The city of decatur will complete a roof-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) array and battery energy storage system (bess) microgrid demonstration project at the decatur police department building,…

The City of Decatur received a $1.0 million Project Grant from the Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy under the Renewable Energy Research and Development program (CFDA 81.087), awarded October 1, 2025, with a completion date of March 31, 2027. The grant funds a microgrid demonstration project at the Decatur Police Department building that includes installation of a 170 kilowatt (kW) roof-mounted solar photovoltaic array, a 250 kW/500 kilowatt-hour (kWh) lithium-ion battery energy storage system, and a 50 kW dual-port direct-current electric vehicle fast-charging station.

This installation will offset a portion of the police department's electricity consumption with on-site renewable energy generation while enhancing community resilience through sustained critical operations during grid outages. The project directly supports the City of Decatur's strategic objectives to achieve 100% renewable electricity at municipal facilities by 2030 and to complete fleet electrification by 2035. The microgrid demonstration serves as a technology deployment initiative within the Renewable Energy Research and Development program's focus on advancing clean energy technologies and reducing technology risks to accelerate commercial viability.

The city of decatur will complete a roof-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) array and battery energy storage system (bess) microgrid demonstration project at the decatur police department building, located at 420 w trinity place, decatur, GA 30030. This installation will offset a portion of the electricity usage at the facility with on-site renewable energy and enhance community resilience by sustaining critical functions during grid outages. The project will advance progress towards the city's commitment to supply 100% of electricity demand at municipal facilities with clean and renewable energy by 2030. In addition, the city will install a direct-current electric vehicle charging station, or DC-fast charger, which will support the electrification of the city's municipal fleet in line with decatur's 2035 fleet goal. While final system sizing will be determined during the completion of the project, initial estimates include a: • 170 KW roof-mounted solar array • 250 KW/500 KWH (power and capacity, respectively) lithium-ION battery energy storage system • 50 KW, dual-port direct-current EV charging station