a variety of brand names, including Ralphs.
Under the partnership, the Ralphs distribution center, which serves stores across Los Angeles County, will use e2Companies’ 1-MW R3Di system, an onsite energy storage solution that can serve as primary or backup power. The system is designed to sustain long duration outages and has received UL 9540 certification for safety and performance.
Palm Energy, an e2Companies subsidiary, will lead the project, resolving power fluctuations and downtime at the center.
The R3Di system will be integrated with the center’s existing infrastructure, including on-site solar panels, two diesel generators and the power grid, to supply continuous power and instantaneous load pick-up.
Paramount is located in Los Angeles County. California utility customers have been subject to grid challenges including widfires. For that reason and more, some forecasts predict that microgrids could become a multi-billion-dollar market in the state.
The installation is expected to be completed by early summer 2023. The system will be monitored and maintained by e2Companies and Palm Energy to ensure reliable and resilient on-site power.
e2Companies is a Florida-based vertically integrated Virtual Utility company for power generation, distribution, and energy economics in the marketplace.
