Orcas Center in Eastsound, Washington has commissioned a solar and battery storage microgrid that keeps the performing arts venue operating during extended outages and turns it into a community resilience hub. The designation aligns with county Emergency Operations Center planning and addresses the island’s reliance on a single undersea transmission cable.
The system combines a 134 kW PV array with a 1.3 MWh battery energy storage system. An ELM Fieldsight controller manages normal grid connected operation and transitions the facility into islanded mode when utility power is lost. A 150 kW propane generator provides supplemental power and can recharge the battery during long periods of low solar production. Electric vehicle charging remains available on site to support residents and first responders.
Project delivery moved from feasibility work in mid 2023 to commissioning in September 2025 and the start of operations in October 2025. Funding support came through the Washington State Department of Commerce under the Climate Commitment Act. Cascadia Renewables led development and conceptual design with close coordination from the local utility, Orcas Power & Light Cooperative. Engineering and delivery support included Mayfield Renewables, Sulis Energy, and Mills Electric. Xendee was used to validate the technical and economic model to align system sizing with performance goals for outage duration and critical loads.
The control strategy is the centerpiece. The controller supervises PV production, battery state of charge, load priorities, generator dispatch, and grid synchronization. In normal operation the system can support grid services and reduce operating costs. During outages it prioritizes essential services such as communications, lighting, heating and cooling, refrigeration for food service, and shelter operations. The goal is predictable islanding with safe transitions, clear protection settings, and procedures that local staff can sustain.
For the community the benefits are immediate. Performances and public events are less likely to be canceled during localized outages. Emergency planners gain a dependable gathering point with power, heat, food service, and charging for vehicles and devices. Visitors and seasonal residents see an investment in practical resilience that fits the local context rather than relying only on diesel generators.
For other rural and islanded communities the project offers a repeatable template. Standardized PV and battery blocks, a modern microgrid controller, and a right sized backup generator can be delivered by regional contractors with utility coordination. The approach balances resilience, cost, and maintainability and creates a foundation for future additions such as more storage, demand response, or additional critical load panels.
Telepath Systems trains the people who make projects like this real. Our six week Microgrid Systems Foundations course with Cleveland State University builds practical fluency in architecture and topologies, protection and grounding, controls and energy management, safety and codes, digital twin modeling, and commissioning and operations for solar plus storage microgrids.