PRESS RELEASE
1.75 MW/3.2 MWh system will provide multiple energy storage services to Austin’s Energy needs; project aims to manage distributed energy resources and integrate renewable energy at lowest possible cost
Austin (Texas) and Berlin (Germany), May 30, 2017 – Younicos has signed an agreement to deliver a megawatt-scale battery storage system to Austin Energy, as part of a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)-funded initiative known as the Sustainable and Holistic Integration of Energy Storage and Solar PV (SHINES) project.
Younicos will collaborate with the project’s prime contractor, Doosan GridTech, to install the 1.75 MW / 3.2 MWh system using the company’s innovative Y.Cube systems. They will be managed by Younicos’s Y.Q software platform, communicating with the Doosan GridTech Intelligent Controller using the MESA (Modular Energy Storage Architecture) open standard. The seven Y.Cubes and Y.Converters represent the company’s largest deployment in the U.S. to date.
“The SHINES project is the perfect showcase for an alternative, distributed energy system – and it shows how energy storage can provide optimal resiliency and security for such systems”, said Stephen L. Prince, CEO of Younicos. “Our Y.Cube is ideal for this type of application – offering the best in battery storage, intelligent control, system performance and safety in a compact form factor. We’re very pleased to partner with Austin Energy and Doosan GridTech on this innovative project.”
“This project is yet another important proof point of the versatility of batteries and the importance of the right software. Looking at the more than 200 MW of storage that we have commissioned or under construction, it is becoming clear that ever more energy market participants are appreciating the value that storage can bring to them, leading to an increased demand for solutions that are at once flexible and standardised.”
The Y.Cube systems will provide storage capabilities as part of a Distributed Energy Resource Management System (DERMS) that will maintain grid reliability while also enabling energy loads to be delivered at the lowest possible cost with high penetration levels of distributed PV generation. The platform, called DG-DERO™, also provided by Doosan GridTech, will use multiple advanced control methodologies that will be demonstrated and evaluated using a fleet of diverse DER assets deployed at various locations among Austin Energy’s customers.
In addition to optimising battery performance in combination with solar PV, a key requirement of the project is compliance with strict safety standards. The battery system will be located in a neighbourhood in East Austin, coexisting near both residential and commercial buildings. The Y.Cube, which has been optimised for use in commercial and industrial battery storage applications, is a plug-and-play system that also contains multiple thermal management subsystems for maximum safety.
“Integrating energy storage with solar is becoming essential as we achieve the City of Austin’s goal of 55 percent renewable energy by 2025. The Austin SHINES program is more than a technical pilot; it’s phase one of a larger rollout to maximise the value of distributed energy resources for our customers and the utility. Ultimately, it’s about testing innovative technologies that could have long-term benefits,” said Jackie Sargent, Austin Energy General Manager.
Daejin Choi, CEO of Doosan GridTech commented, “We are pleased to be working with Younicos on this breakthrough project. The Modular Energy Storage Architecture (MESA) open standard provides the software architecture that allows us each to bring our innovation to Austin Energy without a lot of custom engineering to fit our pieces together. Austin preserves choice in their system moving forward and we each get to focus on our core competencies.”
Media contact
Philip Hiersemenzel
+49-174-9088188
Philip.Hiersemenzel@younicos.com
About Younicos
Younicos is a global leader in intelligent energy storage and grid solutions. Clients benefit from technical expertise, commercial know-how and in-depth experience built on 150 megawatts installed in 37 energy storage projects worldwide. The company was founded in 2005 in Berlin, Germany, and currently employs more than 130 storage experts there and in Austin, Texas (USA). For more information please visit www.younicos.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
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