Case Study: Soka University of America achieves $55,000 in first-year energy savings and advances sustainability with Stem

Soka University of America - Customer Case Study

Soka University of America, a 103‑acre liberal arts campus in Aliso Viejo, needed to reduce operating expenses, cut rising peak demand charges, automate energy management, and advance campus sustainability without any upfront capital outlay. Stem proposed its storage‑as‑a‑service solution — a 300 kW PowerStore battery paired with intelligent, self‑learning analytics — as a way to lower bills, improve local grid reliability, and showcase clean‑energy leadership to students and the community.

Stem installed the 300 kW system (with an additional 100 kW planned) and enrolled Soka in its Grid Rewards virtual power plant, using automated controls to store low‑cost energy and shave peak demand. The Stem solution required no capital investment, reduced staff time spent on manual energy management, and produced $55,000 in net savings in year one (projected to reach about $100,000 annually by year ten and roughly $740,000 over 10 years), while supporting Soka’s sustainability goals.

Soka University of America

Scott Collins

Director of Operations