German-American technology firm Younicos plans to deliver a megawatt-scale battery storage system using Samsung SDI’s lithium-ion products to power the city of Austin, Texas.
The agreement between Younicos and Texas-based utility Austin Energy is part of a US Department of Energy (DOE)-funded initiative known as the SHINES (Sustainable and Holistic Integration of Energy Storage and Solar PV) project.
Younicos will team up with the project’s main contractor, Doosan GridTech, to install a 1.75MW/3.2MWh system using Younicos’ plug-and-play Y.Cube energy storage solution (pictured).
This project represents Younicos’ largest battery solution deployment in the US, the company says.
The Y.Cube system will provide storage capabilities as part of a Distributed Energy Resource Management System (DERMS) that will secure grid reliability while also keeping operation costs down.
“The SHINES project is the perfect showcase for an alternative, distributed energy system with resources like energy storage providing resiliency and security,” said Stephen L Prince, CEO of Younicos.. “Our Y.Cube is ideal for this application – offering the best in battery storage, intelligent control, system performance and safety in a compact form factor.”
Jackie Sargent, Austin Energy general manager, added: “Integrating energy storage with solar is becoming essential as we achieve the City of Austin’s goal of 55% renewable energy by 2025. The Austin SHINES program is more than a technical pilot; it’s phase one of a larger rollout to maximize 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.”
