OATI Microgrid Technology Center

At a Glance
• System Configuration: 1 × C600S Capstone Microturbine System with redundant controls
• Data Center Architecture: High-availability / Tier IV fault-tolerant design supporting 24/7/365 NERC CIP-compliant SaaS operations
• Trigeneration Thermal Output: 200 tons of chilled water via absorption chilling and 3,000,000 BTU/hr (3 MMBtu/hr) of recovered hot water
• Operating Mode: Dual Mode (Continuous 24/7 grid-parallel operation with seamless, autonomous sub-second islanding)
• Hybrid Microgrid Infrastructure: Operates alongside 180 kW solar PV, 24 kW wind generation, 231 kWh battery energy storage, and a 1.5 MW emergency diesel generator


The Challenge
Open Access Technology International (OATI) provides critical Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platforms to over 1,600 North American energy sector clients, handling transmission scheduling, energy trading, and smart grid management under strict NERC CIP cybersecurity guidelines. Operating 98% of the continent's energy software backbone requires Tier IV-level fault tolerance—meaning zero single points of failure and absolute immunity to utility outages.
Relying solely on traditional grid power backed by short-term UPS batteries and emergency diesel generators left the 110,000-square-foot complex vulnerable to grid disruptions. OATI needed a resilient, highly efficient distributed generation backbone that could deliver continuous power, fulfil heavy server cooling loads, operate seamlessly in complete isolation from the grid, and prove the economic viability of advanced microgrids.


The Solution
OATI partnered with Veristar to deploy a 600 kW Combined Cooling, Heating, and Power (CCHP) trigeneration system anchored by a Capstone C600S microturbine as the baseload engine for its fault-tolerant data center.
• 24/7 On-Site Baseload Power: Operates continuously to power mission-critical server racks and office infrastructure, coordinated by a smart microgrid controller alongside 180 kW of solar PV, 24 kW of wind generation, and 231 kWh of battery storage.
• Integrated Trigeneration (CCHP) Server Cooling: Channels 535°F clean exhaust gas into a 200-ton absorption chiller to supply chilled water for server room cooling, while capturing 3 MMBtu/hr of hot water for building hydronic heat.
• Fault-Tolerant Power Architecture: Utilizes dual-path power conditioning, 231 kWh of fast-acting battery storage, and fully redundant Capstone microturbine controllers to absorb grid transients and bridge seamless transitions during utility loss.
• Dual-Mode Autonomous Islanding: In the event of a utility failure, the system automatically islands the facility without power interruption, maintaining server operation continuously alongside a 1,500 kW backup diesel generator.
• Modular Footprint Expansion: Built on a modular bay frame that allows seamless capacity expansion up to 1,000 kW (C1000) within the same physical footprint as data center compute density grows.


The Results
• Uncompromising Mission-Critical Uptime: Guarantees 100% operational availability for software platforms that manage the North American electric power grid.
• Maximum Single-Fuel Efficiency: Replaces separate grid power purchases, natural gas boilers, and electric mechanical chillers with a single, highly efficient trigeneration natural gas fuel source.
• Award-Winning Showcase: Won the ACEC Grand Award and NAIOP Award of Excellence, serving as a national demonstration model for economic, fault-tolerant microgrid deployment in the Midwest.