SimpliPhi Power and Sunbelt Bring Renewable Power to Remote Chile Region for ENEL Green Power

Utility determined distributed solar + energy storage systems more
cost effective to displace diesel generators than expanding transmission
lines

OJAI, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#SimpliPhi—SimpliPhi
Power's rugged, efficient and non-toxic batteries are being
installed in combination with solar PV systems in 90 homes in the
village of Toconce, Chile, to replace diesel generators. Solar solutions
provider Sunbelt
installed the systems on behalf of ENEL Green Power as part of the
utility’s social and environmental commitment to inhabitants near its
groundbreaking Cerro
Pabelloìn geothermal plant. The
project includes a total of 111 kWs of solar PV and energy storage
systems for Toconce residents who are not connected to the centralized
grid. The off-grid systems were deemed more cost effective than building
new transmission infrastructure at the grid edge and effectively
transitions the village to clean renewable power 24 hours a day.

“Forward-thinking utilities that shift to a greater percentage of
renewables in their portfolio see the benefits of distributed assets in
their financial models. At the fringes of the grid, modern energy
technology like solar and storage proves to be more cost effective to
install and more reliable compared to transmission lines, especially in
challenging terrain like the high elevation deserts of Chile,” said
SimpliPhi CEO Catherine Von Burg. “We commend Sunbelt for their ability
to design and execute on these efficient solar and storage systems for
Toconce, showing their commitment to projects with real social impact.
The fact that the medical clinic is able to extend their service hours
because they can count on electricity supply is a direct result of the
transformation clean, continuous energy can bring to off-grid
communities all over the world.”

Sunbelt is a leading solar solutions provider in Chile and surrounding
countries that earned its B Corp certification for meeting rigorous
social and environmental standards in their business. They approached
the challenge of creating reliable off-grid systems in the harsh
environmental conditions of the Atacama region in Northern Chile by
creating a streamlined cabinet that houses a Studer off-grid inverter
and one SimpliPhi Power PHI
3.4 battery powered by four 72 cell solar modules for each resident
in the village.

Besides the fuel savings achieved by the solar systems, this project
enables the village and its inhabitants to develop commercial
activities, like tourism, accommodation and food provision, all this
keeping the air of the Chilean Altiplano clean and avoiding additional
greenhouse gas emissions.

“We know that in the mountainous territories of Chile with extreme
temperature swings and altitudes of up to 5,000 meters above sea level,
off-grid renewable energy systems must be proven, robust and highly
efficient. This is why we used high-quality products in our systems like
those from SimpliPhi Power. Their stable and safe lithium ferrous
phosphate chemistry require little to zero maintenance and no thermal
controls to keep the lights on at night. The safety aspect means we
could also implement a training program for locals to perform simple
maintenance on their own systems,” said Jörg Schroerlücke, commercial
and operations manager for Sunbelt.

For more information about the Toconce project, please
visit the case study.

About SimpliPhi Power

SimpliPhi Power designs and manufactures efficient, non-toxic and
enduring energy storage and management systems that utilize cobalt-free,
non-toxic lithium ferro phosphate (LFP). Based in Ojai, California,
SimpliPhi combines the non-hazardous LFP energy storage chemistry with
its proprietary cell and battery architecture, power electronics,
Battery Management System (BMS) and assembly methods to create safe,
reliable, durable and highly scalable on-demand power solutions for the
residential, commercial, military, emergency response and film
industries. Integral to all SimpliPhi Power solutions is a proprietary
management system that further optimizes the life-cycle, performance and
durability of its batteries. SimpliPhi Power storage system components
are UL certified and have been rigorously tested and passed requirements
by the U.S. Army and Marine Corps. Visit SimpliPhipower.com
and follow @SimpliPhiPower,
Facebook
and LinkedIn.

About Sunbelt

Founded in 2013, Sunbelt is a Chilean company specialized on the
distribution of solar thermal and photovoltaic systems for residential,
commercial, agricultural and industrial applications. In cooperation
with its large network of solar installers, over the last years Sunbelt
has proven the ability to successfully design and implement innovative,
high quality and efficient solar systems all over the country and in
further promising solar markets of the region, such as Argentina, Peru
or Colombia.

Sunbelt offers solutions adopted to the needs and requirements of the
regional markets. All products comply with international and local
norms. Besides the supply of high quality solar products, Sunbelt offers
engineering and training services for solar installers and other
professionals. During the last years, Sunbelt has become one of the
leading market players of the region and a reliable partner for
integrated solutions for companies like ENEL Green Power.

For more information, please visit www.sunbelt.cl.

Contacts

SimpliPhi Power
Wendi Littlefield
media@simpliphipower.com