Power Solutions
Know when on-site power is worth it.
LCI evaluates generation, CHP, storage, and microgrid opportunities against the facility’s actual load, utility rates, fuel costs, market opportunities, resilience needs, and operating requirements. If the economics work, we help move the project forward.
Why on-site power can create value
The value can come from more than avoided energy purchases.
On-site power can affect demand charges, capacity or transmission exposure, energy purchases, demand response revenue, resilience, and production risk. Which of those values apply depends on the utility, market, tariff, technology, and how the facility operates.
"Capacity, transmission, demand response, and utility demand mechanisms vary by market. The project has to be modeled against the rules and rates that actually apply to the facility."
LCI Energy · Market & tariff analysis
See our energy solutions
How it works
On-site power, explained plainly
Behind-the-meter power puts generation or storage on the customer side of the utility meter. Depending on the facility, that can include CHP, reciprocating engines, turbines, fuel cells, batteries, solar, or a combination of technologies. The asset may operate continuously, respond to utility or market conditions, provide backup power, or serve several purposes at once.
LCI uses “Bring Your Own Power,” or BYOP, as shorthand for strategies that give a facility more control over how and when it produces or stores electricity behind the meter. The utility, interconnection, permitting, operating, and market requirements depend on the project and location.
LCI evaluates those requirements alongside the technical and financial model so the project is sized around the facility rather than around a particular technology.
When it makes sense
Four profiles where on-site power is worth evaluating
On-site power is not right for every facility. Strong candidates usually have a combination of significant load, useful thermal demand, high utility costs, resilience requirements, market opportunities, or operating conditions that support the asset.
High-load manufacturing Capacity-driven
Get a facility assessmentCold storage & food processing Resilience-driven
Get a facility assessmentData centers & critical facilities Uptime-driven
Get a facility assessmentMulti-site industrial portfolios Portfolio-driven
Get a facility assessmentGetting there
From load study to operating asset
The path varies by technology and location, but successful projects start with the facility load and economics before moving into engineering, interconnection, and implementation.
Step 1
Load and utility analysis
We review interval data, utility tariffs, operating schedules, existing generation, fuel availability, and applicable market costs to understand what the asset would actually need to accomplish.
Step 2
Technology sizing and economics
We compare generation, CHP, storage, and other options against the facility’s load, rates, fuel costs, operating constraints, capital cost, and potential value streams.
Step 3
Engineering, interconnection and permitting
For projects that move forward, we coordinate the required utility, engineering, permitting, equipment, and contractor work with the appropriate technical partners.
Step 4
Commissioning and operating strategy
Once the asset is installed, the operating strategy should reflect the economics that justified it. That may include continuous operation, demand management, resilience, demand response, or other market participation where the asset is eligible.
Examples of the work
See the types of power opportunities we evaluate.
Capacity and demand management
How interval data, utility costs, and operating requirements can be used to evaluate dispatchable generation or storage for peak-related costs.
CHP for a thermal and electric load
How electric load, recoverable heat, fuel cost, utility rates, maintenance, and capital cost come together in a CHP feasibility model.
Considering on-site generation, storage, or a microgrid?
Start with the load, utility rate, fuel supply, operating requirements, and project idea. We’ll help determine whether the opportunity is worth developing further.