No Mulligans on Energy: PowerSecure Provides Resilience for State-of-the-Art PGA TOUR Studios Facility
Golf fans will never miss a drive, chip or putt thanks to a collaboration between the PGA TOUR and PowerSecure, a distributed energy infrastructure provider and key player in the microgrid industry.
The two companies have partnered to ensure the league’s new state-of-the-art production facility never goes offline during a grid disruption.
Unveiled in January, the PGA TOUR Studios is redefining how golf content is created and delivered by centralizing the PGA TOUR’s live, social, digital and international media operations under one roof.
The 165,000 square-foot facility in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, features eight production rooms, eight audio control rooms and seven LED light-equipped studios. The studio can support up to 144 cameras or live feeds and thousands of individual audio and video feeds.
Three 1.25-MW PowerSecure PowerBlocks provide the studio with a total of 3.75 MW of backup power capacity.
"We are thrilled to support PGA TOUR Studios with our advanced power solutions," Jim Smith, president of PowerSecure, said in a statement. "This alliance exemplifies our commitment to providing reliable, resilient energy solutions that help ensure the seamless operation of critical facilities."
On the green: Tier 4 Final generators run on diesel or renewable fuel
Modular and scalable power generating units, each PowerBlock includes two 625 kW Tier 4 Final Volvo engines that meet the latest, most stringent emissions and energy efficiency standards. They can run on diesel or hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO).
HVO is renewable fuel made from vegetable oil or other 100% renewable raw materials. The oil or raw materials undergo a high-pressure hydrogen treatment that produces a high-quality fuel that is chemically identical to, and significantly cleaner to burn than diesel.
PowerSecure is powering its Durham, NC campus microgrid with HVO, which can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45% to 85% compared to diesel, according to studies.
PGA TOUR Studios has the option of adding two more PowerBlocks, if necessary.
Teeing up resilience
PowerSecure is also providing 24/7 monitoring through its PowerControl Operations Center. In addition to real-time alerts and performance tracking, the system’s Storm Mode allows the studio to proactively switch to generator power before weather-related grid issues arise, minimizing downtime and protecting critical systems.
“PowerSecure plays an essential role on our PGA TOUR campus, as its six generators and Power Equipment Center provide the backup energy to our multimedia production facility, PGA TOUR Studios, in the event grid power is ever lost,” said Michael Johnson, senior vice president, Design and Construction, for the PGA TOUR. “This reinforcement helps the PGA TOUR never skip a beat in delivering premium content and offerings to our fans worldwide.”
PowerSecure is a division of Southern Company, which is the official energy company of the PGA TOUR.
The tour held its major PGA Tournament last week at the Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte. Scottie Scheffler won the tournament by five strokes over the nearest competitors.
