
Amazon officials recently announced that its first solar farm-plus-battery energy storage project has become fully operational in the High Desert. Located in Baldy Mesa near Adelanto, the project is one of California's largest DC-coupled solar plus storage facilities and incorporates artificial intelligence to provide power even when the sun isn't shining.
Assembled across the Mojave Desert, the solar panels at Baldy Mesa convert sunlight into carbon-free energy, which is then stored in a football field-sized battery energy storage system (BESS) for use during non-sunny periods. This setup ensures a consistent supply of renewable energy to the grid, addressing variability in solar energy availability.
"AI is an important tool that’s already helping our society transition to carbon-free energy and tackle climate change at scale," said Kara Hurst, Amazon’s vice president of Worldwide Sustainability. The integration of AI with Amazon's solar projects, powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS), ensures a steady supply of clean energy throughout the day, aligning with Amazon's sustainability goals.
Amazon has facilitated the development of ten solar energy projects paired with battery storage, totaling nearly 1.5 gigawatts of capacity. These projects, including Baldy Mesa and the upcoming Bellefield project, the largest planned solar-plus-storage facility in the U.S., are instrumental in powering Amazon operations across California and Arizona with 100% renewable energy.
At Baldy Mesa, AI-driven software built with AWS service Amazon SageMaker analyzes up to 33 billion data points annually to optimize the battery's performance. This innovation is critical for stabilizing the grid, especially during extreme weather events like heatwaves, which increase electricity demand and pressure on grid operators.
In San Bernardino, Amazon’s Air Hub features a 5.8-megawatt rooftop solar array paired with a 2.5 MW battery storage unit, providing a stable supply of carbon-free energy even at night or during cloudy periods. Amazon is developing an AI model to leverage ML capabilities and performance data from its solar arrays, enhancing energy efficiency across its operations.
Kevin Hagen, interim CEO of the Clean Energy Buyers Association, emphasized the importance of battery storage projects in increasing renewable energy usage, noting that technologies like AI and smart load management are pivotal for a cost-effective transition to carbon-free energy.
Amazon’s AI-driven solar and storage projects exemplify its commitment to sustainability and innovation, contributing to a more resilient and efficient energy sector.
Source: vvdailypress.com