The Challenge

Ventura County was in search of a solution that would be able to keep water pumps on and supply water to county residents in case of an emergency. In December 2017, the Thomas Fire burned 281,000 acres, and 250,000 county residents lost power. Much of Ventura County’s water is served by wells powered by electricity, meaning when the power is out, residents do not have access to water. Ventura Energy was searching for a hardware and software solution to provide reliable backup capabilities at five critical water facilities throughout the county. It also needed an energy management system
(EMS) that would allow the system to participate in the state’s Demand Response Auction Mechanism program (DRAM).

The Solution

Ventura Energy partnered with Energy Toolbase to enable grid participation at the five sites, as more than traditional savings and revenue streams alone were required to advance the projects. Using ETB Controller and Acumen AI™, they deployed standalone energy storage systems with Tesla Powerpacks and Megapacks. Through Energy Toolbase’s partnership with Leap Energy, the systems will participate in California’s DRAM program—a pay-as-bid solicitation that strengthens grid stability by aligning utility demand response with CAISO, the state’s grid operator. Beyond demand response and grid services program participation, the partnership aims to maximize revenue and bolster the grid through a performance-based revenue-share model. Additionally, DRAM enrollment also helps offset demand-side resources when the grid is strained.