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Siemens unveiled its advanced on-site microgrid at its Wendell, North Carolina facility today with an official “power on” ceremony. Integrated into the company’s U.S. Electrification and Automation headquarters, the 1.25-megawatt microgrid combines a solar photovoltaic carport array paired with a 3.9-megawatt-hour battery energy storage system. The microgrid, together with other campus-wide energy saving initiatives, enabled the Wendell site to achieve fully carbon-neutral operations while reducing the overall grid energy consumption by 2.5 MWh annually. The project underscores Siemens' unwavering commitment to achieving a net-zero carbon footprint by 2030 and represents a significant advancement for sustainable manufacturing in the United States.
The Wendell microgrid significantly improves operational resilience, helping protect the factory from grid outages that threaten production of vital medium-voltage power equipment. As one of the largest solar + storage industrial microgrids interconnected with Duke Energy’s distribution network in the Carolinas, the system can participate in net energy metering, exporting excess electricity back to the grid to support other customers. This capability not only strengthens energy reliability at the Wendell campus but also contributes to broader grid stability for the surrounding community.
“There is no question that we must do more to lower energy costs for North Carolinians and strengthen the resilience of our electric grid,” said Congresswoman Ross. “I’m grateful to see Siemens stepping up in Wendell with innovative investments that will expand clean, reliable energy. In Congress, I will keep working to advance commonsense solutions that drive down costs and accelerate North Carolina’s clean energy future.”
Built using Siemens products, the microgrid solution consists of the company’s SICAM A8000 Microgrid Controller, fire protection solutions, low-voltage switchboards, low-voltage bolted pressure switches, KACO string inverters, SIPROTEC universal relays, among other hardware solutions. From the software side, Siemens’ Desigo building management system and Electrification X cloud analytics enable seamless communication between the microgrid and the facility’s building management systems. On-site Siemens VersiCharge electric vehicle chargers are also connected into the microgrid, enabling EVs to be charged via self-generated solar energy while showcasing real-time charging statuses and dynamic load management as part of the site’s Customer Experience Center.
“The microgrid that we’ve integrated here at our Wendell campus is one of the more advanced microgrids installed in the market today,” said Brian Dula, Siemens USA’s President of Electrification and Automation. “It’s a true showcase of Siemens’ end-to-end portfolio of products, from generation to consumption and demonstrates not only how we’re making our own operations more efficient but also displays what we can do for our customers.”
Siemens is advancing energy resilience and sustainability not only within its own operations, but for industry and infrastructure customers across the U.S., and alongside partners like Wake Technical Community College. Together, Siemens and Wake Tech are developing a future on-campus microgrid that will support reliable, efficient energy while creating new opportunities for students and workforce training.
“Given the strong growth we’re experiencing across the regions we serve, protecting customer reliability in a cost-effective manner is a core focus of Duke Energy’s grid modernization efforts,” said Venu Ghanta, Duke Energy’s vice president of North Carolina regulatory affairs and policy. “We’ve had a tremendous partnership for decades with Siemens, and we appreciate their focus on delivering solutions that improve grid resiliency.”
In addition to the on-site microgrid, the Wendell headquarters recently opened its interactive Customer Experience Center, workforce training Power Academy classrooms, conference center, and expanded manufacturing lines. The facility has added hundreds of new roles over the past several years and plans to continue expanding its workforce through 2028 and beyond.
