Younicos repowers another US wind farm’s legacy energy storage system with lithium-ion batteries

LinkedIn
Twitter
Reddit
Facebook
Email
Kaheawa wind farm on Mau, Hawaii. Image: Wikimedia user Tom Walsh.

Younicos will carry out another project to retrofit lithium-ion batteries in replacement for an existing lead acid battery system at a wind farm, this time in Hawaii.

In December 2017, Energy-Storage.News reported that battery energy storage at the 36MW Notrees wind farm in Texas was successfully upgraded by the German-American system integrator to take out existing lead acid batteries and replace them with lithium. Company spokesman Philip Hiersemenzel said that the operation had been carried out with “minimal downtime” from the system.

Younicos is now following that up with the award of a contract to do the same for Kaheawa, a wind farm built in two phases totalling 51MW generation capacity, on the island of Mau, Hawaii, from developer and asset owner TerraForm Power. The energy storage facility will be of 10MW capacity, expected to have a short duration of storage and will be used to smooth out the variable output of the wind farm. The project is expected to be completed during the second half of this year and will be fitted with Younicos’ proprietary Y.Q. control software.

The lithium-ion retrofit will increase the usable energy capacity potential of the wind farm, increase operational lifetime of the energy storage system and the use of the Y.Q platform will enable the storage facility to run on a fully automated basis, including assessment and monitoring of the life of the battery.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

“The combination of wind plus storage adds stability, while also making new revenue streams for renewables possible through services such as peak shifting or arbitrage,” Younicos managing director Jayesh Goyal said.

“It’s a win-win for both TerraForm and the environment.”

Read Next

Premium
July 3, 2026
Energy-Storage.news Premium speaks with energy storage market experts Raafe Khan of Camelot Energy Group and Oliver Kerr of Aurora Energy Research on FERC’s recently issued show cause orders.
July 3, 2026
AGL has delivered a solar and battery microgrid described as “one of the largest privately owned non-mining microgrids in Australia”.
June 26, 2026
Energy Dome has signed its second low-carbon energy supply contract with Google.
June 25, 2026
With ees Europe taking place in Munich, Germany, this week alongside Intersolar Europe and Smarter E, Energy-Storage.news takes a look at some expo highlights.
June 23, 2026
Meridian’s Waiinu Energy Park has been referred for consideration under New Zealand’s Fast-track Approvals Act.