Commercial, Energy Efficiency, Energy Storage, Microgrids, Utilities, Commercial, Solar  -  October 31, 2016

Panasonic to install solar-plus-storage system

^{Photo: Panasonic's Denver, Colo., operations hub, provided by Younicos.} 

Panasonic Corp. has inked an agreement with energy storage company Younicos and to design and build a solar-plus-storage system in a Denver transit-focused development area that includes the operations hub for Panasonic Enterprise Solutions Co. 

The project, being executed under an agreement between Panasonic, Younicos and the area utility, Xcel Energy, calls for four "Y.Cubes," a storage solution offered for commercial and industrial applications, to be installed at Panasonic's facility in Denver, according to an Oct. 31 news release from Younicos.  The 1-MW storage resource, which will be connected to the Xcel Energy power grid, will provide frequency regulation, solar grid integration through ramp control, grid peak shaving, passive energy arbitrage, and backup power.

The multimode operating capability will enable Panasonic, Xcel Energy and other microgrid stakeholders to derive maximum benefits from the utility's 1.6 MW solar PV system sited on a parking structure nearby, along with 259 kW of PV on the building's rooftop, according to the release.

"The solar-plus-storage microgrid is an anchor, not just of Panasonic's new Denver operations hub, but also for the broader Peña Station NEXT development, which is a 400-acre, smart and sustainable transit-oriented development in Denver," Jamie Evans, managing director of the Energy Solutions Group at Panasonic Enterprise Solutions said in a statement. "We are excited to partner with Younicos and Xcel Energy to bring this innovative project to life." 

The Y.Cube consists of two sub-enclosures, one each for the power conversion system and DC battery block, according to the announcement. The controls are embedded in the PCS and communicate directly with the battery system, bypassing the need for additional battery-to-PCS communication interfaces.

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