Sonnedix launches on-demand solar energy - advanced energy storage pilot project

Chi Siamo
7 April, 2016

Salinas, Puerto Rico – Sonnedix Solar Puerto Rico LLC (Sonnedix), a subsidiary of the Sonnedix Group, is pleased to announce the commissioning of its first grid-scale, base-load shifting, energy storage project. The project consists of a 1.25MWh Aquion Aqueous Hybrid Ion (AHI™) Battery array and is powered by a separate 250 kWp solar PV array. It provides 100% of the overnight operational energy requirements of the 16MW Horizon Energy solar power plant in Salinas, Puerto Rico, making the project almost grid-independent. This is the first in a series of planned projects to demonstrate the viability of “Base-Load and On-Demand Solar” utilizing advanced energy storage technologies.

The project is testing the load-shifting performance of a new battery technology developed by Aquion Energy based in Pittsburgh, PA. The power controls for the project were supplied by FlexGen® Power Systems based in Durham, NC with the entire installation controlled by San Francisco based Geli’s (Growing Energy Labs, Inc.) EOS – Energy Operating System platform.

“It’s an exciting time for both the solar and energy storage industries because this project proves that the movement of daytime production into the night is possible, in what will be an increasingly cost-effective manner. The is a key element in securing the future of solar by transforming an intermittent generation source into a more consistent, higher value, on-demand generation facility. This is a flagship project for us at Sonnedix and our Future Solutions division is actively pursuing further partnerships with developers of combined solar and bulk energy storage projects around the world”,said Sean O’Day, Sonnedix’s Director of Future Solutions.

“This Project is a great example of large-scale base-load solar shifting using energy storage. Our batteries are optimized for long duration charge and discharge cycles, and base-load solar shifting is an ideal application for our technology. We are excited to work with Sonnedix in demonstrating how batteries can be coupled with large solar arrays to enable the storage of solar energy and controlled dispatch of solar energy based on demand” said Scott Pearson, CEO of Aquion Energy.

“Geli is excited to work with Sonnedix on projects that enable a greater proliferation of solar PV generation. Sonnedix’s use of the Geli EOS is a testament of its ability to scale from residential all the way to grid-scale applications” said Ryan Wartena, co-founder and CEO of Geli.

About Sonnedix

Sonnedix is an Independent Solar Power Producer (IPP) with a proven track record in delivering high performance, cost competitive solar photovoltaic plants to the market. Sonnedix develops, builds, owns and operates solar power plants globally.

For more information, visit www.sonnedix.com

About Aquion

Aquion Energy is the manufacturer of proprietary Aqueous Hybrid Ion (AHI™) batteries and battery systems for long-duration stationary energy storage applications. AHI batteries are optimized for daily deep cycling for residential solar, green architecture, off-grid and micro-grid, energy management, and grid-scale applications. Aquion’s high-performance, safe, sustainable and cost-effective batteries deliver reliability and value for customers. The company’s battery systems provide flexible, modular energy storage that enables broad adoption of renewable energy technologies such as wind and solar, reduced reliance on fossil fuels, and optimization of existing grid-tied generation assets.

For more information, visit www.aquionenergy.com

About Growing Energy Labs Inc

Geli provides software and business solutions to design, connect, and operate energy storage and micro-grid systems. Geli’s suite of products creates an ecosystem where project developers, OEMs, financiers, and project operators can deploy advanced energy projects using a seamless hardware-agnostic software platform. Geli ESyst is an online design tool for the analysis and design of energy storage and micro-grids. Geli EOS, short for Energy Operating System, is a software platform that allows for advanced functionality of any OEM equipment via Geli Energy Apps & Geli Energy Drivers. Geli GENI, which stands for Global Energy Network Interface, is the portal through which systems are monitored for performance and can be aggregated for virtual power-plant services.

Founded in 2010 in San Francisco, Geli manages projects deployed around the world. Learn more at www.geli.net

For more information:

Sonnedix

Sean O’Day

Director of Future Solutions

sean@sonnedix.com

Jason Rowlands

Head of Organization Development

jason@sonnedix.com

Aquion Energy

Media Contact:Eugene Hunt

Trevi Communications for Aquion Energy+1.978.750.0333

gene@trevicomm.com

Geli – Growing Energy Labs, Inc.

Media Contact:Andrew Krulewitz

Director, Marketing and Products+1.413.335.8309

ak@geli.net