AES Corporation, Kaua’i Island Utility Cooperative launch world’s largest operational solar, storage system
The AES Corporation and Kaua’i Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC) announced Tuesday the opening of the Lāwa’i Solar and Energy Storage Project, the largest operational solar and storage system in the world.
The project consists of a 28 megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic (PV) and a 100 megawatt-hour (MWh) five-hour duration energy storage system.
The new photovoltaic (PV) peaker will provide approximately 11 percent of Kaua’i’s power, bringing the island’s renewable portion of power to more than 50 percent. It will help Hawaii meet its goal of 100 percent renewable energy by 2045.
“Kaua’i has adopted an ambitious renewables mandate, and the Lāwa’i project will help reduce its reliance on fossil fuels while generating clean, reliable and affordable energy,” AES President and CEO Andrés Gluski said. “As a supplier of power to Hawaii for more than 25 years, we are honored to have been chosen by KIUC to help demonstrate its commitment to the state’s vision of a cleaner energy future. We believe this project is a significant step toward ushering in the wider era of firm renewables.”
The Lāwa’i project will eliminate the use of 3.7 million gallons of diesel annually. It will support three power distribution scenarios: supplying solar generation the grid while charging the battery system; dispatching power stored in the battery system to the grid during peak demand periods; and dispatching solar and battery power simultaneously to respond to spikes in demand, in addition to supporting the grid by providing ancillary services.
