Johnson Controls recently announced a partnership with Capital Dynamics to increase the amount of capital available for customers in North America working on solar or battery storage projects. The agreement will grant easier access to funding for Johnson Controls customers utilizing a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for projects of varying sizes, starting at $1 million, by aggregating them into a larger portfolio of projects.
Through a joint venture with Consolidated Edison, Johnson Controls has already been working to expand the market for solar and battery solutions, and controls to integrate them. This effort, combined with increased funding opportunities through the partnership with Capital Dynamics, positions Johnson Controls to be able to better help customers incorporate behind-the-meter, solar and battery storage into their built environment.
Johnson Controls formed a partnership with the University of Hawaii to create the first 100% renewable college campus in the United States 16 years ahead of schedule, winning the company an Environmental Leader Top Project Award for 2019. This project is the second phase of a broader multi-year energy efficiency and renewable energy project. It includes additional energy efficiency upgrades and the installation of onsite solar PV coupled with battery storage, allowing the five campuses to use the renewable generated energy as needed.
Johnson Controls built and installed an array of onsite solar panels in the form of shade canopies and rooftop installations and connected them to batteries. These installations can store enough energy to power all of Maui College’s campus. On Oahu, the combination of canopies, distributed energy storage, and energy efficiency measures should reduce four community colleges’ use of fossil fuel for energy by anywhere from 70% to 98%. The partnership also includes education featuring coursework on energy efficiency technology, an internship program, and workshops.
