Project Edith
A live, 3.3 megawatt data center in Washington connected to a hydro power plant experiencing loads of spilled energy. What was once a bankrupt data center became the pilot facility. Soluna exited Project Edith in Q3 2022.
Here’s the what, why & how of Edith…
The local power utility...
Suffered from low demand during the rainy season. Thus generated more power than they were selling. They were forced to shed this ‘excess’ energy to the local power plant. This: 1) Increased the costs to operate the Dam. 2) Lengthened the time to repay the debt on the Dam. And 3) Reduced the time to plan for future upgrades. The grid needed to find ways to increase power demand for the region. Otherwise, this imbalance of supply & demand would continue to cause unpredictable revenues for the local utility provider.
Soluna...
Acquired and refurbished an existing data center. The facility was designed to consume energy during peak-energy periods, where demand for power was normally low. The data center can now ramp-up or ramp-down energy based on any spikes & troughs.
So then...
The local utility can now plan future upgrades of the Dam. They’re earning more revenues—consistently & predictably. They restructured their debt to meet their obligations. And they’re now planning to build a solid power-infrastructure for the region.
What's in a name?
Edith Clarke was a pioneer in electrical engineering & power transmission. She was a first in so many ways. The first woman to earn an MSc degree at MIT in 1919. The first woman employed as an electrical engineer at General Electric in 1921. The first full-time electrical engineering professor in 1947, at University of Texas. We’re influenced by Edith’s firsts. It drives us to help make renewable, affordable energy the world’s primary power source.
Learn about Edith