Case Study
Maximizing the Value of Solar at Frontwave Arena
Baker Electric
Project Highlights
Location
Oceanside, CA
Capacity
625 kW rooftop solar array / 1,147 kWh energy storage system
Equipment
PV modules: Hanwha Q Cells Duo XL
String inverters: SMA America CORE1
Rapid shutdown: APSmart RSD-S-PLC
Energy storage system: SYL 3210S4P
Energy storage inverter: PCS125HV
Challenge
When you’re planning a 7,500-seat arena in an area with high electricity rates and a lot of sunshine, it’s a good idea to start thinking about solar panels and storage systems.
That’s exactly what the team behind Frontwave Arena did when planning their multipurpose entertainment venue in the City of Oceanside, San Diego County. The arena’s specific location in El Corazon, a 465-acre district dedicated to habitat and recreation, led to another goal: Making the building as sustainable as possible.
A large rooftop solar array paired with a sizable energy storage system now allows Frontwave Arena to maximize the economic value of solar and operate sustainably — all while ensuring a great fan experience for everyone attending San Diego Sockers and Clippers home games, as well as concerts and community events.
Approach
Building a solar-plus-storage system takes a village: This system is owned and operated by DSD Renewables through a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Frontwave Arena. At the project’s onset in 2023, DSD hired Baker Electric as the project EPC (overseeing engineering, procurement, and construction), and Mayfield Renewables as the electrical engineer of record.
In turn, Mayfield worked with each stakeholder, as well as San Diego Gas & Electric (the local utility) and the City of Oceanside (the authority having jurisdiction, AHJ) to develop a plan set and provide electrical PE stamps.
Project Hurdles
As with any complex commercial-scale project, and particularly for a new-construction building, engineering challenges emerged throughout the development process. Mayfield solved these through collaboration with other stakeholders and strategic value engineering.
Limited Physical Space
The electrical courtyard (dedicated outdoor space for electrical equipment such as the utility transformer and facility main service panel) was crowded.
Mayfield worked with the energy storage system manufacturer to gather 9540A test report data, which the AHJ used to allow reduced spacing between the battery and other electrical equipment in the courtyard.
Multiple Key Stakeholders
DSD Renewables owns and operates the project under a PPA, Baker Electric constructed and permitted the project, and Mayfield engineered the project. All parties accommodated requirements from Frontwave Arena, the local utility, and the AHJ.
Mayfield coordinated with all stakeholders and submitted plans for multiple rounds of revisions to ensure all viewpoints were considered.
Designing a System for a New Building
The solar-plus-storage system was designed for a building that was still under construction, so there weren’t any “as-built” drawings or historical electrical load data Mayfield could use to size the solar array and energy storage container.
Mayfield and Baker Electric worked with Frontwave Arena to estimate electrical loads to size the energy storage system and PV array.
We were very thoughtful at the beginning here on how we were going to operate this business. Energy costs are rising, and so it was a very key component of our strategy.
Josh Elias
Co-Founder & CEO of Frontwave Arena
Result
Results
Following multiple rounds of reviews and revisions with the City of Oceanside, San Diego Gas & Electric, and DSD Renewables, Baker Electric successfully obtained a permit on October 15, 2024, and began construction in December.
As of this writing, the project has been commissioned and is going through final inspections. Energization is anticipated in May 2025.
