Independent Power Producer (IPP) Sonnedix last week connected a 1.25 MWh liquid battery to a 16 MW solar farm in Puerto Rico in what is one of the first near grid-independent storage projects for the region.
The Aqueous Hybrid Ion battery is powered by a separate 250 kWp solar PV array and was supplied by Aquion. It will provide 100% of the overnight operational energy requirements for the 16 MW Horizon Energy solar plant in Salinas, and marks an inaugural step by Sonnedix to develop a series of base-load and on-demand solar projects that are supported by storage technology.
Aquion developed its Aqueous Hybrid battery in Pittsburgh, U.S., and sees the Puerto Rico project as an opportunity to test the systems load-shifting performance in real world circumstances.
"This project is a great example of large-scale base-load solar shifting using energy storage," said Aquion Energy CEO Scott Pearson. "Our batteries are optimized for long duration charge and discharge cycles, and base-load solar shifting is an ideal application for our technology."
"This 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," added Sonnedixs director of future solutions, Sean ODay.
Aquion has previously supplied its Aqueous Hybrid Ion battery to a community in Hawaii, whereby the 1 MWh battery supported by a 176 kW solar array delivered base-load power for the Bakken Hale residential estate, allowing it to operate entirely off-grid.
The U.S. battery developers annual production capacity stands at 200 MWh, and there have been plans mooted to increase that capacity to 1 GWh.
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