Torus, Inc., a leader in commercial-scale energy storage solutions, has completed a solar and energy storage installation at La Diana Market, a cherished family-owned grocery store in Salt Lake City. This project integrates a solar array with Torus’s cutting-edge energy storage and management system, enabling the store to generate and efficiently use clean energy, aligning with Torus’s vision of empowering local businesses as mini power plants.
The initiative was part of the Salt Lake Solar Powered Communities project, spearheaded by Salt Lake City’s Sustainability Department in collaboration with Utah Clean Energy. This multi-year effort aims to expand solar access in under-resourced areas, prioritizing businesses owned by or serving BIPOC communities. Funding for La Diana’s project came from a USDN grant, along with tax credits and rebates.
The installation features high-performance solar panels and an advanced energy storage system, ensuring reliable clean energy for La Diana Market. It reflects Torus’s dedication to delivering tailored energy solutions for small businesses while contributing to the Torus Community energy-sharing network.
Nate Walkingshaw, CEO and co-founder of Torus, stated “Local restaurants are the heartbeat of our communities, and they face significant energy costs that impact their bottom line. By bringing our advanced energy storage and solar solution to La Diana, we’re helping a valued local business reduce operating costs while strengthening our community’s energy resilience.”
The system offers top-tier outage protection, seamlessly switching to backup power in just 250 milliseconds. This rapid response is vital for a restaurant like La Diana Market, which depends on steady power to keep refrigeration running and food preparation on track. The energy storage is strategically located near distribution points, reducing transmission congestion and guaranteeing La Diana a dependable supply of clean energy.
Walkinshaw further added, “Each installation in our network represents another step toward our vision of a more sustainable and resilient energy future. La Diana is becoming part of a growing network of mini power plants that support our entire community’s energy needs.”
Through the Torus Community initiative, La Diana Market’s system can share surplus stored energy with nearby businesses during peak demand, helping to stabilize the local grid and improve energy efficiency. This project comes on the heels of Torus being named to TIME’s Best Inventions of 2024 list for their groundbreaking Nova Spin flywheel energy storage system. The La Diana project underscores Torus’s dedication to providing advanced energy solutions for local businesses while strengthening the community’s energy infrastructure to be more sustainable and resilient.
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