Japanese energy tech conglomerate Yokogawa Electric has acquired PXiSE Energy Solutions, a key player in the microgrid sphere, based in San Diego, California.
Before the acquisition, PXiSE had been operating as an affiliate of San Diego Gas & Electric, a subsidiary of Sempra Energy.
PXiSE is best known for its microgrid controller and software products, designed to create greater, real-time electric reliability as renewables and distributed energy resources are integrated into power systems.
Since forming in 2016, PXiSE has delivered more than one gigawatt of projects in the US, Asia and Oceania, according to a news release issued by the company.
One of the company’s landmark microgrid projects is in Onslow, Australia, a small town north of Perth that was able to run on 100% renewable energy using PXiSE software during an 80-minute trial last summer.
Some of PXiSE’s other customers are Sempra’s San Diego headquarters, Silver Oak Winery in Sonoma County, California, Horizon Power in Australia, and Sempra Renewables’ Auwahi Wind and Great Valley Solar facilities in Hawaii and Northern California.
Based in Tokyo, Yokogawa is a Japanese multinational electrical engineering and software company operating in 61 countries with a global workforce of over 17,500 employees.
Koji Nakaoka, vice president and head of the energy & sustainability business headquarters and the global sales headquarters at Yokogawa Electric, cited the industry’s movement toward decarbonization and renewable energy as a reason it has acquired PXiSE.
“Yokogawa believes that the decarbonization trend in the energy sector is one of the biggest challenges society has ever faced,” Nakaoka said. “PXiSE’s highly innovative technologies address many of the issues related to the optimal production and integration of renewable and other energy sources, so we are extremely excited to welcome them to the Yokogawa Group. We look forward to being able to make this outstanding technology available to our customers around the world as soon as possible.”
Patrick Lee of PXiSE describes the impact of the pandemic on the microgrid industry in an interview with Elisa Wood of Microgrid Knowledge.
Patrick Lee, CEO and co-founder of PXiSE Energy Solutions, said that Yokogawa’s expertise in power plant and industrial control systems makes it a natural complement to PXiSE.
“Our market growth will be greatly strengthened thanks to Yokogawa’s global engineering, sales, service and support network, and Yokogawa will be able to accelerate their expansion into the power delivery and distribution end-use sectors. Together, we look forward to becoming worldwide renewable energy leaders, enabling the clean energy transition,” Lee said.
Yokogawa acquired all of the outstanding shares of PXiSE.
In 2018, global giant Mitsui acquired up to 20% of PXiSE and last year joined Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions in forming an alliance to develop microgrids, with an initial focus on Japan and growing the global market.
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