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).
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.
