A123 Systems, a developer and manufacturer of advanced Nanophosphate lithium ion batteries and systems will supply a Grid Battery System (GBS) to Maui Electric Company (MECO), in order to support the Maui smart grid project.

MECO is a utility serving residents and businesses on the islands of Maui, Lanai and Molokai in Hawaii.

Officials with A123 Systems said that to be installed at MECO's Wailea Substation on Maui, the advanced energy storage system will be designed to deliver one-megawatt (1MW) of power for a full hour to reduce the peak energy load on one of the substation's transformers, which is expected to increase grid stability and improve power quality to help MECO meet the objectives of the Maui Smart Grid Project.

"A123's advanced energy storage system has demonstrated the ability to shift peak energy loads when demand is high to provide the consistent delivery of quality power, which is an extremely valuable service that supports MECO's ongoing effort to increase the reliability of the grid and maximize the generation resources we have in place," said Ed Reinhardt, president, Maui Electric, in a statement.

"The Maui Smart Grid Project will enable us to evaluate new technologies for enhancing our operations, and we look forward to the successful demonstration of A123's versatile energy storage solution in not only meeting our peak load shifting requirements, but also performing a number of additional valuable services," Reinhardt added.

Led by MECO and the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute, the Maui Smart Grid Project is designed to help MECO demonstrate and evaluate new technologies for operating the electric grid more efficiently. The project also aims to help residents better manage and reduce energy consumption during periods of high demand.

"The Maui Smart Grid Project is an excellent opportunity for A123 to showcase the flexibility of our dynamic GBS product, and we look forward to working with MECO to illustrate the value of our technology within the framework of the next-generation electric grid," Robert Johnson, vice president of the energy solutions Group at A123.

"We believe that our energy storage system will help MECO meet the ambitions objectives of the Maui Smart Grid Project and further demonstrate the commercial benefits of our solutions," Johnson concluded.