Going ahead with microgrids
Saft has strengthened its energy storage business with the acquisition of US-based Go Electric, a pioneering developer of microgrid solutions.
Lisa Laughner, Founder, President, and CEO of Go Electric, explains what this deal means for a green-tech startup.
Tell us a little more about Go Electric.
I founded Go Electric (GoE) with Tony Soverns and Alex Creviston in 2011 and it has steadily grown to 32 employees. We’re an early-stage company that develops turnkey microgrid solutions for military, commercial and industrial customers who want greater resiliency and lower energy costs.
Our solution combines patented power control technology with energy storage. It reduces energy costs by optimizing energy sources including renewables, and islands customer sites away from the grid during an outage. It has been deployed in military bases and commercial sites across the US and Canada. For example, we’re providing energy security solutions for businesses in New York that want resiliency against extreme weather events.
Why was GoE interested in becoming part of Saft?
Since 2015, we’ve developed a strong working relationship with Saft and delivered four microgrid projects together. Becoming part of Saft was a natural next step.
The alliance allows Go Electric to grow beyond North America and benefit from Saft’s expertise, market knowledge of other countries and reputation for longterm support. At the same time, Saft can offer its customers our fast-acting controller that seamlessly transitions from the grid to renewable energy, batteries or diesel gensets
What advantages do Saft and GoE customers have from this alliance?
Customers have the assurance of safe, high-performing batteries and microgrid systems with advanced capabilities in energy security, energy reliability, energy cost reduction, and renewables integration. We’ve established a common technical road map of products and solutions with Saft, allowing our teams to focus their efforts and learn from each other rapidly.
Batteries provide energy efficiency through peak shaving, load shifting or Time-of-Use (TOU) optimization. By adding microgrid technology, batteries provide resiliency, ensuring customers stay operational during an outage and avoid costly productivity downtime. All these make it easier on the customer’s pocket and we estimate a typical payback period of less than five years.
What markets are you targeting?
GoE will continue to target North America for microgrids and islanding systems in both civil and military markets. Being part of the Saft fold, however, also allows GoE to develop internationally for microgrid projects from 100 kW to 2 MW.