Younicos commissions solar-plus-storage microgrid at Panasonic's Denver operations hub

Company's Y.Cube C&I energy storage systems at the heart of Peña Station NEXT development


BERLIN, GERMANY and DENVER, CO--(Marketwired - Apr 18, 2017) -  Younicos has commissioned a 1 MW / 2 MWh lithium-ion battery system in partnership with Panasonic and Xcel Energy. The news was announced at the Energy Storage Association's 27th Annual Conference, which offered two delegate group tours of the multi-resource microgrid.

The system is located at Peña Station NEXT, a transit-oriented smart and sustainable development in Denver. Panasonic Enterprise Solutions Company and Panasonic CityNOW is the anchor corporate tenant and lead technology partner. A unique solar+storage microgrid is at the heart of the development's energy solutions. Representing a model for utility and commercial and industrial (C&I) microgrids, the project benefits various stakeholders and the power grid by providing renewables integration, grid resilience, and multiple grid support and operational services, such as peak demand reduction and frequency regulation.

Four Younicos Y.Cubes have been connected to the Xcel Energy power grid, creating a one-megawatt (MW) battery storage resource enabled by Younicos's intelligent Y.Q control software. The system's multi-mode operating capability makes it possible to derive maximum benefits from the 1.6 MWdc solar PV system located on a nearby carport, along with 259 kWdc of PV on the building's rooftop. Panasonic's operations hub building, which has an intelligent building energy management system, is serving as the initial anchor load for the microgrid.

"The collaboration with Panasonic on this microgrid project has been seamless and productive, resulting in a state-of-the-art microgrid that will anchor this development," said Stephen L. Prince, Younicos CEO. "Our Y.Cube is ideally suited for hybrid utility-and-C&I use cases like this one -- providing energy security, resiliency, and financial returns from stacked grid services."

"This portfolio microgrid is a smart, resilient, and clean energy resource, not just for Panasonic's Denver operations hub, but also for the broader Peña Station NEXT development," said George Karayannis, VP of Panasonic CityNOW. "It has been a pleasure to collaborate with Younicos and Xcel Energy to realize this innovative project."

Each Y.Cube is an integrated "plug-and-play" solution that comprises two sub-enclosures, one each for the power conversion system (PCS) and DC battery block. Y.Cubes are available in 250 or 500 kVA modular building blocks that can be deployed individually in smaller applications or combined to create multi-megawatt systems.

A white paper co-authored by the project partners entitled: "A Portfolio Microgrid in Denver, Colorado: How a multi-use battery energy storage system provides grid and customer services through a public-private partnership," is available for free download here.

Younicos at the Energy Storage Association 2017 Annual Conference and Exposition
In addition to being featured on the site tours taking place during the ESA's Annual Conference, Younicos has a booth on the exhibition floor (#120). The company's Chief Commercial Officer, Jayesh Goyal, is also speaking on a panel entitled "Funded, Warranted and Guaranteed: Storage Financing Becoming Mainstream," on Thursday, April 20 at 11:00 am.

About Younicos
Younicos is a global leader for intelligent energy storage and grid solutions. Clients benefit from technical expertise, commercial know-how and in-depth experience built on 150 megawatts installed in 37 energy storage projects worldwide. The company was founded in 2005 in Berlin, Germany, and currently employs more than 130 storage experts there and in Austin, Texas (USA). For more information please visit www.younicos.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Contact Information:

Spokesperson Americas
Gene Hunt
+1 978-750-0333


Spokesperson Europe and Asia
Philip Hiersemenzel
+49 174 9088188

Four Younicos Y.Cubes are an integral part of an energy storage-enabled microgrid at Pena Station NEXT, a transit-oriented smart and sustainable development in Denver.