First US Hotel With Energy Storage + EV Charging Is In Santa Monica

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Shore Hotel in Santa Monica, California, is a luxury establishment with an energy storage system and fast DC electric vehicle (EV) charging — reportedly, the first one in the US to have this setup. It is expected that the lithium-ion energy storage system will help it reduce electricity demand charges by 50%. Over time, that savings will most likely offer a good return on investment (ROI). At an unveiling ceremony, a Kia Soul EV was used to demonstrate the fast charger.

shorehotel

“Being located in a City so highly regarded for its sustainable practices and constant innovation, we are thrilled to be recognized for our contribution to building a more sustainable future. Energy is an important resource that we must all do our part to conserve and the hotel is excited to offer our fast EV charging station to the public. We hope to set an example for other hotels around the world to continue the momentum of sustainability,” explained Jon Farzam, Vice President of Shore Hotel.

So what is the connection between energy storage and EV charging? When an EV is plugged into a charger, electricity demand increases, so the hotel could be on the hook for a high rate for the electricity, depending on the time of day. Demand charges are based on the highest rate for 15 minutes in a billing cycle. So, obviously, a business would want to avoid spikes in electricity usage so it would not have to pay that rate.

That’s where the energy storage comes in. When there is a spike, electricity can be used from the energy storage system, instead of from a utility’s electricity. Avoiding demand charges in this way, as noted above, can thus help businesses save money.

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The energy storage system at Shore is from Green Charge Networks (CleanTechnica archives here), an energy storage solutions company headquartered in Santa Clara, California. Energy storage technology is popping up in businesses in a number of areas, because it can reduce energy costs and also interfaces well with renewable energy like solar power, balancing out fluctuations due to fluctuations in natural resources.

Shore Hotel is also a LEED Gold property. LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) is a designation reserved for buildings that are in compliance with green standards. There are four levels of certification and gold is the second-highest, only behind Platinum.

Image Credit: Shore Hotel


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Jake Richardson

Hello, I have been writing online for some time, and enjoy the outdoors. If you like, you can follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JakeRsol

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