Renewable energy developer and energy storage developer Leeward Renewable Energy plans to deploy a solar + energy storage project in Kern County, California, and has signed a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA).

(The Agua Caliente solar farm deployed by First Solar in Yuma, Arizona)

This 15-year power purchase agreement (PPA) is the underwriter of Valley Clean Energy, which is one of California's energy supplier groups. This project has an installed capacity of 72MW of solar power generation and will also be equipped with a 36MW/144MWh lithium battery energy storage system.

The solar + energy storage project named Willow Springs 3 will start construction in December this year, and plans to start providing electricity services to the community before December 2023.

Leeward was originally a wind power developer, and most of its completed and under development projects are wind power projects. However, since its acquisition by OMERS Infrastructure, the company has significantly accelerated the deployment of solar power generation and energy storage systems in the past three years.

According to industry media reports in January this year, the American solar developer First Solar sold its 10GW solar power project under development to Leeward. Leeward's parent company, OMERS, made greater progress in the Australian renewable energy sector this month, acquiring a 49% stake in Australia of utility-scale solar developer Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV).

In early October, California’s Peninsula Clean Energy Company and Leeward Company signed a 15-year power purchase agreement (PPA) to purchase electricity for the Chaparral solar + energy storage project in Kern County, which includes one the installed capacity is 102MW solar farm and 52MW/208MWh lithium battery energy storage system.

This is just one of a series of transactions and purchases. Recently, there are other projects worthy of attention, including the joint purchase of 778MW renewable energy power generation facilities and 118.75MW lithium battery energy storage systems by Central Coast Community Energy Company and Silicon Valley Clean Energy Company. San Diego Community Power Company also signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with energy developer BayWare, which will purchase 70MW solar power generation facilities and 280MWh battery energy storage system power.

For Valley Clean Energy, this is the fourth solar + energy storage project construction. All these transactions are solar power + battery energy storage facilities, and the standard is a 4-hour continuous discharge time.

Valley Clean Energy signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with two smaller developers. One is Putah Creek Energy Farm’s solar + energy storage project (3MW solar farm and 3MW/12MWh lithium iron phosphate battery energy storage system), Another Gibson Solar solar + energy storage project (20MW solar farm and 6.5MW/26MWh battery energy storage system), Valley Clean Energy also signed a 20-year power purchase for Resurgence1's solar + energy storage project with Next Era Energy Resources According to the agreement, the project includes a 90MW solar farm and a 75MW/300MWh battery energy storage system.

Lithium-ion battery (LIB) has become the main energy storage solution in modern social life. Among them, lithium iron phosphate batteries are a perfect substitute for lead-acid batteries, and are the first choice for grid-connected peak shaving, off-grid energy storage, photovoltaic energy storage, UPS, data center and other industries.

Solar power generation system with lithium battery energy storage system is a very promising clean energy.