The Challenge

SitelogIQ, a Minneapolis-based engineering and construction program management solutions provider, sought a solution for its customer, the Wiseburn Unified School District (USD), located in Hawthorne, CA, and serving 2,400+ students, that would align with the district’s sustainability goals while reducing the high demand charges it incurred under the local energy provider. The project involved the deployment of battery energy storage across three elementary schools, Del Aire Elementary, Hollyglen Elementary, and Aviation Elementary, as well as one middle school, Wiseburn Middle School. All sites had pre-existing solar PV systems, and the district’s objective was to increase cost savings by integrating energy storage with these existing assets.

However, deploying energy storage in California’s public K–12 schools brings unique challenges. Strict permitting requirements from the Division of the State Architect (DSA), which governs public school construction, meant each site needed custom coordination to meet compliance, while also maintaining a standardized system design to streamline execution across the portfolio. Additional complexity arose from the use of meter aggregation under NEM 2.0 and interconnection variations from site to site. The district’s campuses were served under a mix of time-of-use rate structures with varying demand-charge exposure and export compensation rules. Accurate modeling of both current and future tariff scenarios was critical for forecasting savings and informing control strategies. To support this effort, SitelogIQ turned to Energy Toolbase for its ability to model detailed project economics in ETB Developer and conduct in-depth utility rate analysis. Collectively, the four-site portfolio represented a significant capital investment for the district, with total project costs totaling $9,744,636.

The Solution

Energy Toolbase and SitelogIQ successfully deployed a 400kW/1,488kWh portfolio of battery energy storage systems across the four Wiseburn USD campuses. Each site was equipped with ETB Controller powered by Acumen AI™, which uses dynamic economic dispatch to autonomously determine the most cost-effective battery dispatch strategy based on real-time site conditions and utility signals. To ensure optimal savings, Energy Toolbase modeled each school’s tariff structure in ETB Developer. Wiseburn Middle School, the district’s largest campus, was served under a higher-capacity time-of-use rate with elevated demand charges and a planned transition to a more storage-friendly schedule. Del Aire and Hollyglen Elementary were served under smaller-capacity time-of-use rates, with recommended transitions to alternative schedules better aligned with energy storage dispatch, while Aviation Elementary was already on the recommended schedule. These customized rate strategies informed system sizing, dispatch configurations, and long-term savings plans.

Leveraging Energy Toolbase’s long-standing integration partnership with Socomec, SitelogIQ was able to procure the full set of energy storage systems directly through Energy Toolbase, streamlining purchasing and commissioning while enabling faster deployment across the portfolio. The team selected Socomec’s HES L 100/372 battery systems for their flexibility and proven reliability in public-sector applications. Socomec worked directly with DSA officials to design and secure approval for custom hardware kits that met their requirements. Their hands-on involvement played a key role in expediting approvals and keeping the project on schedule. This project marks the first completed portfolio between Energy Toolbase and SitelogIQ, demonstrating a scalable, intelligent energy storage solution tailored to the needs of California’s public schools.  As a result, Wiseburn USD now operates a future-ready energy platform that balances long-term cost savings with environmental stewardship, demonstrating a scalable and repeatable approach for California public school districts deploying integrated solar and energy storage systems. Additional project partners included MMPV Design, serving as architect; Teichert Construction, providing structural engineering and installation services; Coffman Engineers, acting as electrical engineer; Herzog Electric, serving as electrical installer; and CAM Property Services, responsible for paving, striping, irrigation, and landscaping.

The Outcome

The energy storage portfolio delivered by Energy Toolbase and SitelogIQ plays a central role in Wiseburn Unified School District’s broader renewable energy strategy, complementing solar PV carport installations and EV charging infrastructure deployed across the same four campuses. While SitelogIQ led the delivery of the district’s solar carport projects, Energy Toolbase’s intelligent storage and controls layer enables Wiseburn USD to fully capture the value of these clean energy investments by optimizing how and when energy is stored and used. Together, the integrated solar and storage approach strengthens the district’s sustainability goals while improving operational flexibility across its campuses.