PowerFlex Develops Adaptive EV Charging & Energy Storage System for Sycuan Casino Resort

Located 30 minutes outside downtown San Diego in El Cajon, California, Sycuan Casino Resort is a AAA Four Diamond-rated destination boasting a 12-story hotel, upscale bars and restaurants, and an expansive casino floor. The resort is owned by the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation, which also owns the historic U.S. Grant Hotel in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter.

The Challenge

Provide Dependable EV Charging to Resort Guests While Managing Energy Costs

In 2008, Sycuan Casino employees founded the Sycuan Casino Green Team, which aims to improve environmental sustainability at the resort and in the surrounding community. In addition to boosting recycling efforts, the group also spearheaded a small electric vehicle charging installation in the casino’s parking garage.

When the casino decided to add more chargers to satisfy the growing demand from guests who drive EVs, it was crucial to work with a provider that could deploy a large number of charging stations while maximizing cost savings and reliability.

PowerFlex’s Solution

Intelligent, Scalable EV Charging Integrated With Battery Energy Storage

INSTALLATION TYPE

EV Charging
Battery Energy Storage System

INSTALLATION SIZE

117 Level 2 Chargers
5 DC Fast Chargers
250-kW / 560 kWh Battery Energy Storage

LOCATIONS

El Cajon, CA
San Diego, CA

INCENTIVES

CALeVIP • Fast Charging Infrastructure (FCI) • Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) • Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP) • Demand Side Grid Support Program • Communities in Charge

PowerFlex has installed 50 Level 2 chargers and 5 DC Fast Chargers as a free amenity for resort employees and guests — with an additional 40 Level 2 chargers planned. This mix of charger types is perfect for a hotel-and-casino like Sycuan. Guests can plug their vehicles into a Level 2 overnight and wake up to a fully charged battery in the morning, while the DC Fast Chargers provide a quicker option when needed.

PowerFlex also completed an additional installation of 11 Level chargers on tribal property, adjacent to the Sycuan Tribal Administration building.Across all sites, Sycuan's EV chargers deliver 1.6 million electric miles for drivers each year, which avoids 1.4 million poundsof greenhouse gas emissions annually.

PowerFlex uses Adaptive Load Management® (ALM) to intelligently balance power draw among each Level 2 charger in real time, helping prevent expensive spikes in energy demand. ALM also allows for a larger number of chargers to be installed using Sycuan’s existing electrical infrastructure — avoiding equipment upgrades.

“I highly recommend the PowerFlex Team for their outstanding service and look forward to a great working relationship for years to come.”

Chris Brown

Transportation Manager, Sycuan Casino Resort

Optimized Energy Storage for Reducing Costs & Carbon Emissions

ALM is built into PowerFlex X™, PowerFlex’s intelligent energy management platform. In addition to managing the onsite EV chargers, the platform also optimizes the 250-kilowatt (kW) / 560 kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery energy storage system (BESS), also installed by PowerFlex.

By integrating the BESS with the DC Fast Chargers, Sycuan can avoid costly demand charges that result from the high electricity use of fast charging. The BESS also helps reduce costs and reduce carbon emissions by supplying the chargers with stored, lower-cost energy instead of relying on expensive on-peak grid power.

Besides cost savings, the BESS also generates revenue through California’s Demand Side Grid Support Program, which compensates Sycuan when its battery system dispatches energy to the grid during times of grid strain or high demand. In doing so, Sycuan is taking an active part in relieving stress on the power grid and increasing energy security for the surrounding community.

Additional Chargers Installed at U.S. Grant Hotel

To encourage patronage from guests who drive electric vehicles at the Sycuan Tribe’s other San Diego property, PowerFlex also installed charging stations at the U.S. Grant Hotel. The 16 Level 2 chargers optimized by Adaptive Load Management® ensure drivers get the energy they want by the time they need to depart.