Arch Solar Using Energy Toolbase Platform on Solar Installation

Energy Toolbase (ETB) has deployed its Acumen EMS controls software on an energy storage system installed by Arch Solar, a solar contractor based in Plymouth, Wisconsin. In 2022, Arch Solar installed the BYD Chess unit, equipped with Acumen EMS, for a 40-acre senior community center in Sheboygan. 

This project, supported by the state’s Office of Energy Innovation grant (EIGP), is projected to reduce at least 28% of the current energy mix for the campus, saving more than $27,000 annually. The building was designed for sustainability and includes several notable renewable features, including water backup systems and a 200 kW panel solar energy field.

Sited with a 120 kW BYD Chess unit, the Acumen EMS-operated system will reduce demand costs through peak demand shaving. By utilizing the modeling and deployment functions of Energy Toolbase, Arch Solar and the host customer will also have visibility into the energy storage system’s operation with the ETB Monitor platform; moreover, the platform allows the customer to analyze system performance in real-time and oversee bill savings, customize alerts, override events, schedule dispatch commands, and more.

The project has garnered generous community support, with several community members contributing financially in hopes of using the site as a model for other nonprofits transitioning to solar within the state. In addition to the EIGP grant, Arch Solar was a recipient of a grant from Solar for Good, which contributed $25,000 worth of solar panels to the project.

“Working with ETB for a reliable storage solution in times where half of China is shut down along with all the supply chain issues has been a blessing,” says Mike Cornell, project manager and CIO of Arch Solar. “ETB not only supplied us with the right solution on time, but the all-in-one package made the installation much simpler and more efficient. We will be installing ETB-sourced products again and again.”