SimpliPhi Power and California Solar Electric have completed the second phase of an off-grid solar plus storage installation at the Taft Botanical Gardens in Ojai, Calif, which are part of an eco resort owned by the non-profit Conservation Endowment Fund.

Taft Gardens was challenged to preserve the pristine natural environment of the gardens while at the same time generating and harvesting enough off-grid power to accommodate expanding operations at this remote location. California Solar Electric originally designed and installed an off-grid hybrid solar power generation and storage solution that would eliminate trenching power lines and dramatically reduce generator use and fuel consumption for the eco resort.

Phase one of the off-grid solar plus storage system involved the installation of eight PHI2.6 kWh batteries (48 v) to provide over 20 kWh of stored power for the facilities' main lodge and three separate living quarters. A year later, it was evident that the solar PV generation exceeded both the resort's daily electricity loads and the battery storage capacity. Thus the second phase of the installation included an additional eight PHI2.6 kWh batteries (doubling the PHI power storage), providing enough extra power capacity to run electrical loads well into the night without utilizing a generator for a total of 41.6 kWh of stored PV power. Increasing the battery storage allowed them to capture all their PV generation and store more power for evening loads in order to maximize their capital investment - all off grid.