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Glenn Meyers

Closure Of Thin-Film Development Site Marks Last Stop For Bosch PV Play

by Glenn Meyers October 30, 2015

German-based Bosch is now in the midst of a complete exit from its solar PV play, having announced it will close its thin-film PV development site, Bosch Solar CISTech GmbH, due to its inability to find a suitable investor.

As reported by pv-magazine, an exact date for the closure has not been given. Some 180 employees will be affected by the closure, though.

Bosch Solar Energy AG was a German solar wafer and solar cell manufacturer based in Erfurt, which specialized in crystalline silicon-based photovoltaic products, as well as thin-film modules using amorphous silicon and CIGS absorber materials.

With the announcement of the closure, the company has now departed from both the crystalline and thin-film solar PV sectors.

Although Bosch exited the crystalline silicon solar PV industry in March 2013, the group held onto its thin-film subsidiary. The original plan was to bring the thin-film technology to market maturity and then begin manufacturing operations, explained the spokesperson. However, the group failed to find a partner or investor with a suitable concept to implement the plans.

Understanding Thin-Film Solar Panel Technology

Prior to its closure announcement, some saw potential that Bosch would be able to hold onto its PV development site for the long term, but in July, IG Metall confirmed to German media site rbb that alternative employment opportunities or a transfer company would be examined for the affected employees.

Image: Technician testing thin film solar cells, via Shutterstock

October 30, 2015 0 comment

Going Solar PV Rooftop Solar Solar Policy

Potential Changes From Utilities In Net Metering Will Adversely Impact Rooftop Solar

by Glenn Meyers October 29, 2015

written by Glenn Meyers

When it comes to net metering dollars and cents for utilities, the utility bill face-off between rooftop solar champions and utilities continues to evolve.

With net metering wins being achieved in states like Colorado and Nevada, owners of rooftop solar systems may not be as fortunate in states like Florida, where the development of large-scale solar projects are being planned by investor-owned utilities Florida Power and Light (FPL) .

As one solar owner has put it:

“But the war on solar is now public, CEO of FPL is now out with a tour on the supposed “cost-shift” caused by solar on homes. Instead the solar plants, he says, should be large-scale (but only owned by the investor owned utilities). This will not play out well but we shall see.”

FPL CEO Eric Silagy has said that large-scale utility solar projects are more efficient than rooftop solar projects because each home requires a custom build and setup. In addition to this, FPL is required to buy all unused solar power at a retail price, which he argues is three times the cost of what it takes to produce power at FPL plants.

FPL is presently working on three projects that will each use about 1 million solar panels, Silagy has said. If this sounds like the proverbial case of Goliath versus David, the analogy is probably fitting.

But utilities seeking to expand clean renewable electricity in their portfolio believe they need to make business sense of how they utilize solar assets.

The Goliath likeness has reared its head on the Pacific coast, as well. California regulators have found themselves addressing new net metering policies under a plan referred to as Net Energy Metering 2.0. These potential changes could spell huge pitfalls for the development of rooftop solar, writes The Motley Fool:

“As part of the discussion, the state’s three biggest utilities, Southern California Edison (SCE), Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), and San Diego Gas & Electric, are proposing changes to net metering that could stop the residential solar industry in its tracks.”

Add a number of large solar companies — like Solar City — to this list of net metering champions and we have the makings of an enduring face-off.

Image: Rooftop solar panels via Shutterstock

October 29, 2015 0 comment

Consumer Electronics Solar Projects Startups

RE-VOLT Targets Affordable Electricity Market In Poorest Haiti Island

by Glenn Meyers October 27, 2015

written by Glenn Meyers

According to press information, RE-VOLT, has launched an Indiegogo crowdfunding initiative to reach 10,000 people in rural Haiti, bringing families affordable and reliable electricity for the first time. The off-grid company states this will occur through the installation of a system consisting of a solar panel, a control/power storage unit, several lights, and a phone charger.

Customers will be charged a relatively low monthly fee of 250 Haitian Gourdes (about USD $5), and will pay for the service through Digicel’s Mon Cash mobile banking platform. The units themselves contain a cellular antenna allowing RE-VOLT to manage payments and maintenance remotely.

RE-VOLT currently serves over 800 customer households, or about 4,000 people, on the island of La Gonave, one of the most isolated and impoverished communities in Haiti. The problem is some of these families are at the very lowest level of being impoverished. According to We Care for the Poor International, approximately 120,000 people live on the island, all living in very poor circumstances. “La Gonâve is one of the main economically dispossessed areas in a country considered the poorest in the Western Hemisphere where the typical annual income for a family is less than $450,” the organisation write on their website. Divide this annual number by 12 months and monthly family income comes to just $37.30. No doubt, electricity will still be a costly proposition for the poor.

Of note, RE-VOLT was founded by Digicel Haiti chairman, Maarten Boute. A recent press release states that, “Under Boute’s leadership, Digicel Haiti’s subscriber base grew from under 2 million customers in 2010 to over 4.5 million in 2014, when Boute relinquished his duties as Digicel Haiti’s CEO to co-found RE-VOLT along with former Digicel executive, Darragh Dolan.”

Digicel currently reports a strong subscriber base in cities like Port-au-Prince. Growing the business in rural areas was a logical next step, extreme poverty issues aside.

Boute said, “As we expanded our network there, we began to realize how much of a problem energy poverty was. It became very clear to us that there was a huge business opportunity to provide affordable, reliable energy to these people – as well as it being a morally compelling thing to do as well.”

“You would visit these villages and people are spending around a fifth of their day’s wages to pay a guy on the street with a generator to charge their phone,” said Dolan. “It bothered us every time we saw it. There had to be a better way.”

When asked what prompted him and Boute to launch RE-VOLT last year, Dolan said that they both felt that the time was right for a variety of reasons, including higher daily household demand for electricity due to the increasing penetration of power-hungry smartphones, and the plummeting price of solar system components, such as solar panels and batteries.

An on-the-ground sales team of La Gonave locals goes door-to-door seeking new customers. The team also makes regular visits to open-air markets, a central part of daily life in rural Haiti. This team is also responsible for basic maintenance and troubleshooting on installed systems.

“There have been massive advances in both the quality of available technologies and their affordability,” added Dolan. “A few years ago the economics of RE-VOLT wouldn’t have made sense. Today, this is a viable business model.”

“One really cool aspect of our business is that we’re creating jobs in the communities we serve,” says Boute. “And for most of our customers, this is the first time they’ve interacted with an in-home service business that is responsive, treats them well and actually stands by a product.”

The creation of jobs here, in a place where few exist, will no doubt stand out as an important contribution in the development of this business.

RE-VOLT recently launched its campaign on crowdfunding site Indiegogo in order to raise the working capital necessary to grow its customer base on La Gonave to 2,000 households or 10,000 people by January 2016.

For those who want to know, here are some facts about Haiti:

80 percent of Haiti’s population lives below the poverty line.
Half of all Haitian children are under weight as a result of malnutrition
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that only 43 percent of the target population receives the recommended immunizations.
There are 25 Physicians, 8 Dentists and 11 Nurses per 100,000 people in Haiti. Only one-fourth of births are attended by a skilled health professional.
Most rural areas have no access to health care, making residents susceptible to otherwise treatable diseases. In 2003, for example, the WHO confirmed an outbreak of typhoid fever in Haiti that, because of a lack of access to physicians and safe water, led to dozens of deaths.
Annually, 5,000 Haitian babies are born infected with the AIDS virus. The disease causes a fifth of all infant deaths and has orphaned 200,000 children.
The country’s minimum wage is 70 gourdes per day, equivalent to about US$1.70.

Boute and Dolan are enthusiastic about RE-VOLT’s future. According to Dolan, “We think there’s massive potential for us to provide additional services such as wi-fi hotspots, not to mention systems with better power generation and storage capabilities.

The challenging and very real issue of affordability will continue to exist among the impoverished.

Images via RE-VOLT

October 27, 2015 0 comment

Consumer Electronics Going Solar

Solar Lights: Nokero Introduces New Solar Light Bulb In Zimbabwe

by Glenn Meyers October 22, 2015

written by Glenn Meyers

I received this news and Zimbabwe photo yesterday from Steve Katsaros, founder of Nokero, a pioneering Denver company that makes great solar light bulbs that replace poisonous kerosene lamps that are so prevalent where people have no access to electricity.

Katsaros had very good news to share:

My colleagues and I have been all over the globe researching, inventing, selling and building Nokero…After nearly 6 years in the solar light business, we have finally created the perfect mix of performance and price. Today, October 20th is the launch date of the WORLD’S MOST EFFICIENT LIGHT BULB!

Here are two products from Nokero, the N183 on the left, and the N233 on the right. Nokero sells the N183 for the modest retail price of $5.99 in-country. The N233 retails for $17.99.

And here is the video of the N233:

Mr. Katsaros tells me the N233 is two to three times improved over Nokero’s last model, fitting in your pocket, with an easy-push button, and charges in one day to give 6 hours of light (high) or 15 hours (low).

“This is the most efficient light bulb in the world and the most efficient solar light product we have tested (at 700 lumen-hours per watt),” said Katsaros.

For those who might be wondering, Nokero filed patents on the new light a few weeks ago.

For those who don’t know this company, you should know 1.3 billion people in the world live without electricity. Denver-based Nokero (short for no kerosene) is seeking to bring these people light.

To accomplish this praiseworthy goal, Katsaros asks people to “Connect us to your favorite NGO, church, or rich Aunt 🙂 who helps those in humanitarian crisis.”

I wish this company the best in this clean energy endeavor, as well as all the people they reach.

Images via Nokero

October 22, 2015 0 comment

Energy Storage Going Solar PV Solar Incentives Solar Policy Solar Projects

Ohio To Add Solar Energy Storage

by Glenn Meyers October 13, 2015

written by Glenn Meyers

It appears energy storage for a solar facility in Ohio is now being regarded as a fundamental operational consideration by participants.

According to pv magazine, construction will begin in October on this Ohio 7 MW solar electricity storage facility. Completion of this project is expected some time next February. The facility, located in Minster, will be connected to a PV plant that is scheduled to go online by the end of the year.

A basic consideration in any renewable energy network, the need to add storage has been called for by many solar proponents. The decision regarding this facility was made following the introduction of a bill that saw negative changes to Solar Renewable Energy Credit (SREC) requirements.

When all is said and done, the solar+storage system is expected to be the biggest of its kind in the United States. American Renewable Energy and Power LLC (AREP) is the developer of both systems.

2013 view of Minster location

The 7-megawatt energy storage facility will use lithium-ion batteries and will be adjacent to a new 4.2-MW solar power plant. Together, the two projects are expected to improve electric service for the Minster electric system, said Village Administrator Donald Harrod in an interview with Public Power Daily (PPD).

S&C Electric Company was contracted by property owner Half Moon Ventures (HMV) to provide EPC services to the energy storage component of the project, which will comprise S&C’s PureWave Storage Management System. Work on this element should begin in mid-October and be completed by next February.

Storage Was Added

AREP decided to expand the original solar project to include a storage facility, and received conditional approval from the Minster council in December 2014. After that, HMV was brought on board to provide financing for both projects; it is now the owner.

The local electric utility views the addition of storage favorably, stated PPD, citing Harrod: “…the municipal electric utility had been thinking about spending $200,000 to put in capacitors to improve its power quality.” But with the solar and energy storage project, he believes the utility will be able to avoid that expense.

Minster photos via Green Energy Ohio Tour

October 13, 2015 0 comment

PV Solar $

New Solar Policies In Spain Spark PV Industry IRE

by Glenn Meyers October 13, 2015

written by Glenn Meyers

Called a self-consumption decree in Spain, this new solar policy targeting solar PV electricity states that installations up to 100 kW provide electricity to the grid as a gift, receiving no compensation in return, and only a tax bill.

The only entities spared from this policy are smaller systems up to 10 kW, or plants located on islands off the Spanish coast.

According to Christian Roseland, writing for pvmagazine, the current center-right government in Spain is considered hostile to the solar industry in comparison to other European nations. But such a tax, while unpopular to solar energy proponents, has been viewed by proponents for some time as one step forward, Forbes has stated, for righting the nation’s solar fiscal woes:

“Spain is generating so much solar power, according to its government, that production capacity exceeds demand by more than 60%. That imbalance has created a problem for the government which now finds itself in debt to producers. And not by a little bit. The debt is said to have grown to nearly 26 billion euros ($34.73 billion US).”

These new fees will begin to be levied in six month’s time. Solar PV arrays under 10 kW and systems not on the Spanish mainland will be spared the generation charge, but will still be subject to a fixed charge per kW of capacity.

In opposition to the recommendation of the solar industry and the state council, these fees are levied not on the net balance, but on the total output of systems.

Additionally, PV systems up to 100 kW may not sell electricity, and will be required to donate this electricity to the grid free without compensation. Systems over 100 kW must registered in order to sell electricity on the spot market for the excess they produce.

According to Spanish news site Público, one of the few recommendations made by the State Council that was incorporated into the final text is that the use of batteries will not be banned. However, the use of batteries will not be allowed to lower the portion of the tax based on the capacity of solar PV systems.

Vocal opposition to the new solar policy has come from both the Association of Renewable Energy Producers (ANPIER) and the Spanish Photovoltaic Union (UNEF). ANPIER called the regulations a “perversion of Democracy”, while UNEF president Jorge Barredo added, the “unjustified sun tax” means independent solar system users will pay more charges for maintaining the grid than other users do, even though they use less of it.

This economic disincentive now taking place in Spain makes particularly bad news for a country that has been long regarded as a pioneering leader in the creation of a solar energy infrastructure.

Image: Solar panels in Granada, Spain via Shutterstock

October 13, 2015 0 comment

Community Solar Going Solar Solar Co-ops

History Of Energy Gardens

by Glenn Meyers October 9, 2015

written by Glenn Meyers

Originally published on Green Living Ideas.

Before I begin writing about energy gardens, it is incredibly helpful to understand what they are, what they aren’t, and their level of independence from whatever energy utility serves the vicinity.

The concept of distributed energy

According to the US Department of Energy, “distributed energy consists of a range of smaller-scale and modular devices designed to provide electricity, and sometimes also thermal energy, in locations close to consumers.” A solar garden fits in this category.

They include, adds the DOE, fossil and renewable energy technologies (e.g., photovoltaic arrays, wind turbines, microturbines, reciprocating engines, fuel cells, combustion turbines, and steam turbines); energy storage devices (e.g., batteries and flywheels); and combined heat and power systems. In other words, there are a lot of options when we talk of distributed energy.

“Distributed energy offers solutions to many of the nation’s most pressing energy and electric power problems,” writes the DOE, “including blackouts and brownouts, energy security concerns, power quality issues, tighter emissions standards, transmission bottlenecks, and the desire for greater control over energy costs.”

Add cCommunity solar farms or gardens to the growing list of these distributed energy competitors. In the case of solar gardens, this distributed energy operation ” accepts capital from and provides output credit and tax benefits to individual and other investors.”

A new analysis from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) predicts “solar gardens” could account for one-third to one-half of all solar PV power in the United States by 2020.

Source: GTM Research

Wow! This is especially relevant to families unable to install their own solar, either because of budget or location, who want a part in the green energy revolution.

Solar gardens take off in 2010

The Colorado Legislature passed the Community Solar Gardens Act (CSGA) in 2010 with the intended purpose of spurring the development of community solar gardens (CSGs) in the territories of investor-owned utilities. In Colorado, the dominant utility is Xcel Energy.

The CSGA defines a CSG as a solar electric generation facility with a nameplate rating of two megawatts or less, and have at least 10 subscribers.

energy garden harvard HSG-drone-shot-the-big-picture_VN

The 550 kW Harvard Community Solar Garden is the first shareholder-owned solar garden in Massachusetts . Photos courtesy of Steven Strong, president of Solar Design Associates

In Massachusetts community Solarize campaigns began, the most active one at Harvard. The Solarize Program simplified the work while providing the advantage of a “bulk buy” to reduce system costs.

Steven Strong of Solar Design Associates provided technical guidance pro bono to this first shareholder-owned solar garden. The state provided a grant of over $150,000 for the launch.

Strong says that while the Harvard Solar Garden operates like a cooperative it is structured as a limited liability corporation, with the subscribers as the only shareholders. “I see the solar garden as the great democratization of electric power,” he says. “We need to push, nationwide, for that democratization, to allow everyone access to solar power.”

Then there is the utility side of this distributed energy concept.

In Michigan, electric customers of Consumers Energy are eligible to subscribe to the planned solar garden programs. The program offers a 25-year subscription plan with flexible payment options available.

Xcel Energy offers community solar options in Colorado and Minnesota. The idea of independent energy may seem compromised, however, because this is an enormous utility company. It does bring key assets to the table, though, such as an electricity distribution infrastrcture.

According to Greentech Media, GTM Research identifies community solar as the next largest solar growth market in the United States. Over the next two years, community solar in the U.S. is poised to see its market share increase sevenfold, and by 2020 GTM Research expects US community solar to be a half-gigawatt annual market.

Green living enthusiasts can share high-fives!

October 9, 2015 0 comment

Energy Storage Going Solar Startups

GE Launches New Energy Company: Current

by Glenn Meyers October 9, 2015

written by Glenn Meyers

After launching its new energy company, Current, General Electric has a firm grip on how the evolution of clean, efficient, and smart energy platforms impacts businesses worldwide.

The new company combines GE’s LED, solar, energy storage, and electric vehicle businesses, its Predix platform to provide cost-effective, and efficient energy solutions to its customers.

Jeff Immelt, chairman and CEO of GE, said: “Current combines GE’s products and services in energy efficiency, solar, storage, and onsite power with our digital and analytical capabilities to provide customers – hospitals, universities, retail stores, and cities – with more profitable energy solutions.

“The creation of a new company within GE reinforces our commitment to take energy to the next level, focusing on custom outcomes for our commercial and industrial customers, municipalities and utility partners, and delivering a platform that can be upgraded as technology advancements are made.”

For as rapidly as technology advancements occur in this are, the operating philosophy of Current seems entrepreneurial, and nearly prescient.

The GE company will be led by Maryrose Sylvester, who previously served as president and CEO at GE Lighting, and GE Intelligent Platforms serving the commercial, industrial and government industries.

Current is starting business with an enviable $1 billion of revenue. Additionally, the enterprise plans on introducing a new energy service that includes sensor-enabled hardware, software, fulfillment, product management and financing solutions.

Current will be headquartered in the greater Boston metropolitan area with additional presence in Silicon Valley. The company writes, “This is an obvious choice for GE. As an innovation hub, Boston offers tremendous access to high-tech and software development talent, as well as incredible university partnerships. The region also provides convenient access to several GE innovation labs where customers can test and innovate close to where they do business.”

By utilizing the Predix platform, GE anticipates being able to examine energy consumption and inform customers with data readings and recommendations on ways to boost efficiency. These solutions are expected to help consumers save an estimated 10-20% on their energy bills, as well as help utility partners improve on ways to manage their load.

Several clients, including Walgreens, Simon Property Group, Hilton Worldwide, JPMorgan Chase, Hospital Corporation of America (HCA), Intel and Trane, a brand of Ingersoll Rand, have already tested Current’s solutions in an effort to spur energy efficiency and lower operating costs.

Image: Hand repair of switchboard via Shutterstock

October 9, 2015 0 comment

CSP How Solar PV Works Market Research PV Rooftop Solar Science Solar $Solar Incentives Solar Policy Solar Projects Solar Records Solar Research Solar Thermal

12 Solar Facts You Should Know

by Glenn Meyers October 8, 2015

written by Glenn Meyers

Lists are always fun, so here are 12 solar facts to put in your notebook so you can share the important stuff with anyone who’s interested.

I have divided this list of facts into four categories that might help you to better keep track of things.

Understanding Our Sun
Solar History
Solar Technology
Solar Metrics

But before you start this list of 12 solar facts, how about a quick trip to the classroom that might help bring all readers up to speed? Here’s a short book list:

Solar Electricity Handbook – 2014 Edition: A Simple, Practical Guide to Solar Energy – Designing and Installing Photovoltaic Solar Electric Systems, by Michael Boxworth
Let It Shine: The 6,000-Year History of Solar Energy, by John Perlin
Photovoltaic Design & Installation For Dummies, by Ryan Mayfield.

Understanding Our Sun

Age: Estimates calculate our sun is 4.6 billion years old, ands will continue burning its hydrogen fuel for another 5 billion years. Will it eventually burn out? Yes, of course — we all learned that in elementary school, right? For those fretting about the lifespan of their PV system’s power source, don’t worry.

Size: The sun is an average-sized star, we find at Cornell’s “Ask An Astronomer.” Here, Christopher Springob tells us, “The biggest stars are more than 100 times as massive as the Sun, and the smallest stars are less than 1/10th as massive as the Sun.”

Closeup Inspection: The NASA video below is worth seeing. In it, we learn that hydrogen is fused into helium in the core of the sun.

Solar History

Solar Ignitors: Historian John Perlin provides this information gem: During the sixth century BCE, Confucius wrote about the common use of curved mirrors shaped from shiny metal to concentrate the rays of the sun for making fire. These became known as yang-suis – translating to solar ignitors or burning mirrors. According to the great philosopher, upon waking up, the eldest son would attach a solar ignitor to his belt as he dressed for the day. It was his duty to focus the solar rays onto kindling to start the family’s cooking fire.

Photovoltaics’ Discovery: Willoughby Smith’s 1872 experiments that proved the photosensitivity of selenium stirred keen interest in two British scientists, William Grylls Adams and Richard Evans Day, to discover something previously unknown to science – that a current could be started by the action of “light alone” in a solid-state material. The two scientists called the flow of electricity caused by light, “photoelectric.” Today, we say, “photovoltaic.” So began in 1875 the first stirrings of today’s solar revolution.

Effort To Commercialize PV: Charles Fritts, an American inventor, built the first solar panels in 1881. They produced a current, Fritts reported, “that is continuous, constant and of considerable force not only by exposure to sunlight but also to dim, diffused daylight.”

Solar Technology

Photovoltaics: Historian John Perlin said this about the public reaction to Einstein’s photoelectric discovery: “Even after proving the validity of Einstein’s light quanta equation in explaining the photoelectric effect, Milliken dismissed the physicality of the photon as ‘untenable.’ In 1923, 18 years after Einstein published his light quanta piece, American physicist Arthur Hailey Compton created a collision between a stationary electron and a short wave of light. Just as in billiards, when the cue ball strikes its target, the light wave transferred some of its energy and momentum to the electron… After the Compton Experiment, the reality of Einstein’s photon and the photovoltaic effect gained universal acceptance in the scientific community.”

Concentrated Solar Power: Concentrated solar power (also called concentrating solar power, concentrated solar thermal, and CSP) systems generate solar power by using mirrors or lenses to concentrate a large area of sunlight, or solar thermal energy, onto a small area. The heat is what is used to eventually spin a turbine and generate electricity (very different from how solar PV generates electricity).

Solar Net Metering: The world’s first net-metered solar system was connected to the grid in 1979, when 28-year old architect Steven Strong put solar PV panels on two buildings making up a 270-unit apartment complex and connected them to a utility meter that tracked how much solar electricity was sent back into the grid. “A small meter mounted on the wall of the dining room told the story in kilowatts. When the utility power was drawn it ran forward. But when the PV was pumping out excess power, it ran backward.”

Solar Metrics

Solar Power In The US: Solar power in the United States surpassed 20 gigawatts (GW) of installed capacity in 2015. “The report also highlights the fact that 40% of all new electric generating capacity brought online in the first half of 2015 in the US came from solar. 21 states throughout the country now have more than 100 MW of solar PV capacity, though the top five states in terms of solar capacity account for nearly ¾ of the total US cumulative PV capacity.”

Solar US Growth Spurt: From 2006 to 2013, the number of homes with solar power grew by more than 1,000 percent in the US, from 30,000 home to 400,000 homes.

Cost Of Solar: The lowest electricity price ever bid by a solar developer was 0.1875 Riyals ($0.049) per kilowatt-hour (kWh) by the Saudi Electric Company in Saudi Arabia in August 2015. That’s far less than the average price of electricity from natural gas or any other electricity source in the region.

There is plenty more that can be added to this list, but I hope this is a great starting place for understanding this stunning renewable energy source.

Image: Solar collage via Shuttersock

October 8, 2015 0 comment

Energy Storage PV Solar Projects Startups

Battery Storage Milestone In Texas

by Glenn Meyers September 23, 2015

written by Glenn Meyers

Younicos battery storage system will be state’s first integrated grid-scale solar storage asset.

The news ledger about solar electricity storage continues expanding following an announcement from Berlin-based Younicos on its agreement with solar power supplier OCI Solar Power to provide a turnkey battery storage system at one of OCI Solar Power’s projects in Texas.

According to press information, the planned system will be the first integrated grid-scale solar-plus-storage project to be deployed in the market for the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT).

Younicos batteries WEMAG_Innenansicht_460x220

Younicos battery park

Through this agreement, Younicos will be responsible for the design, engineering, integration, and construction of a 1 MW system, which is expected to come online in early 2016. The project will also be the first to deploy of LG Chem battery technology in ERCOT.

Younicos’s control software will manage system performance within the ERCOT market in conjunction with operation of the solar farm.

About this project, Younicos chief revenue officer Stephen L. Prince, said: “We are very pleased to expand our presence in our home market, and we congratulate OCI Solar Power as the first company to develop a grid-scale integrated solar/storage resource here. Younicos has a long track record of industry firsts, and we look forward to working with the OCI team to deliver yet another innovative grid storage solution.”

OCI Solar Power is based in San Antonio and specializes in utility-scale solar PV projects in the US. The company reports 500 MW of solar PV projects currently in development nationwide.

This particular project marks the second Texas project for Younicos. In June, Duke Energy announced that it had selected Younicos and Samsung SDI to upgrade North America’s largest wind-integrated energy storage system at Duke’s Notrees wind farm in West Texas.

Prior to construction, company officials state the system will undergo extensive performance testing at Younicos’ technology center in nearby Austin.

Officials also add this project represents the first step in what is seen as a broader Younicos/OCI Solar Power strategic relationship. Both parties anticipate partnering on future projects within the rapidly growing international market for energy storage/solar solutions.

Image: Battery park via Younicos

September 23, 2015 0 comment

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