View
219
Download
2
Tags:
Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
2nd edition of the Energy Storage Journal
Citation preview
Business & market strategies for energy storage & smart grid technologies
ENERGY BANKhow us utilities sce & duke energy are putting grid storage to the testWIND INSTRUMENTPower-to-gas technology for renewables examined
SECOND LIFEEV batteries deployed in stationary storage systems
BREAKING IT DOWNApplications for large-capacity electrical energy storage (EES)
Issue 2 | 2013
Powered by
www.energystoragejournal.com
‘The article looks athow the frequencyresponse market,facilitated by FERC’s “Pay for Performance”rule, is creating a demandfor high performance, fast-ramping energystorage systems in the US.’
1
March/13 | Issue 2 | ENERGYsTOraGeJOURNAL
EDITOR’S mESSAgE
STORAgE ON THE gRID
In the inaugural issue of Energy Storage Journal we published a
comprehensive overview of AB 2514, the legislation paving the way for
energy storage adoption in the state of California, in the US.
In this issue, we follow up with an in-depth look at some of the larger on-grid
energy storage projects that are being implemented across America. Utilities
and energy storage integrators and systems providers discuss how storage can
be used to overcome various challenges posed by integration of renewables into
the grid. The article looks at how the frequency response market, facilitated by
FERC’s ‘Pay for Performance’ rule, is creating a demand for high-performance,
fast-ramping energy storage systems in the US.
As many of you will be aware, integration of electricity into the grid that has been
generated by large, multi-MW solar and wind farms typically requires energy
storage, but this can entail different requirements from batteries and other
storage devices. This issue includes a summary of a recent IEC whitepaper that
clearly explains different storage categories in terms of energy versus power
density, discharge timeframes and different roles of energy storage, whether it is
grid-, demand- or generation-side.
As well as providing a comprehensive news round-up with the main global
energy storage headlines of recent weeks, ESJ will keep you up to speed in
terms of latest energy storage R&D projects and initiatives. This issue you can
read an in-depth analysis of one of the key news announcements in recent
months – how power-to-gas (P2G) technology designed for renewable energy
generation is moving from the lab and into the demonstration phase.
Issue two also includes a feature that explores growing efforts to establish a
market for out-of-warranty and used electric vehicle batteries for stationary
storage.
And for those of you looking for a comprehensive induction into energy storage
technologies and markets, and their relevance to renewables such as solar PV,
we have included an exclusive executive summary of a new report by EuPD
Research.
SARA VER-BRUGGEN EDITOR
ENERgystorageJOURNAL Business and market strategies for energy storage and smart grid technologies
ENERgystorageJOURNAL is a quarterly publication
www.energystoragejournal.com
Views expressed in ENERgystorageJOURNAL are the authors’ and not necessarily those of IPVEA
Published byInternational PV EquipmentAssociation (IPVEA)P.O. Box 1610, D-63406, Hanau, GermanyRegistration Number: Court Hanau VR 31714Tel: +1 407 856 9100www.ipvea.org
PublisherBryan EkusPublisher and Managing Director - International PV Equipment [email protected]
EditorSara [email protected]
AdvertisingTel: +1 631 673 0072 (office) Michael Mitchell ([email protected]) Cell: +1 516 593 3910
Charlotte Alexandra ([email protected]) Cell: +1 516 205 5197
DesignDoubletake Design Ltd. (UK)[email protected]
© 2013 International Photovoltaic Equipment Association (IPVEA)
Every effort has been to ensure that all the information in this publication is correct, the publisher will accept no responsibility for any errors, or opinion expressed, or omissions, for any loss or damage, cosequential or otherwise, suffered as a result of any material published.
Any warranty to the correctness and actuality can not be assumed. IPVEA reserves the right to make changes or additions to the information made available at any time without notice. © 2012 International Photovoltaic Equipment Association. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or part, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
ENERgystorageJOURNALEnergy Storage Journal (business and market
strategies for energy storage and smart grid
technologies) is a new quarterly B2B publication that
covers global news, trends and developments in
energy storage and smart grid markets.
Worldwide growth in renewable energy generation
capacity, electricity-powered transportation and fast-
growing cities in developing economies will drive
exponential growth in energy storage and smart
grid technologies, products and applications in the
coming years.
ESJ is a key source of information to enable your
business or organisation to keep track of these
dynamic industries and the multitude of new
opportunities they present.
target readership � Renewables energy industry (executives from solar
PV, CSP, wind, biomass etc.)
� Energy utilities and grid owners
Distributed network operators
� High performance and advanced battery
manufacturers (lead acid, lithium, ion flow, ZEBRA
etc)
� Fuel cell and electrolyzer producers
Suppliers of flywheel, thermal and other storage
technologies and systems
� Suppliers of energy storage management and
control systems
� Automotive manufacturers
� Producers of equipment and materials used for
energy storage production
� Policy makers and shapers
� Universities and research institutes
� Consultants and analysts
� Venture capitalists and other investors
� Associations and alliances representing energy
storage, renewables & conventional energy sectors
EACh ISSUE INCLUDES � Global news round-up
� Exclusive in depth features on new and
promising energy storage applications and
technologies
� Case studies of advances in energy storage
production to bring high performance, cost-
effective energy storage products to market
� Analysis and forecasts on different energy
storage markets and technologies from
leading consultants and experts in the field
� Examination of policy around the world that
is enabling investment and growth in energy
storage and smart grid technologies
� Updated events calendar
www.energystoragejournal.com
To discuss how your organisation can work with ENERgystorageJOURNAL contact the Publisher and Managing Director Bryan Ekus by email: [email protected]
For advertising opportunities, contact: Michael Mitchell, Tel: +1 631 673 0072 / Cell: +1 516 593 3910 / [email protected]
Charlotte Alexandra, Tel: +1 631 673 0072 / Cell: +1 516 205 5197 / [email protected]
INSIDE4 NEWS
Latest deals, projects and announcements from the global energy storage and smart grid market
10 NEWS ANALYSISEfforts to bring to market innovative power-to-gas (P2G) technology for renewables generation
14 ON ThE RADARArgonne ‘Nat Lab’ leads US energy storage R&D initiative and European consortium develops zinc-air battery technology for utility market
18 MARKET ANALYSISExecutive summary of EuPD Research’s new energy storage report, exclusive to ESJ
24 COVER STORYAdvanced battery technologies for the utility-scale energy storage market in the US
32 FEATUREExploring secondary applications and market opportunities for EV batteries in stationary storage applications
39 FEATUREApplications for large-capacity electrical energy storage (ESS) to support renewable energy integration
44 TEChNOLOGY FOCUSAdvanced battery technologies for utility-scale energy storage applications
48 EVENTS Details of conferences, exhibitions and seminars in the energy storage and smart grid calendar
10
24 39
turin, italy
ABB launches combined charging system (CCS) for EV market
New combined charging system (CCS)
fast chargers from ABB combine industry
standardisation with fast charging
convenience to support next generation of
EVs.
ABB, a leading power and automation
technology group, today supports the new
CCS standard for electrical vehicles (EV)
with the expansion of its EV fast charging
product portfolio to include additional
functionality and multi-standard support.
The new multi-standard functionality will
be available in Europe in Q2 2013 and
will include a special CCS version for car
dealerships, followed by a targeted launch
in the US in the second half of 2013.
The expansion of the ABB fast charging
portfolio brings together European
standardisation and fast charging
technology reducing infrastructure
complexity and dramatically improving
charging compatibility across all EV
brands.
‘ABB’s expanded portfolio enhanced with
its cloud-based connectivity services is
a natural solution for EV infrastructure
providers to effortlessly incorporate
any charging standard – be it CCS or
CHAdeMO – into their charging network
without absorbing the high costs of
ENERgy STORAgE NEwS
round-up of key deals, proJects and announcements in the gloBal energy storage market
software integration and testing’, says
Hans Streng, head of ABB’s product group
EV charging infrastructure, a part of the
company’s discrete automation and motion
division.
ABB was the first company to demonstrate
a working prototype of the CCS standard
at EV26 in Los Angeles and at eCarTec in
Munich in 2012. ABB’s EV fast charging
portfolio for the charge-and-go segment will
continue to feature the Terra 51 CHAdeMO
fast charging station, as well as a single
port 50 kW CCS fast charging station and
the 50 kW multi-standard CHAdeMO &
CCS station, optionally equipped with fast
alternating current (AC) outlet.
A 20 kW variant will be launched in both
single CCS and multistandard outlets later
this year as a logical addition to the current
CHAdeMO 20 kW station for offices and
retail locations.
CCS is a global open standard adopted
by European and North American leading
automotive manufacturers. The new CCS
capable fast chargers are part of the
wider interoperability testing programs
for all next generation electric vehicles
and are designed to significantly improve
user experience by providing EV drivers
with increased assurance surrounding
charging availability and convenience. All
chargers in the portfolio will continue to be
supported by ABB’s cloud-based charging
management platform enabling remote
management and extensive interfacing with
any available payment method charging
service provider network or smart grid
system.
www.abb.com
pittsBurgh, pennsylvania, us
Aquion begins pilot production of advanced batteries
US start-up Aquion Energy recently began
pilot manufacturing of its batteries on a line
in Pennsylvania.
The batteries will be sampled to Aquion’s
partners and potential customers for
demonstration projects and evaluations.
The company is leasing space within a
large existing facility in the East Huntingdon
Township from the Regional Industrial
Development Corporation of Southwestern
Pennsylvania. As part of a first phase
manufacturing commitment at this site,
Aquion aims to create over 400 high-tech
manufacturing jobs by the end of 2015.
Initially the firm is targeting microgrid
and off-grid markets worldwide with its
technology, including backup power
applications. Later this year, Aquion plans
to move into high-volume production in
anticipation of supplying the utility energy
storage market in 2014.
In June 2012, Aquion completed testing
and demonstration requirements for
a Department of Energy (DoE) grant
programme with its low cost, grid-scale,
ambient energy storage device. The
testing demonstrated a grid-connected,
high voltage, 13.5 kWh system with a
4-hour discharge. Additionally, testing
characterised the energy storage
capacity of the units, the response to
various signals, compliance with utility
interconnection standards, battery and
power conversion system efficiency, and
effectiveness under various cycles typical
of the applications being validated.
Aquion was spun out of Carnegie Mellon
University in 2009 and is headquartered
in Pittsburgh. The battery is based on
a propriety aqueous hybrid ion (AHI)
chemistry, to provide superior life, safety,
durability, and low system costs.
www.aquionenergy.com
hayward, california, us
DoD awards Primus Power energy storage demonstration contract
Primus Power, a developer of multi-MW
energy storage technology, is to supply
an energy storage system for a microgrid
at the Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) in
Miramar, California.
Raytheon’s Integrated Defense Systems
(IDS) business awarded the contract to
California-headquartered Primus Power in
January 2013. Primus will work closely with
Raytheon to supply the ‘zinc bromide flow
battery installation for islanding and backup
power’ project, funded by the Department
of Defense (DoD) Environmental Security
Technology Certification Program (ESCTP).
At MCAS Miramar a 250 kW, 1 MWh
EnergyPod storage system, supplied
by Primus Power, will be integrated with
an existing 230 kW photovoltaic (PV)
system. The EnergyPods incorporate
Primus’ zinc-flow batteries. The combined
microgrid system will demonstrate several
capabilities including reducing peak
electrical demand typically experienced in
weekday afternoons and providing power
to critical military systems when grid power
is not available.
MCAS Miramar is home to the 3rd Marine
Aircraft Wing, the aviation element of
the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force.
Dependable power is essential to the unit’s
operation.
The project is part of wider DoD plans to
install microgrids at stationary bases to
sustain operations independent of what
is happening on the larger utility grid. A
microgrid is a self-contained electrical
grid comprised of energy generation,
distribution, storage and loads all managed
by an automated control system on
a remote or secure location. Energy
storage systems can be used to integrate
intermittent solar and wind energy into a
small grid.
www.primuspower.com www.raytheon.com
Aquion Energy’s battery, which can be stacked up Source: Aquion Energy
news 5
MARCH/13 | Issue 2 | ENERGYsTORAGeJOURNAL
port washington, new york, us
Watt Fuel Cell signs strategic licensing and supply agreement with Parker Hannifin
In January 2013 Watt Fuel Cell, a
developer of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC)
systems, signed a licensing and supply
agreement with Parker Hannifin, a supplier
of motion and control technologies.
Under the agreement, Parker Hannifin’s
energy systems business will produce a
family of propane-driven SOFC-based
products for several markets, including
residential.
Watt Fuel Cell, in New York state, was set
up in 2011 to commercialise advanced
SOFCs. The tubular structured cells have
good thermal cycling properties making
them suitable for providing backup power.
Commercial market applications include
portable power, such as emergency
backup power for municipal and first aid.
The company is also investigating
residential and distributed grid (DG)
applications, for example where fuel cell
systems are integrated into new home
builds with a micro-combined heat and
power (CHP) unit. The SOFCs operate
on the fuels already being supplied to the
home, including natural gas, propane and
kerosene.
Watt Fuel Cell, which has access to an
extensive patent portfolio, has spent the
past two years developing a scalable
production process. In December 2012
the New York Energy Research and
Development Authority (NYSERDA)
awarded the firm a $100,000 (€75,000)
six-month grant to assess the energy
savings associated with the company’s
automated production process for making
the SOFCs. Watt Fuel Cell is scaling up a
stack production process to prepare for
initial rollouts and product sampling during
2013, having completed system testing on
a 500 W propane-powered unit.
Parker Hannifin will make the SOFC
systems available to OEMs in order to
gain feedback ahead of market launch
and is also handling certification and UL
procedures, ready for meeting commercial
order volumes in late 2013 and 2014.
Watt Fuel Cell is also working with a
partner on military applications, which
should be announced shortly.
Like batteries, SOFCs cover a broad
technology base. Company president Dr
Caine Finnerty explains: ‘Planar SOFC
technologies are suitable for 100 kW
type applications, as stacking the plates
is a relatively easy way to scale up size.
At the other end SOFC technology is
proving suitable for really small charger-
type applications. Ours ranges from about
250 W up to 2 kW, and potentially 3 kW;
a power range that has great residential
potential,’ says Finnerty.
The company’s SOFC systems will be
price compatible with existing storage
technologies when they begin to hit the
market in around 12 months from now,
says Finnerty.
With annual sales exceeding $13 billion
in fiscal year 2012, Parker Hannifin is the
world’s leading diversified manufacturer
of motion and control technologies and
systems.
www.wattfuelcell.com www.parker.com
turin, italy michigan, us
Electro Power Systems expands into US market with hydrogen storage system
Italian energy storage developer and
supplier Electro Power Systems (EPS) has
entered the US market with its portable
fuel cell storage system.
The company will supply its technology
through US distributor VP Energy.
The companies signed an exclusive
manufacturing, operations and distribution
agreement in January 2013. The
agreement builds on earlier sales.
EPS has developed a robust, self-
contained, autonomous recharging fuel
cell and management system, ElectroSelf,
to provide clean and efficient energy
storage. The system produces its own fuel
in the form of hydrogen, from water, using
alkaline cell technology. The deal with
ESP will enable VP Energy, an automotive
industry supplier, to expand its energy
storage business. In Italy, ESP has the
capacity to produce at least a thousand
units annually. The ElectroSelf system will
also be assembled in the US, under the
agreement with VP Energy. ESP informed
ESJ that it is ready to begin scaling
production in 2013 depending on market
demand.
ElectroSelf stores energy from the grid or
renewables excess and releases energy
when there is a power dip or outage.
This enables the system to minimise
the mismatch in energy production and
consumption. EPS, founded in 2005, is
targeting back-up power applications
in several markets with its storage
systems, including telecommunications,
utilities, businesses, institutions and
governments as well as smart-grid and
off-grid opportunities, including renewables
extension and optimisation.
Key markets EPS supplies include Europe
and Scandinavia, North America, India,
China and parts of Africa. The company
is the only supplier in the world with a
full product family of 1.5, 3, 6 and 12 kW
fuel cell systems which are commercially
available and CE-certified (EU), CSA-
certified (USA) or CTTL-certified (China).
www.electropowersystems.com www.vpenergy.com
The ElectroSelf system produces its own fuel in the form of hydrogen, from water. It stores energy from the grid or renewables excess and releases energy when there is a power dip or outage. Source: ESP
energy storage news
menomonee falls, wisconsin, us seoul, south korea
ZBB Energy ships storage system to South Korea
US supplier of energy storage systems
ZBB Energy has shipped its energy
storage system to a partner in Asia-Pacific.
The ZBB EnerSystem, ordered by Lotte
Chemical in South Korea, incorporates
ZBB’s flow batteries and its power and
control electronics.
The Wisconsin-headquartered company is
working with Lotte Chemical to distribute
its products in Asia-Pacific markets. The
unit shipped is a lab system that will
allow Lotte Chemical to continue gaining
knowledge at the system level and
demonstrate the products to potential
customers.
ZBB Energy designs, develops, and
manufactures energy storage, power
electronic systems and engineered custom
and semi-custom products targeted at
the growing global demand for distributed
renewable energy, energy efficiency, power
quality, and grid modernisation.
ZBB and its power electronics subsidiary,
Tier Electronics, have developed a
portfolio of integrated power management
platforms that combine power and
energy controls and energy storage to
optimize renewable energy sources and
conventional power inputs in on-grid and
off-grid applications.
www.zbbenergy.com
toronto, canada
Toronto Hydro launches community energy storage project
A consortium in Canada has established
a community energy storage project to
enable utility partner Toronto Hydro to
evaluate the benefits of energy storage for
the electricity grid.
The project, announced earlier this
year, is located at the Roding Arena
and Community Centre in North York.
Ecamion Inc is leading the project and
has designed and integrated the storage
system to include thermal management
communications and control. Dow Kokam
has developed the lithium-polymer nickel
manganese cobalt cells and battery
chemistry. The University of Toronto is
managing the control, protection and
power management technology, including
algorithms to enable an intelligent system.
Funding is provided by the consortium
partners and Sustainable Development
Technology Canada. Toronto’s
infrastructure is aging, including the
electrical assets that power the city.
Much of this infrastructure was installed
between the 1940s and 1960s. As the city
continues to grow, the use of storage can
improve power quality, keep voltage levels
constant, facilitate integration of renewable
generation assets, and electric vehicles
and defer capital work or grid upgrades.
In community energy storage (CES),
batteries installed at the customer level
offer more direct benefit in reliable electrical
supply. The compact unit will provide 250
kWh of storage. Three of the battery cells
can power a fridge for one hour. The cells
are placed in Ecamion battery modules.
The CES system at the Roding Arena
and Community Centre is comprised of
48 battery modules. Fully charged the
CES system could provide electricity to a
typical community centre, a light industrial
complex or small residential street.
In future, the storage unit can be used
to help alleviate stress on the grid during
peak times and also provide power to
connected homes in the event of a power
interruption from the station. The CES
system is also equipped to monitor grid
conditions and respond appropriately by
taking in electricity during off-peak times,
or releasing energy if needed.
‘An opportunity like this comes once every
40 years. Toronto Hydro’s distribution
grid is facing a number of challenges and
community energy storage can address
some of these challenges instead of
developing one solution per problem,’ says
Ivano Labricciosa, vice president of asset
management, Toronto Hydro.
www.torontohydro.com www.ecamion.com www.youtube.com/watch?v=66r9LrUFbow
charlotte, north carolina and austin, texas, us
Notrees energy storage project starts up
An energy storage unit for a wind farm in
western Texas came online in January.
The system, supplied by Xtreme Power,
is part of Duke Energy’s 153 MW Notrees
wind power project. The integrated facility
at Notrees provides both environmentally
friendly and flexible capacity to the Electric
Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which
operates the electrical grid in Texas and
manages 75% of the state’s deregulated
market.
The 36 MW battery storage system is
capable of deploying fast-acting reserves
to support ERCOT grid reliability and
helping the independent system operator
(ISO) maintain supply and demand balance
with near-instantaneous feedback of
frequency changes or other unexpected
events.
In addition to other energy management
services, the storage unit supports wind
farm performance as it can absorb power
from the wind farm during times of low
demand or high curtailment and release
power when it is most beneficial to the
market.
At the control panel of the community energy storage unit, Leo Canale, technical director at eCamion, does some preliminary tests. With 48 battery modules, the unit is capable of powering a small street for one hour. Toronto Hydro plans to monitor this technology, and validate its benefits to Toronto’s electrical grid. Source: CNW Group/Toronto Hydro Corporation
news 7
MARCH/13 | Issue 2 | ENERGYsTORAGeJOURNAL
Xtreme Power’s innovative control system,
XACT, will manage real-time performance
and response of the system in response to
site and grid conditions.
In another recent deal Xtreme Power is
supplying an energy storage system for a
wind project in Illinois in the US.
The energy storage installation, for
Invenergy’s Grand Ridge wind project
site, will supply clean renewable power
to the new frequency response market
administered by regional transmission
group PJM. Efficient frequency regulation is
vital for PJM’s grid reliability.
Xtreme Power’s 1.5 MW Regulation Power
Management system will use long-life
lithium-titanate battery technology and
an automatic gain control (AGC) signal
to provide instantaneous energy delivery,
enabling Invenergy to help balance supply
and demand.
Founded in November 2004, Xtreme
Power designs, engineers, installs, and
monitors integrated energy storage
and power management systems for
independent power producers (IPP),
transmission and distribution (T&D) utilities
and commercial and industrial end users.
Xtreme Power has exclusive arrangements
with large battery makers, using batteries
suitable for different energy storage
applications, which can be integrated with
its energy storage management systems.
www.duke-energy.com www.xtremepower.com www.invenergyllc.com
Bielefeld, germany
Gildemeister Energy Solutions receives storage and solar orders worth € 29.2 million
Bielefeld-based Gildemeister received
orders worth € 29.2 million for renewable
energy production and storage projects in
Europe in December 2012.
In the field of energy storage technology,
Gildemeister will supply a vanadium redox
flow battery for the SmartRegion Pellworm
project of the energy supplier Eon. With
a capacity of 1.6 MWh, the CellCube
stores energy from wind power and solar
installations. The renewable energy is
fed, according to consumption, into the
regional electricity grid and ensures a self-
sufficient base load supply for the third
largest island in the Schleswig Holstein
Wattenmeer national park.
The solar projects include a 6.5 MW solar
farm in Italy and an 8 MW solar park;
Romania’s first. A second project will be
set up west of the capital.
http://ag.gildemeister.com
milwaukee, wisconsin, us waltham, massachusetts, us hangzhou, zheJiang province, china
Johnson Controls files appeal of A123 bankruptcy sale
On 17 December 2012 Johnson Controls
filed an appeal in bankruptcy court
concerning the sale order approving
Wanxiang’s purchase of A123 Systems on
11 December 2012.
Johnson Controls is appealing the sale
order to obtain a breakup fee and expense
reimbursement to which it is entitled under
that agreement and which were previously
approved by the bankruptcy court. A123
was directed to place the breakup fee and
expense reimbursement in escrow after
A123’s creditors’ committee suggested
to the court that Johnson Controls was
lobbying against the sale of A123 to
Wanxiang.
Earlier in 2012 Wanxiang failed to acquire
A123 earlier prior to bankruptcy. Johnson
Controls has challenged the sale on the
grounds that national security questions
tied to the core technology used in all
of A123’s businesses represent a risk
to the sale which cannot be dismissed
until resolved by the government review
process.
On 11 December A123 received approval
from United States Bankruptcy Court for
the District of Delaware for the sale of
most of its assets to Wanxiang America
Corporation, part of China’s Wanxiang
Group, for $256.6 million (€192 million).
Wanxiang, which is China’s largest
automotive parts maker, is seeking to
buy most of A123’s assets including its
automotive, energy-grid and commercial
businesses.
A123, in Massachusetts, listed assets of
$459.8 million and debt of $376 million
as of 31 August in court documents. The
sale is subject certain closing conditions,
including approval from the Committee for
Foreign Investment in the United States
(CFIUS).
Excluded from the asset purchase
agreement with Wanxiang is A123’s
Michigan-based government business,
including all US military contracts, which
would be acquired for $2.25 million by
Navitas Systems through a separate asset
purchase agreement.
In January 2013 it was reported in the
Financial Times that Wanxiang is working
on a strategy to overcome attempts to
block its acquisition. The company is
looking to set up an independent trust to
purchase the commercial business assets
of A123 Systems. Wanxiang would then
buy the assets from the holding trust. Such
an arrangement would need the approval
of CFIUS.
A123 Systems develops and produces
lithium-ion batteries and energy storage
systems for transportation, electric
grid and commercial applications. The
company’s proprietary Nanophosphate
technology uses nanoscale materials
developed by Massachusetts Institute of
Technology (MIT).
www.wanxiang.com www.johnsoncontrols.com www.a123systems.com
energy storage news
detroit, michigan and raleigh, north carolina, us
General Motors (GM) and ABB demonstrate Chevrolet Volt battery reuse for home energy storage
GM and ABB have demonstrated a
potential reuse application for electric
vehicle (EV) batteries.
The uninterruptable power supply
and grid power balancing system was
demonstrated by repackaging five used
Chevrolet Volt batteries into a modular
unit capable of providing two hours of
electricity for the equivalent of a small
number of homes.
The prototype unit provides 25 kW of
power and 50 kWh of energy. This year
Duke Energy will test the repackaged
Chevrolet Volt batteries on a part of its grid
to pilot the technology in a project with GM
and ABB.
‘GM’s battery development extends
throughout the entire life of the battery,
including secondary use,’ says Pablo
Valencia, GM senior manager of battery
lifecycle management. ‘In many cases,
when an EV battery has reached the end
of its life in an automotive application, only
30% or less of its life has been used. This
leaves a tremendous amount of life that
can be applied to other applications like
powering a structure before the battery is
recycled.’
GM is exploring, with various partners,
different applications for reusing advanced
EV batteries and market requirements
for used EV batteries in secondary
applications.
Back in 2011 GM and ABB demonstrated
how a Chevrolet Volt battery pack could be
used to collect energy and feed it back to
the grid and deliver supplemental power to
homes or businesses.
During the November demonstration, the
energy storage system was run in a remote
power back-up mode where 100% of
the power for the facility came from Volt
batteries through ABB’s energy storage
inverter system. A similar application
could one day be used to power a group
of homes or small commercial buildings
during a power outage, allow for storage of
power during inexpensive periods for use
during expensive peak demand, or help
make up for gaps in solar, wind or other
renewable power generation.
These functions, along with frequency
regulation on electric distribution systems,
could potentially be used by utilities to
reduce cost to customers and improve
the quality of power delivery. These
applications are referred to as community
energy storage to distinguish them from
substation-size energy storage projects.
ABB’s research centre in Raleigh, North
Carolina, conducted the R&D, and the
company’s medium voltage business
unit is managing the proof-of-concept
testing, market research and product
development.
ABB recently teamed up with the US
divisions of Nissan and Sumitomo
Corporation and 4R Energy to evaluate
the reuse of Nissan LEAF batteries. The
team is developing a LEAF battery storage
prototype with a capacity of at least 50
kWh, enough to supply 15 average homes
with electricity for two hours.
4R Energy is a joint venture between
Japan’s Nissan and Sumitomo that was set
up in 2010 to conduct research and field
tests on the second-life use of batteries
that have been used previously in EVs.
www.gm.com www.abb.com www.duke-energy.com
Market for PV energy storage to reach $2 billion by 2018, according to Nanomarkets
Consultancy firm Nanomarkets forecasts
the market for energy storage to
accompany solar photovoltaic (PV)
generation will reach almost $2 billion (€1.5
billion) in revenues by 2018.
The report, titled Solar Storage Markets
– 2013, notes the low cost of lead-acid
batteries, which it says will account for
almost half of sales in 2018 at $950
million and will remain the most popular
technology. But the report also predicts an
in interest in the use of lithium ion batteries,
sales of which are expected to reach $235
million by 2018.
‘Feed-in tariffs are declining in key
geographies giving PV users an incentive
to store the energy they produce. Battery
suppliers are therefore expecting the
market for batteries for residential PV users
to explode and are designing specialised
systems to meet the demand,’ states
Nanomarkets.
In California, utilities are facing regulatory
requirements to include storage in new
facilities and similar regulations may come
into force in Germany, driving demand
for stationary storage technologies in the
coming years.
The report covers other battery
technologies, including lead-carbon,
sodium sulfur, sodium-nickel-chloride and
flow batteries, as well as ultra-batteries
and supercapacitors. The report looks at
applications for both residential and utility-
scale PV plants.
The report predicts that lead-carbon
batteries will improve margins and will
generate an additional $135 million by
2018. Lithium batteries are already being
sold for residential and PV micro-grid
applications in the US and Germany, and
the report predicts that Chinese energy
storage firms will likely focus on this
technology as a result of the domestic
lithium production industry.
However, NanoMarkets warns that the
future of lithium batteries will depend
heavily on continued government research
and development (R&D) subsidies, and
states that without further development
lithium batteries remain too expensive for
many applications.
www.nanomarkets.com
news 9
MARCH/13 | Issue 2 | ENERGYsTORAGeJOURNAL
In Germany two demonstration power-to-
gas (P2G) plants designed to store excess
electricity generated by renewable sources
have begun operation.
The amount of electricity generated each
year by renewables is rising, but the
intermittency of some of these sources,
such as wind and solar, poses challenges
for the grid. Banking excess electricity
to feed into the grid at a future point,
when it is needed, can be achieved using
various storage technologies such as
batteries. However, P2G plants open up
the possibility of using this excess energy in
different ways. In Germany, which has the
largest installed capacity of wind and solar,
several demonstration P2G plants are being
evaluated for their smart grid potential.
Niederraussem project P2G plants use electrolysis to split water
into hydrogen and oxygen using electrical
energy. In January 2013 German utility
RWE Power began testing a proton
exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyser
for the storage of renewable electricity in
a facility at its coal innovation centre in
Niederaussem, Germany. The electrolyser
has a nominal capacity of 100 kW. But it
also has a peak capacity of 300 kW for
overloading, for limited periods of time,
wINDINSTRUmENTpower-to-gas technology for renewables generation emerges from the lab
Close-up of the PEM stack, part of the electrolyser system that Siemens has supplied to RWE for evaluating in the CO2RRECT project.
Source: Siemens
NEwS ANALySIS
to absorb the fluctuations of renewable
energy plants that can go from producing
very little or no electricity at all, to ramping
acutely.
Siemens product manager within the
company’s hydrogen solutions business
Andreas Reiner explains: ‘The PEM
electrolyser manages to be both secure
but also flexible, which is important when
intermittent renewable energy sources are
plugged into the system.’
The PEM separates the areas in which
oxygen and hydrogen emerge. At the
front and back of the membrane metal
electrodes are connected to the positive
and negative poles of the voltage source.
The membrane is made from a polymer
foil able to provide ionic conductivity while
keeping the oxygen and hydrogen gases
separate.
Fast response times, in milliseconds, are
achieved by combining the properties
of the PEM electrolyser with Siemens’
industrial control technology. The system
will be tested from January to October
2013. The PEM module will be evaluated
for its ability to function as the amount of
power is ramped up and at partial load,
to see the effect of frequent load changes
on the functioning of the electrolysis
system and on the quality of the hydrogen
obtained.
Reiner says: ‘The project has already
carried out lab tests of the PEM
system using a real wind profile. But,
at RWE’s Niederaussem facility it will
be demonstrated in a real operating
environment. Over the next several months
the whole system will also be tested to see
how it performs in real working conditions.’
250 kW demonstrator Compared with PEM systems, pressurised
alkaline electrolysers represent a very
mature technology that is the current
standard for large-scale electrolysis. It is
this technology that is the core of a P2G
demonstration plant that launched in
December 2012. The 250 kW plant has
been developed by German Center for
Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research
(ZSW) with partners Fraunhofer IWES and
Solarfuel, which intends to commercialise
the technology. It expands upon an earlier
smaller 25 kW system.
The plant is designed to respond to the
fluctuating and intermittent load profiles of
wind and solar using pressurised alkaline
electrolysis, able to produce hydrogen up
to 11bar. The advantage is that it uses
a commercially available and proven
technology. The plant’s performance will be
evaluated during 2013.
Applications for hydrogen In the next three to five years, P2G plants,
based on ZSW’s technology, will be scaled
up from the 2-20 MW range. Solarfuel is
already constructing a 6 MW power-to-
gas plant for automaker Audi in Werlte,
Lower Saxony. The knowledge gained
from ZSW’s 250 kW research plant will
be incorporated into Audi’s facility, which
should be operational later this year. Power
from four 3.6 MW offshore wind turbines
will be used to produce fuel for 1,500
turbo-compressed natural gas (TCNG)
Audi A3 vehicles for a year. Audi plans to
begin serial production in 2014.
The gas grid could provide storage
applications for solar and wind power.
Once excess electricity generated by
renewables is turned to hydrogen via
electrolysis, it can then be converted into
methane gas with carbon dioxide. This
synthetic gas can be fed into the gas grid,
whereas only a small amount of hydrogen
– up to 3% – can be fed into the grid
infrastructure due to gas regulations.
The PEM demonstrator supplied by
Siemens for RWE’s facility is part of the
€18 million CO2RRECT (CO2-Reaction
using Regenerative Energies and Catalytic
Technologies) project, which is supported
by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education
and Research (BMBF).
Flexible gasCO2RRECT is investigating different
ways that hydrogen can be deployed.
For instance, some of it can be used with
carbon dioxide from coal plants flue gas to
produce methane, in the adjacent catalyst
facility. Hydrogen can also be stored in the
form of natural gas and, when required,
turned into electricity or made available to
the heating market.
NEWS ANALYSIS 11
MARCH/13 | Issue 2 | ENERGYsTORAGeJOURNAL
‘THE PEm ELEcTROLySER mANAgES TO bE bOTH SEcURE bUT ALSO fLExIbLE, wHIcH IS ImPORTANT wHEN INTERmITTENT RENEwAbLE ENERgy SOURcES ARE PLUggED INTO THE SySTEm.’
Alternatively, hydrogen could be used
for making further materials, such
as methanol, for the production of
chemicals. Together with carbon dioxide,
hydrogen can be converted into chemical
intermediates such as formic acid or
carbon monoxide. From carbon monoxide
it is possible to produce isocyanate,
a building block in the production of
polyurethane, a widely manufactured
plastic. To establish how carbon dioxide, a
waste greenhouse gas, could, in future, be
converted into a raw material for chemicals
production is part of wider R&D efforts by
Bayer and its partners. The CO2RRECT
project enables Siemens to demonstrate
the potential of PEM electrolyser
technology in a practical application.
PEM v alkaline Despite it being a less mature technology,
there are several benefits of PEM
technology over classical alkaline
electrolyser devices. These include the
absence of corrosive electrolytes, good
chemical and mechanical stability, high
protonic conductivity and high gas-
impermeability. PEM electrolysers achieve
excellent gas separation for high quality
hydrogen production, high current density
at higher efficiency. The reduced number of
moving parts in PEM electrolyser devices
allows for easier maintenance. PEM
systems can also achieve an excellent
partial-load range and respond rapidly to
fluctuating power inputs.
Scaling up In countries that are banking on
renewables, especially wind, for large-scale
electricity generation P2G plants could
be an important future storage asset.
The technology also benefits Germany
because it has extensive natural gas
storage reservoirs. E.ON is among the
first utilities to invest in a pilot-scale P2G
plant for a renewables application. Last
year the company chose Hydronics, a
global supplier of hydrogen generation
equipment, to build a 2 MW facility in
Falkenhagen, which will use its HyStat
alkaline electrolyser.
The plant will bank excess power that is
generated by wind farms, producing about
360m³ of hydrogen an hour. The hydrogen
will be fed into the natural gas pipeline
at around 2% by volume, at a maximum
operating pressure of 55bar, effectively
storing and transporting surplus renewable
energy.
‘THE PROjEcT HAS ALREADy cARRIED OUT LAb TESTS Of THE PEm SySTEm USINg A REAL wIND PROfILE. bUT, AT RwE’S NIEDERAUSSEm fAcILITy IT wILL bE DEmONSTRATED IN A REAL OPERATINg ENVIRONmENT.’
The pilot includes the engineering,
construction, commissioning and start-up
of a containerised 2 MW electrolyser and
compression plant. In addition the project
will provide a power substation, metering
station, hydrogen pipeline and natural gas
grid access station. AEG Power Solutions
is supplying rectifiers for the plant.
German independent power producer (IPP)
Enertrag is also a P2G pioneer, having
partnered with Swedish utility Vattenfall,
Total and Deutsche Bahn on a 6 MW
hybrid power station in Prenzlau, Germany.
After converting excess wind energy to
hydrogen, the plant uses the hydrogen
and biogas to generate heat and power.
An alkaline electrolyser is used in the plant,
which has been operational since 2011.
Future
By the latter part of this decade P2G
could start to establish itself as a flexible
storage technology in power grids as more
electricity is produced from renewable
sources. Collaborative efforts by partners
within the CO2RRECT project and those
undertaken by ZSW, Fraunhofer IWES
and Solarfuel are taking this promising
technology and adapting it for the
demands of renewable generation.
Between them, these initiatives are
opening up new opportunities both for
mature and new, advanced electrolyser
technologies. However, there are still
many technical and regulatory challenges
involved in the setting up and operation of
such storage plants that early adopters,
like E.ON, are starting to address.
LiNKS For FUrTHEr rESEArCH
www.rwe.com www.siemens.com www.bayer.com www.zsw-bw.de www.solar-fuel.net www.eon.com www.enertrag.com www.hydronics.com
NEwS ANALySIS
ADVANTAGES oF PEM ELECTroLySEr TECHNoLoGy iNCLUDE:
- No corrosive electrolytes
- Excellent gas separation for high-quality hydrogen production
- High current density at higher efficiency
- Fewer moving parts for easier maintenance
Parc des Expositions Paris Nord Villepinte Paris, France
Conference 30 Sep – 04 Oct 2013Exhibition 01 Oct – 03 Oct 2013
www.photovoltaic-conference.comwww.photovoltaic-exhibition.com
© Thorsten Schmitt
EU PVSEC 201328th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy
Conference and Exhibition
US initiative secures $120 million to research next-gen storage technology
Developing batteries five times more
powerful, and significantly cheaper to
make, is the focus of a public-private
research initiative launched in the US.
To make electric transportation and
electricity generation from renewables
truly competitive in the longer term, much
more is needed from storage technologies
compared with today’s batteries. An
initiative in the US is harnessing the
research resource of five national
laboratories, five universities and industrial
companies to develop batteries that
have the potential to outperform current
technologies. In short, the aim is to develop
batteries that are five times more powerful,
five times cheaper, within five years.
The Joint Center for Energy Storage
Research (JCESR), launched in November
2012, is one of four energy innovation
hubs launched by the Department of
Energy (DoE) since 2010. Argonne National
Laboratory (ANL), in Illinois, is leading
the public-private partnership, which will
be supported with an award of up to
$120 million (€88 million) over five years.
As several universities in the Illinois are
partners on the programme, JCSER has
earned speculation in local press reports
that the state is laying the foundations of a
‘Silicon Valley of battery science’.
DoE national laboratories and DoE-funded
university research programmes have
been responsible for advances in battery
technology. For instance, work at Argonne
helped make the Chevy Volt battery
possible. Pooling the research of the
national labs and universities could push
the US ahead in the global energy storage
industry.
‘Advancing next generation battery and
energy storage technologies for electric
and hybrid cars and the electricity grid are
critical to keeping America competitive
in the global economy,’ Dr Linda Horton,
director of the materials sciences and
engineering division in the DOE’s Office
of Science, told ESJ. ‘A goal of JCSER is
to accelerate the development of energy
storage solutions, improving grid storage
to increase efficiency and to allow effective
integration of intermittent renewable energy
sources. At the same time, this hub will
facilitate advances in battery technology
that can move the transportation sector
toward cleaner, more flexibly sourced, grid-
based power.’
‘ADVANcINg NExT gENERATION bATTERy AND ENERgy STORAgE TEcHNOLOgIES fOR ELEcTRIc AND HybRID cARS AND THE ELEcTRIcITy gRID ARE cRITIcAL TO kEEPINg AmERIcA cOmPETITIVE IN THE gLObAL EcONOmy.’
remit JCESR’s remit encompasses three
R&D areas in electrochemical storage;
multivalent intercalation, chemical
transformation and non-aqueous redox
flow. Multivalent intercalation focuses
on working ions, such as magnesium or
yttrium, which carry twice or triple the
charge of lithium and have the potential to
store two or three times as much energy.
Chemical transformation is based on using
the chemical reaction of the working ion
to store many times the energy of today’s
lithium-ion batteries. Non-aqueous redox
flow is based on reversibly changing the
charge state of ions held in solution in large
storage tanks; the very high capacity of
this approach is well-suited to the needs of
the grid.
JCESR is not concerned with incremental
improvements of existing technologies,
whether commercial or lab-proven. The
industrial partners chosen have the
resources and market reach to swiftly
commercialise new energy storage
technologies that result from the initiative.
By focusing on these areas next generation
technologies have the potential of
delivering five times the energy density
at one-fifth of the cost needed to bring
electric transportation and large-scale
solar and wind generation to competitive
levels. The scientific impact, while primarily
aimed at batteries, could also influence
technologies in other areas such as fuel
cells.
Within the three R&D areas JCESR will
tackle specific research challenges.
In multivalent intercalation these are
mobility in host structures, mobility across
interfaces as well as stable and selective
interfaces. In chemical transformation
these are phase transformation and
juxtaposition, functional electrolytes and
bATTERy bONANZA
stable and selective interfaces. In non-
aqueous redox flow these are novel redox
species, ionic mobility, interfacial transport
and stable and selective membranes.
JCESR will use basic research techniques
developed in the last decade to make
new materials and characterise their
performance at the atomic level for the
three energy storage concepts. Virtual
batteries will be computer-designed
and analysed for projected performance
and potential shortcomings. Cell design
and prototyping will deliver at least
two prototypes – one for grid and one
for transportation – for scale-up and
manufacturing.
The underlying principles governing
electricity storage are common for both
transportation and stationary applications,
hence the exploration of both within the
programme. However, as prototypes for
transportation and the grid must meet very
different operational standards, they will
be designed and prototyped separately,
explains the DoE.
Facilities and resources JCESR has begun research in existing
facilities on ANL’s and partner institutions’
campuses. Funding for JCESR includes
equipment support for a wide range of
instrumentation to complement existing
capabilities at the partner institutions.
The state of Illinois will build a $35 million
building, the Energy Innovation Center, on
the Argonne campus to house JCESR. It is
expected to be ready in 2014-2015.
In addition to receiving up to $120 million
over five years, other funding sources
could come from partners, government
and industry. JCESR’s commercial partners
will bring value through their knowledge
of R&D challenges to scale-up and
manufacturing, which will be folded into
the JCESR research plan. The partners’
investments in commercial facilities
for R&D and manufacturing are worth
upwards of $1 billion. JCESR will have
access to the knowledge, information and
manufacturing base its our commercial
partners. Also, in projects within JCESR
that include direct involvement by industry,
costs will be shared by that partner.
There will be opportunities for other
research partners, both commercial and
non-commercial, to join. New partners
will be added to address specific scientific
or technological goals for which new
expertise is needed. In addition to the
commercial partners, the five national labs
and five universities, JCESR has 35-plus
affiliates including other universities, private
research organisations and commercial
companies.
LiNKS For FUrTHEr rESEArCH
www.jcesr.org www.anl.gov Various videos about JCESR and cutting edge battery research: http://www.jcesr.org/?page_id=2009
JCESr PArTiCiPANTS
Argonne National Laboratory
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Sandia National Laboratories
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
Northwestern University
University of Chicago
University of Illinois at Chicago
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Michigan
Clean Energy Trust
Dow Chemical
Applied Materials
Johnson Controls
A LOT Of ZINc AIREU project develops zinc-air batteries for the utility market
A European project is developing a
cheaper utility storage device using zinc-air
battery technology.
Zinc-air batteries, which provide electrical
power through the electrochemical
oxidation of zinc by oxygen are widely
available as disposable button cells used
to provide power for hearing aids. But for
utility and grid-scale storage zinc-air flow
batteries have the advantage of having
higher power and energy density than
vanadium redox flow devices, while being
relatively potentially cheap to manufacture
compared with various batteries.
Commercial efforts The need for cost-effective grid storage
bought about by increased use of
renewables such as solar and growing
electricity demand that cannot be met
by existing grid infrastructure is driving
efforts by companies around the world to
commercialise zinc-air flow batteries. US
firm Eos, for example, has developed a
zinc energy storage system for the electric
grid that can be sold for $160/kWh (about
€120/kWh) and is rechargeable over
10,000 cycles, equivalent to 30 years.
The company is scaling up battery
prototypes in 2013 in preparation for
manufacturing and delivery of MW-scale
systems to customers in 2014. Others
include Zinc Air Incorporated (ZAI), which
is commercialising technology developed
with Department of Energy (DoE) support
over 10 years.
Powair project In Europe, a group of companies and
research partners are developing a zinc-air
flow battery, under Seventh Framework
Programme (FP7) funding. The Powair
project, which began in November 2010
and will run until November 2014, is being
ON THE RADAR – ENERGY STORAGE TECHNOLOGY R&D 15
MARCH/13 | Issue 2 | ENERGYsTORAGeJOURNAL
led by UK energy research company
C-Tech Innovation, which draws on over
40 years of experience in electrochemical
processes development, design and
building of industrial electrochemical
systems for industrial customers.
Other partners include CEST in
Austria, which has laboratories with
electrochemical equipment and has
carried out extensive work into metal
deposition and dissolution, Fuma-Tech in
Germany, which produces ion exchange
polymers and membranes for fuel cell
and other electrochemical applications,
as well as Green Power Technologies in
Spain, DNVKEMA and E.On Engineering.
University of Southampton and University
of Seville are the research partners.
The total project budget is €5.1 miilion,
which includes a grant from the EU of
€3.6 million.
John Collins, project manager at C-Tech
Innovations, says: ‘The Powair project
came about because we were looking for
a flow battery technology that would be
more cost-effective to manufacture in-line
with what electricity companies would
be willing to pay. So while their efficiency
may not quite match some other battery
technologies you are essentially playing off
lower cost against overall efficiency.’
The efficiency of the batteries developed
under Powair will be in the region of 5-10%
lower than a typical flow battery.
Goals Objectives of the project include
developing zinc-air batteries with four times
the energy density of existing flow batteries
and significantly reduced cost, plus
developing, designing a modular energy
system capable of plug and play expansion
via a novel modular distributed power
converter. Both Green Power Technologies
and the University of Seville have expertise
in power conversion.
Towards the end of the Powair project a
10 kW demonstrator will be developed
for evaluation that could precede a
commercial system with a target cost
of €100-150/kWh with an estimated
service life of around 10 years, though
the majority of the system should operate
for an additional 10 years or more,
following maintenance and servicing.
The demonstrator will be evaluated for
operation and grid compatibility on a
test grid by DNVKEMA, a global energy
consultancy and certification business with
extensive facilities for carrying out different
simulated test conditions for the batteries
and systems.
‘THE POwAIR PROjEcT cAmE AbOUT bEcAUSE wE wERE LOOkINg fOR A fLOw bATTERy TEcHNOLOgy THAT wOULD bE mORE cOST-EffEcTIVE TO mANUfAcTURE IN-LINE wITH wHAT ELEcTRIcITy cOmPANIES wOULD bE wILLINg TO PAy.’
While it is too early a stage in the project to
have a route to market finalised, the project
team is considering potential options as
the partners, between them, have the
know-how and facilities, via Fumatech, to
manufacture the air electrodes, which are
the battery’s key component.
‘Scaling timeframes are dependent on
module size you are aiming for. In the
5-10 kW module range, then we anticipate
that it could take another year on top
of a year of evaluating the prototype to
commercialise an improve version of
this.’ explains Collins. Batteries could be
commercialised from late 2016.
It is likely that initially the batteries will
be used in pilot projects and small
scale applications such as local grid
reinforcement. This year and next the
focus will turn to finding potential supply
chain partners, including providers of
production tools and equipment in order to
commercialise the battery technology.
LiNKS For FUrTHEr rESEArCH
www.powair.eu www.dnvkema.com www.cest.at www.ctechinnovation.com www.eon-uk.com www.fumatech.com www.greenpower.es http://www.us.es/ www.southampton.ac.uk/ www.eosenergystorage.com www.zincairinc.com
Zinc-air cell chemistry
- A solution or solid source of Zn(II)
is used as the energy storage
medium for the negative electrode
- Metallic zinc is plated and stripped
during charge and discharge
respectively at the negative
electrode
- The positive electrode is similar in
operation to that in a fuel cell or
water electrolyser
- Oxygen, either from a storage tank
or the atmosphere, is reduced
during discharge whilst during
charge oxygen is evolved
Source: Powair
ON THE RADAR – ENERGY STORAGE TECHNOLOGY R&D
Uk bETS ON ENERgy STORAgEin other recent initiatives set to boost energy storage r&D, the UK is investing £50 million (€57.9 million) in energy storage designs, feasibility studies and dedicated r&D and testing facilities
In January 2013 UK minister of state for
universities and science David Willetts
announced a funding boost for what
have been dubbed the ‘eight great
technologies’ which will propel the UK to
future growth.
In a speech at Policy Exchange, David
Willetts set out details of how the £600
million announced for science in the
Autumn Statement will support eight
fields, which include robotics and
autonomous systems, synthetic biology,
regenerative medicine, advanced
materials and energy.
The new investments, which total
over £460 million, include £30 million
to create dedicated R&D facilities to
develop and test new grid scale storage
technologies. This will help the UK
capitalise on its considerable excess
energy production, saving money and
reducing the national carbon footprint.
In a speech at the Policy Exchange the
minister described the unique strengths
of the UK’s research base, but said
government now needs to capitalise on
this by backing the right technologies
and helping to take them through to
market. This is an important element of
the UK’s industrial strategy and is part
of making the UK the best place in the
world to do science.
Willetts said: ‘Strong science and flexible
markets is a good combination of
policies. But it is not enough. It misses
out crucial stuff in the middle – real
decisions on backing key technologies
on their journey from the lab to the
marketplace. It is the missing third pillar
to any successful high tech strategy. It
is R&D and technology and engineering
as distinct from pure science. It is our
historic failure to back this which lies
behind the familiar problems of the
so-called “valley of death” between
scientific discoveries and commercial
applications.’
‘THE NEw INVESTmENTS, wHIcH TOTAL OVER £460 mILLION, INcLUDE £30 mILLION TO cREATE DEDIcATED R&D fAcILITIES TO DEVELOP AND TEST NEw gRID ScALE STORAgE TEcHNOLOgIES. THIS wILL HELP THE Uk cAPITALISE ON ITS cONSIDERAbLE ExcESS ENERgy PRODUcTION, SAVINg mONEy AND REDUcINg THE NATIONAL cARbON fOOTPRINT.’
Efficient energy storage technologies
could allow the UK to capitalise on its
considerable excess energy production.
While UK consumption peaks at 60 GW,
the UK has generation capacity of 80
GW but storage capacity of only 3 GW,
primarily from the single water system in
Wales. Greater energy storage capacity
can save money and reduce the national
carbon footprint at the same time.
The announcement by Willetts supports
ongoing initiatives in energy storage
R&D in the UK. In October 2012 two
energy storage competitions, totalling
£20 million, were announced by the
UK Department of Energy and Climate
Change (DECC). Of the £20 million,
£17 million has been made available
through an energy storage technology
demonstration competition. In the first
stage companies can secure up to
£40,000 for energy storage project
designs. In the competition’s second
phase successful projects can apply
for up to £12 million to test and
demonstrate energy storage designs.
The same companies can also apply
for the £3 million remaining of the
overall £20 million, as part of a separate
competition. The funding, available
in two rounds, is for energy storage
systems component research and
feasibility studies to investigate how
energy storage systems work and can
be used within the UK grid.
A report published by Imperial College
London the second half of 2012
suggests energy storage could generate
savings of up to £10 billion a year in
the UK, as part of DECC’s 2050 high
renewables scenario.
ON THE RADAR – ENERGY STORAGE TECHNOLOGY R&D 17
MARCH/13 | Issue 2 | ENERGYsTORAGeJOURNAL
RENEwAbLE ENERgIES & ELEcTRIcITy STORAgE – TEcHNOLOgIES & mARkETS
mARkET ANALySIS
International Solar
RENEwAbLE ENERgy
HAS SEEN ExPLOSIVE
gROwTH AcROSS
EUROPE IN THE LAST DEcADE
AND THE TREND IS ExPEcTED
TO cONTINUE OVER THE
cOmINg yEARS AS EUROPE
mAkES A TRANSITION AwAy fROm
bEINg DEPENDENT
ON ImPORTED ENERgy.
19
MARCH/13 | Issue 2 | ENERGYsTORAGeJOURNAL
mARkET ANALySIS
INTRODUCTION OF ELECTRICITY STORAGE TEChNOLOGIES The scope of electricity storage is diverse ranging from electric through
electrochemical to mechanical storage for different applications. But regardless of
the technology all storage solutions have one thing in common – there is a need
to further develop technology and expand production in order to make them
economically viable. The study provides:
- Overview of storage solutions according to power costs and maturity stages
- Exposition of storage applications in renewable energies
ANALYSIS OF MARKET pOTENTIALS IN EUROpE The open market for PV storage solutions brings many opportunities which reveal
the strength of manufacturing companies in the PV industry. The report helps
better understand the potentials of this new market. The report includes:
- Exposition of framework conditions in national energy markets in Europe
- Scenario creation and model calculation for the market potential of PV
storage solutions
Executive summary of the reportRenewable energy has seen explosive growth across Europe in the last decade
and the trend is expected to continue over the coming years as Europe makes a
transition away from being dependent on imported energy.
Energy 2020, a strategy for competitive, sustainable and secure energy that
was adopted in 2010 by the European Commission, states a more competitive
strategy to reach the goals for 2020 adopted by the European Council in 2007
(specifically, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20%, to increase the share
of renewable energy to 20% and to make 20% improvement in energy efficiency).
Today, the EU is on track to achieve these targets by putting in place a series of
policies including the development of National Renewable Energy Action Plans
(NREAP).
the following article is based on the executive summary of a new report from consultancy eupd research in partnership with ipvea.
renewable energies and electricity storage – technologies and markets is a comprehensive survey of current developments in national energy markets in europe.
THE STUDy PROVIDES INSIgHTS ON VARIOUS ASPEcTS Of STORAgE EqUIREmENTS AND THE POTENTIAL AcROSS VARIOUS mARkET SEgmENTS.
mARkET ANALySIS
The growing share of renewables in the electricity generation mix, especially from
fluctuating energy sources such as wind and photovoltaics (PV), brings about
new challenges in electricity generation and demand dynamics. Due to such
developments, it is envisaged that the electricity market across the continent will
undergo a fundamental transition in the future. In order to facilitate this change,
storage solutions will be required.
The field of storage technologies is broad and fragmented. Energy storage
system applications are classified according to power, energy capacity, usage
time and other factors. Applications include MW-scale power storage for
frequency regulation, large capacity energy storage (MWh scale) for peak time
demand response, and commercial/residential energy storage with medium-small
capacities (kWh scale).
With the exponential growth of the PV markets globally during the last few years
Europe is now set to enter into another growth cycle. Henceforth, complete
solutions – including PV or other renewable energy sources combined with
storage and energy management technology – both at the grid and consumer
level will be required to achieve EU’s outlined 2020 goal and beyond.
In light of these future developments, the study provides insights on various
aspects of storage requirements and the potential across various market
segments. Furthermore, the study provides a technological overview, current
manufacturing landscape of storage battery solutions and key drivers which will
drive the storage battery market in the future.
TABLE OF CONTENTSintroduction1. renewable energy and the need for storage solutions
1.1 Development of renewable energy in Europe
1.2 National Renewable Energy Action Plans (NREAP)
1.3 Challenges of the electricity generation and demand
1.4 Integration of renewable energy via storage solutions
2. Storage technologies
2.1 Technology overview
2.2 Market maturity and scope
3. Photovoltaics and storage
3.1 PV market development in Europe
3.2 Support framework
3.3 Storage market potential in Europe
3.4 Integration of storage battery solutions with photovoltaics
3.4.1 Economic feasibility
3.4.2 Market segments
3.4.3 Country Market-Segment-Technology attractiveness matrix
4. Manufacturers‘ landscape
5. Storage Battery Solutions – other applications
6. Conclusion
21
MARCH/13 | Issue 2 | ENERGYsTORAGeJOURNAL
mARkET ANALySIS
Energy 2020Energy 2020 – a strategy for competitive,
sustainable and secure energy – was adopted on 10
November 2010 by the European Commission. The
communication states a more competitive strategy to
reach the goals for 2020 adopted by the European
Council in 2007 (specifically, to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions by 20%, to increase the share of renewable
energy to 20% and to make 20% improvement in
energy efficiency).
The strategy focuses on the following five priorities:
- Achieving an energy efficient Europe
- Building a truly pan-European integrated energy
market
- Empowering consumers and achieving the highest
level of safety and security
- Extending Europe‘s leadership in energy technology
and innovation
- Strengthening the external dimension of the EU
energy market
EU electricity market: an introductionSince 1997, the use of nuclear and coal fired power
plants have seen a decline as an overall percentage of
the electricity production mix. In 2008, nuclear and coal
fired power plants constituted 27.78% and 16.09%
respectively of the total electricity production.
On the other hand, renewable sources of energy have
witnessed growth over the last few years. In 2008, wind
constituted 3.52% of the total electricity production in
the EU-27 countries, compared with 0.26% in 1997.
Envisioned renewable energy electricity mix as per NrEAPAs per the NREAP published in 2010, Germany intends
to meet its electricity production targets substantially
through the addition of PV and wind capacities until
2020.
On the other hand Spain, France and the UK have
envisioned investments in wind capacity in order to fulfil
their electricity production goals for 2020.
mARkET ANALySIS
Background: renewable energy – Germany Over the last decade, the share of renewables in the
three sectors of energy consumption namely electricity,
heating and transport has increased significantly in
Germany.
In particular, the share of renewable energy in the
electricity sector has sharply increased from little over
5%+ in 2001 to over 20% in 2011.
According to German renewable energy law, known as
the EEG 2012, the German government plans to extend
the share of renewable energies to 35%.
By 2030 every second kWh electricity should be
generated by renewable energies. The fluctuating
renewable energies wind and PV showed a strong
growth path reaching 7.6% (wind) and 3.1% (PV) of
gross electricity generation in Germany 2011.
On a typical summer day in 2012 the installed PV
capacity in Germany generated a maximum of 16GWh.
To cover 10% of the daily generated PV electricity a net
storage capacity of nearly 13 GWh is needed. Charging
and discharging losses of 20% are expected. Storing
10% of total PV electricity will lead to a stabilised
electricity supply, even at night, of 1 GWh.
23
MARCH/13 | Issue 2 | ENERGYsTORAGeJOURNAL
mARkET ANALySIS
Further information about renewable Energies and Electricity Storage – Technologies and Markets
rELEASE DATE Q1/ 2013
iNForMATioN SoUrCES
- In-depth analysis of in-house PV and storage databases
- Use of economic models
- Systematic desk research (media analysis, reports, industry portals)
BENEFiTS For yoUr CoMPANy
- Keep track of technologies and current developments in the market of electricity storage solutions
- Gain comprehensive understanding of changing energy markets in Europe
- Understand the need for the integration of renewable energies via storage solutions as well as the possibilities to enter the flourishing market of storage solutions in Europe
DELiVEry PDF version of the report (app. 60 pages)
PriCE
PPT-Report “Renewable Energies and Electricity Storage” Price
IPVEA Member 1,950 EURnon-IPVEA Member 2,950 EURPrinted copy(ies) 75 EUR per copy
Please note: Payment conditions: 100% on delivery
To orDEr Visit http://shop.eupd-research.com/ and click on the IPVEA report
Economic feasibility: storage battery plus PV systemIn the case of a retrofit system:
5 kWp PV system installed in January 2010 with a 5
kWh lithium ion storage system installed in 2012.
IRR level of up to 4.3% can be attained based on
outlined parameters compared to 14%+ without
storage system.
cOVER STORy
energy Bank
march/13 | issue 2 | ENERgystorageJOURNAL
25cOVER STORy
In the US, policy, changes to electricity market rules and government support have paved the way for demonstrations of large-scale energy storage for the utility market.
Energy storage has always been used in the
electricity network, such as providing backup
power for smaller grids, spinning reserves and
pumped hydro facilities are used all over the
world. But the growing use of intermittent,
sources of renewable energy generation,
coupled with advances in batteries in materials,
device design, production processes, and also
control electronics and software, have yielded
energy storage products able to accommodate
the needs of the electricity grid while managing
wind or solar farm’s fluctuating, sporadic energy
production.
Across the US utilities are working with systems
integrators to tentatively ease storage into
corners of the transmission and distribution
(T&D) network to assess potential applications,
benefits and see how these technologies behave
on the grid. These projects, many subsidised
by the Department of Energy (DoE) with funds
made available under the American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, add up
to over $80 million (€62 million) in investment,
mainly for demonstration of battery-based
energy storage and management systems.
In broad terms the benefits of storage integrated
into the T&D network are well publicised.
Energy storage supports further integration of
intermittent sources of wind and solar energy
into the grid, storing excess electricity in off-
peak periods, minimising peak electricity use
and providing savings for electricity consumers.
Energy storage can optimise and improve the
grid, reducing or delaying capital investment in
the network, benefiting taxpayers. Yet, despite
the announcements of storage projects, utilities
are reticent – somewhat understandably – when
it comes to discussing and viewing this new
asset at their disposal.
One US utility, however, which has publicised
its efforts to study and evaluate potential
applications for energy storage is Southern
California Edison (SCE). With government
grants to offset some of the cost of investing in
expensive, new technology, the utility is one of
the several preparing to test storage systems in
the field. The next three years will be a turning
point for the energy storage industry, which
requires the feedback of its end user market on
value propositions and technical needs.
Investor owned utility SCE started investigating
stationary storage over three years ago,
expanding upon its extensive research into
electric and hybrid vehicles and their potential
impact on the grid. The Tehachapi wind energy
storage project is one of several demonstration
projects in development in the US. ‘SCE
responded to the resulting Department of Energy
(DoE) solicitation in 2009. We saw that storage
was a potential solution to distributed generation
issues and challenges,’ says Mark Irwin director,
technology development at SCE.
The solicitation stipulated that the project size
had to be at least 8 MW, that the area for the
demonstration had to be heavy in renewables
generation and the battery technology must be
lithium-ion based. The Tehachapi mountains,
dotted with thousands of turbines, are rich in
wind resource but the electricity generated from
this site, over the decades, has presented SCE
with transmission system integration issues
Previous page.
The energy storage facility installed by Xtreme Power at Duke Energy’s Notrees wind farm in Texas
Source: Xtreme Power
cover story
ENERgy bANkby SARA VER-bRUggEN
‘bUT AT THE END Of THE
DAy ScE IS NOT jUST LOOkINg
fOR A bATTERy, IT IS LOOkINg
fOR A SySTEm THAT cAN bE INTEgRATED.’
and various operational constraints. The siting
of the project will also allow the utility to study
the impact of storage on a 66 kV portion of its
system in the area. Over 12 separate operational
issues will be studied by SCE in the project to
clearly show the functionality of energy storage
in the grid.
The benefits of grid-connected energy storage
are often espoused, especially in the context
of renewables, implying that the arrival of cost-
effective, advanced energy storage technology
will remove one of the biggest barriers to
widespread uptake of wind and solar. The
utility perspective on storage presents a more
nuanced picture. According to SCE energy
storage is a complex term which refers to varied
and disparate technologies and potential uses
across the electric grid. Storage may provide
the means to solve particular challenges but
is not an end in itself, identifying where and
how storage is used on the electric system
(applications) is a logical and ideal starting point
for discussions about storage, but storage as a
unified concept is impractical and misleading.
DEMONSTRATION pROJECTS Irwin states: ‘Tehachapi is designed to resolve
a type of problem. We decided upon the likely
applications for demonstrating storage devices,
but these are not at the stage where the device
is reliably proven to resolve an issue, as this is
not yet a proven solution.’
By late 2013, or early 2014, SCE and its
partners aim to have the Tehachapi system
installed and up and running. As A123, the
original battery company that SCE had been
working with, is now insolvent a new provider of
lithium batteries is being sought.
The demonstration project will run for 24
months. ‘As it progresses over time we will
have to make a recommendation about how
The interior of a 36 MW energy storage and management system supplied by Xtreme Power for Duke Energy’s Notrees wind farm in Texas
Source: Xtreme Power
cover story 27
MARCH/13 | Issue 2 | ENERGYsTORAGeJOURNAL
to continue once the demonstration has been
completed. A question will be the cost-benefit,’
says Irwin.
At the Smart Grid Observer online conference in
November 2012 Irwin talked of the critical value
of storage for SCE, not so much about shifting
energy from off-peak to the on-peak but as a
means of deferring or avoiding capital on the
distribution portion of the grid. As an example
this could be avoiding upgrading a distribution
system from 4 kV to 12 kV. ‘We may have an
overload that we have to solve. This could mean
putting a storage device in for smoothing and
reducing that overload.’
In addition to the demonstrations SCE is also
planning a pilot project, which it is finalising. This
will be operational in 2014 and it will be 500 kW
to 1 MW in size with 2-4 hours of storage. ‘The
storage solution will be designed to address
an issue. There are other solutions that exist to
address the issue and using storage may not be
the most economic option,’ says Irwin. However
the pilot is important because it could lead to a
further scale-up of storage capacity by SCE in
future.
SCE has done its homework. Irwin admires
the approach to storage by Jeju island, off the
coast of South Korea. ‘It is a test-bed of different
demonstration and pilot projects and investment
is being made in the proving process that these
device technologies require.’ The island’s semi-
autonomous government has initiated renewable
energy pilots, including offshore wind and pilots
for storage.
Discussions about storage rarely occur without
discussions about cost. In the meantime, in
these next few years as energy storage prices
come down, more cost-benefit analysis emerges
and demand for grid storage becomes more
acute, SCE is making sure it is in a place to fully
appreciate performance of energy storage in
various applications to be able to deploy it when
required.
BATTERIES AND ENERGY STORAGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS When investigating battery technology SCE will
typically take the approach of looking at test
results on paper and talk to the industry. It will
then carry out its own lab tests of device and
gain third party, independent results, followed by
demonstration projects, then pilots. ‘But at the
end of the day the company is not just looking
for a battery, it is looking for a system that can
be integrated,’ says Irwin.
Audrey Fogarty, VP of commercial operations
and application development at Xtreme
Power, concurs: ‘The battery is just one part
of the system. Xtreme Power can be seen
as essentially a systems integrator – we take
the battery and integrate it with our storage
management technology and systems. We
have exclusive agreements with a lot of large
battery producers and will use batteries that are
most suitable and reliable for each application.
However, we evaluate batteries by putting them
through a lot of tests before we use them.’
Xtreme Power is able to configure ratings for
power (MW), which refers to the amount of
electricity a storage system can absorb or
supply at any given instant, and energy storage
(MWh), which is the total storage capacity of a
system, or the length of time a storage device
can provide a set amount of power, to ensure
individual projects are fully optimised.
FREqUENCY REGULATION The company’s largest project to date is with
Duke Energy, providing storage for the utility’s
153 MW Notrees wind power project, in Texas.
The integrated facility at Notrees provides flexible
‘wE mAy HAVE AN OVERLOAD THAT wE HAVE TO SOLVE. THIS cOULD mEAN PUTTINg A STORAgE DEVIcE IN fOR SmOOTHINg AND
REDUcINg THAT OVERLOAD.’
Inside the energy storage facility at Notrees wind
farm in Texas
Source: Xtreme Power
cover story
capacity for the Electric Reliability Council of
Texas (ERCOT), which operates the state’s
electrical grid and manages the majority of the
deregulated market in Texas. The 36 MW energy
storage system, which uses advanced lead acid
batteries, is able to deploy fast-acting reserves
to support ERCOT grid reliability and helps
maintain supply and demand balance with near-
instantaneous feedback of frequency changes or
other unexpected events.
‘We expect to see continued growth in
renewables integration and frequency regulation
driving demand for energy storage in the near
term, such as our project with Invenergy,’ says
Fogarty.
Invenergy is a Chicago-based renewable energy
developer. Xtreme Power has installed its 1.5
MW Regulation Power Management (RPM)
system close to Invenergy’s Grand Ridge Wind
project site in La Salle County. The wind farm will
supply renewable power to the new frequency
response market administered by regional
transmission group PJM.
The emergent frequency response market has
been facilitated by a ‘Pay for Performance’ rule
introduced by the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission (FERC) in late 2012. Regional
transmission organisations (RTOs) and
independent system operators (ISOs) have to
pay for an ancillary service known as frequency
regulation. Typically compensation is based
on how much capacity generators set aside
for such a service. The Pay for Performance
rule means generators are rewarded for faster
ramping rates, total energy provided – or
mileage – and greater accuracy, which faster-
ramping resources are able to achieve in
responding rapidly to dispatch signals from
system operators. It is advanced storage
technologies, including battery and flywheel
based systems, which are able to achieve
these and, in the process, help to facilitate
further uptake of intermittent renewables like
wind and solar and better balance supply and
demand. Xtreme Power’s RPM system, which
uses lithium-titanate battery technology, is able
to provide a responses time in the frequency
regulation market up to 50 times faster than
conventional generation resources.
Xtreme Power, which has provided storage
systems in Hawaii and Alaska, is also poised
for the island grid applications as opportunities
open up in places such as the Caribbean islands
and Puerto Rico. Hawaii has installed wind
farms and solar farms so it can be less reliant
on importing energy, and storage is a critical
component as the grid infrastructure cannot
handle high amounts of renewables and also
reduces reliance on diesel backup generation.
FLExIBLE TEChNOLOGY The Modesto Irrigation Distribution project
represents another large-scale energy storage
project on the grid, supported with DoE funding.
Located in California’s Central Valley, Modesto
Irrigation District is a municipal utility, a not-
for-profit organisation represented by a locally
elected board, which manages the area’s water
and electricity supply.
The storage system, supplied by Primus Power,
will provide the district with the ability to shift
on-peak energy use to off-peak periods. The
company was set up in California about three
and half years ago to develop a low-cost battery,
based on safe and proven zinc-flow battery
technology. Primus Power’s battery does not
use a separator and the battery design has
been simplified. Primus has worked closely
with Bosch to develop battery management
electronics.
Primus Power has a prototyping facility in
California but is looking to work with a contract
manufacturer that will produce the batteries on
its behalf, starting later this year. Primus is also
working on several other projects. One of these
is a contract with Raytheon’s Integrated Defense
THE PAy fOR PERfORmANcE RULE mEANS gENERATORS ARE REwARDED fOR fASTER RAmPINg RATES, TOTAL ENERgy PROVIDED – OR mILEAgE – AND gREATER AccURAcy, wHIcH fASTER-RAmPINg RESOURcES ARE
AbLE TO AcHIEVE IN RESPONDINg RAPIDLy TO DISPATcH SIgNALS fROm ISOS.
cover story 29
MARCH/13 | Issue 2 | ENERGYsTORAGeJOURNAL
Systems business to deliver and support an
electrical energy storage system for a microgrid
at the Marine Corps Air Station in Miramar,
California.
Modesto gets its energy from several sources,
including fossil fuel plants, hydropower and
renewables. The utility imports about half of
its energy requirements, including electricity
produced by a wind farm in the neighbouring
state of Oregon, but it has to pay a premium
to receive firmed wind electricity. Rather than
pay this premium energy storage could enable
Modesto to store the wind generated energy. In
mid-2012 the municipal increased its renewable
energy generation with the completion of a 25
MW solar farm. The renewable sources are
integrated with thermal generators because they
are intermittent, to ensure the district’s electricity
needs are met.
The storage system Primus Power is supplying
for the project is 25 MW/75 MWh and will
replace a planned $78 million 50 MW fossil
fuel thermal generation plant, for less. Storage
provides value more immediately, whereas
thermal generation plants require capital
spending four years before they come online,
the average time it takes for installation and
commissioning.
Modesto will use the energy storage system to
balance renewable energy, reduce load peaks
and balance frequency. In addition to providing
utilities with immediate value, Modesto can
also use the storage to defer upgrades of
substations. ‘These upgrades cannot be put
off indefinitely, more like two years, and this
provides the utility with the ability to plan ahead
and reduce upfront capital costs,’ explains Tom
Stepien, CEO of Primus Power.
It is estimated that Modesto will save 30%
by using Primus Power’s EnergyPod storage
technology instead of thermal generators.
Primus Power will deliver its EnergyPod
storage system starting 2014. Each one is 250
kW/1 MWh. Eight of them can be held in one
container.
Electricity grids are built to accommodate
thermal generation plants fuelled by fossil or
nuclear fuel to provide a steady, predictable
supply of energy. To compensate for the erratic
levels and patterns of energy generation by
wind and solar utilities end up building more gas
turbines. Advanced energy storage technologies
that companies such as Primus and Xtreme
are supplying eliminate this variability issue. But
there are also a host of other applications for
energy storage that are just beginning to be
demonstrated and evaluated.
In the long term energy storage systems;
technologies that are equipped to store, absorb
and release electricity in an intelligent manner
are potentially disruptive enough to change how
utilities manage the distribution of electricity.
In the meantime utilities are making a start on
putting energy storage through its paces on
the grid. ‘The timeframe of our involvement,
including all of these various stages of lab tests,
demonstrations and pilots is consistent with
the timeframe in which the network will require
reinforcing,’ says Irwin.
‘THESE UPgRADES
cANNOT bE PUT Off INDEfINITELy,
mORE LIkE TwO yEARS, AND THIS
PROVIDES THE UTILITy wITH
THE AbILITy TO PLAN AHEAD AND REDUcE UPfRONT
cAPITAL cOSTS.’
LINKS FOR FURThER RESEARCh www.sce.com
www.xtremepower.com
www.primuspower.com
www.duke-energy.com
The exterior of a 36 MW energy storage and
management system supplied by Xtreme
Power for Duke Energy’s Notrees wind farm in
Texas
Source: Xtreme Power
cover story
US utility-led energy storage projects
NoTrEES WiND ENErGy STorAGE ProJECTLocation Texas Rated power 36 MW Duration at rated power 15 minutesApplication/benefit Renewables capacity firming, electric energy time shift frequency regulationISO/RTO ERCOTUtility Duke Energy Grid interconnection TransmissionPaired grid resource WindEnergy storage technology provider Xtreme PowerBattery technology Advanced lead acidPower electronics provider Xtreme PowerIntegrator Xtreme Power SystemsCAPEX $43.6 millionDoE subsidy $21.8 million Operational End of 2012
PriMUS PoWEr MoDESTo WiND FirMiNG ENErGyFArMLocation Modesto, CaliforniaRated power 25 MW Duration at rated power 3 hoursApplication/benefit Renewables capacity firming, electric supply capacityUtility Modesto Irrigation District Grid interconnection TransmissionPaired grid resource GridEnergy storage technology provider Primus PowerBattery technology zinc chlorine redox flowDoE subsidy $14 millionOperational 2014
TEHACHAPi ENErGy STorAGE ProJECTLocation Tehachapi, California Rated power 8 MW Duration at rated power 4 hoursApplication/benefit Voltage support, electric supply capacity, renewables capacity firming ISO/RTO CAISOUtility Southern California EdisonGrid interconnection TransmissionPaired grid resource WindEnergy storage technology provider Not known (was A123)Battery technology Lithium ionPower electronics provider DynaPowerIntegrator Not known (was A123)CAPEX $5.4 millionOperational 2014
PGE SALEM SMArT PoWEr CENTrE (PACiFiC NorTHWEST SMArT GriD DEMoNSTrATioN)Location Salem, OregonRated power 5 MWDuration at rate power 15 minutes Application/benefit Electric supply capacity, electric energy time shift, renewables capacity firming, renewables energy time shift Utility Portland General Electric (PGE)Energy storage technology provider EnerDelBattery technology Lithium ionPower electronics provider Eaton CorporationIntegrator Enerdel, PGE, GECAPEX $22.2 millionDoE subsidy $10.3 millionOperational 2012
Full details of these and other projects can be found at www.energystorageexchange.org
cover story 31
MARCH/13 | Issue 2 | ENERGYsTORAGeJOURNAL
SEcOND LIfEConservation of resources, along with energy, is becoming
more important than ever, so the idea of taking used high
performance batteries originally designed for electric cars to
meet demand for lower intensity stationary storage is gaining
credence. But how easy is it to establish in practice?
fEATURE
Efficiency House Plus Source: BMVBS
© Werner Sobek,StuttgartWernerSobek.com
33
March/13 | Issue 2 | ENERGYsTOraGeJOURNAL
fEATURE
by SARA VER-bRUggEN
What do car makers Nissan, GM and Mitsubishi
have in common? All have their own respective
partnerships with OEMs to develop secondary
use applications for batteries originally designed
for, and used in, automotive applications. Electric
vehicle (EV) batteries have up to 70% capacity
remaining after 10 years of use in an EV, a
longevity that allows them to be used beyond
the lifetime of the vehicle for some stationary
storage applications.
In its report Repurposing Electric Vehicle
Batteries for Stationary Storage IDC Energy
Insights forecasts that by 2020 there will be
some 400 MW-hours-worth of batteries ready
to start coming out of cars and the number
will continue to rise. Of course, many of these
will be destined for recycling as they will be
too degraded, others will be reconditioned for
continued use in cars. The majority, however,
will be too degraded for their original application
but have sufficient capacity for energy storage
applications.
DRIVERS AND AppLICATIONS According to global consultancy and engineering
services provider P3, the drivers of secondary
application batteries are reduced ownership
costs for automotive buyers due to the increased
resale value of batteries and lower battery
prices for secondary applications. In addition
a secondary market for EV batteries helps to
conserve critical and expensive raw materials,
such as lithium, without going through intensive
recycling processes.
The current generation of secondary
application batteries will fulfil requirements for
most stationary applications, though mobile
applications are more demanding. However,
though several potential applications exist
for secondary use price potential needs to
be balanced with the cost and feasibility of
modification.
P3 lists uninterruptible power supply, for example
for hospitals, cell phone towers and data
processing centres, as a potential applications
where batteries could be reused to provide a
cleaner solution compared with diesel generation
with low maintenance costs. For larger scale
applications such as integration of intermittent
renewables into the grid, peak shifting/load
balance – community energy storage – use of
batteries is still very limited and expensive. An
option could be secondary batteries to enhance
reliability of renewable sources, mitigate need
for additional power generation and provide high
charge/discharge rates more cost-effectively.
COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY GM has signed a memorandum of understanding
(MOU) with ABB for joint study and research
into a community-level grid-connected energy
storage unit able to provide power for up to
50 homes, reusing batteries. The research
partnership encompasses inverters and controls
software and a grid integration study will be
carried out with three utilities. Recently the two
companies demonstrated a Chevrolet Volt battery
reuse. The system is based on the repackaging
of five used Chevrolet Volt batteries into a
modular 25 kW, 50 kWh unit capable of providing
two hours of electricity for 3-5 homes. Duke
Energy plans to test the prototype on its grid.
In Japan Nissan and Sumitomo have had a
joint venture, 4R Energy, since 2010 to conduct
research and field tests on the second-life use
of lithium-ion batteries that have been used
previously in electric vehicles (EV). Earlier this
year 4R Energy partnered with ABB and the US
IDc ENERgy INSIgHTS
fOREcASTS THAT by 2020
THERE wILL bE SOmE 400 mw-HOURS-
wORTH Of bATTERIES READy TO
START cOmINg OUT Of cARS
AND THE NUmbER wILL cONTINUE TO
RISE.
Transportation batteries being
reused in a stationary storage
application
Source: Indy Power Systems
fEATURE
divisions of its parent companies to evaluate the
reuse of lithium-ion battery packs that power the
all-electric Nissan LEAF. Applications targeted
are residential and commercial stationary energy
storage systems. The companies are developing
a LEAF battery storage prototype with a capacity
of at least 50 kWh, enough to supply 15 average
homes with electricity for two hours.
Earlier this year, US start-up Indy Power
Systems, based in Indianapolis, installed a
50kW, 15kWh energy storage system to reduce
peaks in utility grid demand for its customer
Melink Corporation, a supplier of heating
ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) products
and service. What makes the system unique
is that it uses and optimises various types of
batteries for grid storage, including five different
lead-acid battery packs, all comprised of used
batteries that would otherwise have been
destined for crushing. To do this Indy Power
Systems has developed a screening process
that can sort out batteries with at least 75% of
their original energy rating at approximately 33%
of the cost of new batteries. The tool consists of
a router and controller designed to manage the
flow of energy between any number of sources
and loads, in either direction, regardless of
voltage.
Indy Power Systems founder Steve Tolen
explains: ‘There is no one perfect battery, each
technology compromises on performance
somewhere, they tend to wear out. We can
optimise batteries to work in concert with
others.’ He cites the batteries used in truck fleets
where, as part of preventative maintenance,
batteries will be rotated for new ones even when
they contain 75% of original capacity.
The system that Indy has supplied to Melink
operates on a daily basis providing electrical
energy to the grid when Melink’s heat pumps
kick in and energy use peaks. This effectively
lowers utility grid usage by approximately 15 kW
for an hour each business day and means the
company does not get stung by high demand
peak charges. The system recharges either
during the day when solar energy production
exceeds energy usage, or at night when energy
use is low. The system allows for more storage
to be added as desired.
what makes the system unique is that it uses and optimises various
types of Batteries for grid storage, including five different lead-acid
Battery packs, all comprised of used Batteries that would otherwise
have Been destined for crushing.
‘we are getting smarter and smarter
aBout how we are deploying the
Battery in its primary application, which
helps to estaBlish its predictaBility for the
secondary application.’
35
MARCH/13 | Issue 2 | ENERGYsTORAGeJOURNAL
fEATURE
The application with Melink may be small but
Indy Power Systems is targeting transportation,
grid integration of renewables and military
microgrids with its system. In a typical grid
storage application, lots of batteries are sorted,
with the ones that do not meet requirements
returned to the recycling stream, while the sorted
batteries are group by capacity and placed into
packs of ‘like’ capacity. Each pack is controlled
individually with different voltages and different
charge and discharge rates, to make a modular
and scalable system. Indy Power Systems,
which was set up in 2007, has begun working
with utilities and aims to have some projects
starting in 2013. In the next 2-3 years Tolen
expects to roll the technology out to domestic
users as well as small commercial users also.
He sees a big future in energy storage not
only for refurbished or reconditioned batteries,
but also technologies that can get more out
of batteries, which have reached the limits of
their original application but are by no means
redundant.
The 50 kWh unit designed to demonstrate
Chevrolet Volt battery reuse is just the tip of
the iceberg in terms of GM’s exploration of
secondary battery applications. The company
has been researching the field for about two
years. ‘We are looking at very small scale to
very large applications with various partners,’
explains Pablo Valencia, GM senior manager
of battery lifecycle management. The project
with ABB and Duke Energy is just one. One
potential commercial application that GM is very
interested in is the repackaging of EV batteries
for fast-charging ports, where electrified cars
can be recharged in several minutes, instead
of hours. But these require a lot of power and
locating them in dense urban areas in cities,
where they are most needed, would stress the
grid. Using stationary storage is seen as a viable
solution. ‘It’s a very compelling application, and
it is not too far off from being developed,’ says
Valencia.
He agrees the big challenge is tackling the
logistics of establishing the secondary battery
market. GM is able to assess the capability of
EV batteries, which is critical when it comes to
establishing their secondary application and
share results with partners such as ABB.
‘We are getting smarter and smarter about
how we are deploying the battery in its primary
application, which helps to establish its
predictability for the secondary application,’
says Valencia.
SUppLY ChAIN In the coming years, particularly as the
electric and hybrid vehicle market grows
there will be a substantial market of used
batteries for a secondary use market with
adequate performance for various potential
applications. The challenge is establishing the
supply chains that can take redundant high
performance batteries from the automotive and
transportation markets and extract maximum
value for secondary market applications,
from collection, testing and qualification, to
modification, refurbishment and reselling of
batteries, according to P3. In addition to large
global industrial firms such as Siemens and
ABB, other specialist companies are well
placed to help establish a second life battery
market. One of these is ATC Drivetrain, an
independent drivetrain remanufacturer in the
US. The company provides leading automotive
OEMs, including Honda, with remanufacturing
and logistics products and services based
on salvaging core components, refurbishing,
reconditioning and repairs.
Through its division ATC New Technologies
the company partners with OEMs to support
warranty and aftermarkets for battery packs –
including li-ion and nickel metal hydride (NiHM)
battery packs for pure electric and hybrid
vehicles, inverters and electric motors. The
LINKS FOR FURThER RESEARCh www.melinkcorp.com
www.indypowersystems.com
www.p3-group.com
www.sae.org
www.abb.com
www.4r-energy.com
www.atcdrivetrain.com
German Federal Ministry of Transport,
Building and Urban Development
www.bmvbs.de
Link to the Efficiency House Plus project
www.bmvbs.de/SharedDocs/EN/
Artikel/B/energy-plus-house-my-house-
my-filling-station.html
www.WernerSobek.com
fEATURE
company has identified a market opportunity
for batteries for second life applications,
where capacity does not have to be as high
as for the aftermarket, but is still acceptable.
ATC Drivetrain is looking to use its existing
experience that includes refurbishing and
repairing battery systems and modules, as well
as cell grading analysis and balancing of cells
for remanufacturing, to develop products. The
company has in test production a product called
the Watt Box, which is a self-contained storage
system designed for use with NiHM or li-ion
batteries up to 50 kWh for peak shaving/load
shifting applications.
In Germany, a project called Efficiency House
Plus is investigating the potential for lithium-
ion battery modules, which have been used in
EVs, for a second-life application as affordable
stationary energy storage as part of domestic
solar panel systems. The project, which started
in 2011, is funded by the German Federal
Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban
Development. In the project a stationary storage
pack consisting of seventy 8V modules with 8V
each, with a battery management system to
monitor and control the battery cells, is being
operated and monitored for two years to collect
data about the performance of the system in
various operational and seasonal conditions. The
system has a nominal storage capacity of 43
KWh and a maximum power output of 7.2 KW.
FUTURE It is going to take a few years for significant
amounts of redundant EV batteries to come
out of service and into the hands of companies
dedicated to producing energy management
and storage systems that exploit repurposed
devices. According to P3, the global EV/ hybrid
EV original battery market will rise from 6.4
million kWh in 2012 to 19.5 million kWh in 2017,
worth about $15 billion by 2017. However, the
secondary use market lags this primary market
by approximately 7-10 years.
But a market based on different battery grades
and capacities could find ample buyers and
sellers in future. Power storage assets are not
cheap to make and a more cost-effective and
resource-conservative approach that repurposes
and refurbishes batteries for second life
applications could have an important role to play
in establishing sufficient storage capacity in the
years to come, as well as provide new business
opportunities for companies.
Projected global volumes of oEM electrified vehicles (primary batteries)Annual volume (MWHr) Source: P3
ENERGY STORAGEInternational Summit for the Storage of Renewable Energies
MECHANICALENERGYSTORAGE
ELECTROCHEMICALENERGYSTORAGE
THERMALENERGYSTORAGE
FUTURE ENERGYSTORAGE
CHEMICALENERGYSTORAGE
ENERGY STORAGE PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY FORUM
1ST EDITION 2012:
350 PARTICIPANTS
FROM 29 COUNTRIES
• Get insights into all relevant areas of energy storage
• Meet the top decision makers – the perfect platform to network
• Hear international opinions and perspectives on our future energy system
• Learn from the top players in the industry
• Be part of the Energy Storage Comunity – get a free listing in our company directory
Be part of it and book now: www.energy-storage-online.com
JEREMY RIFKINCEO and Founder of the Foundation on Economic Trends
PETER ALTMAIERFederal Environment Minister
KEYNOTES:
18 – 19 March 2013CCD Süd, Messe DüsseldorfDüsseldorf, Germany
Be part of it and book now: www.energy-storage-online.com
Already more than 30 exhibitors confi rmed!
www.energy-storage-online.com/2020
www.energy-storage-online.com/2222
Additional Workshops:
ORGANIZED BY
PARTNERS
KEY ASSOCIATION PARTNERS
GOLD SPONSORS SILVER SPONSOR
MAX PLANCK INSTITUTE FORCHEMICAL ENERGY CONVERSION
STRATEGIES FOR CLEAN ENERGYstrategen
Fonts: Apollo MT Small Caps; Frutiger 55 Roman
StoREgio
POWERED BY: PV MAGAZINE
ENERGY STORAGE PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY FORUM
Anzeige Energy Storage 210x297+3_20 Februar 2013.indd 1 20.02.13 12:11
EVENT PREVIEw
talking from experiencepv industry production equipment companies show how to drive down production costs in battery manufacturing at the energy storage production technology forum.
Leading innovators and suppliers of PV production equipment are providing cutting-edge solutions for battery manufacturing for the
energy storage industry. Manz and Jonas & Redmann will be taking part in a panel discussion – How to get Costs Down, How to speed
up manufacturing, Critical Issues and Best Practices – at the Energy Storage Production Technology Forum workshop at this year’s
ENERGY STORAGE – International Summit for the Storage of Renewable Energies, taking place in Düsseldorf on 18 March 2013.
In the inaugural issue of Energy Storage Journal Manz and Jonas & Redmann, along with other suppliers of PV production tools and
systems, discussed their involvement in the emerging stationary energy storage sector.
The full programme for the Energy Storage Production Technology Forum is designed to provide the current state of energy storage
manufacturing technologies and enable attendees to gain firsthand knowledge from current users, recognised experts and industry
pioneers.
energy storage production technology forum programme:1:20 pm Arrival of participants and joint
networking lunch
2:50 pm SESSioN i
Introduction and Market Overview by Markus A. W. Höhner CEO, EUPD Research
2:55 pm Current Status / Market Overview
Markus A. W. Hoehner CEO, EUPD Research
3:10 pm Current Status / Overview of Technology / Research
Dr. Andreas Würsig Head of Integrated Power Systems, Fraunhofer ISIT
3:30 pm Partnering – A Viable Battery Production Technology Option
Golo Wahl Director Business Development, Flextronics Energy
3:45 pm Quality Control / Measurement Technology
Andreas Krispin Sales Manager, IN CORE Systèmes
4:00 pm Cost Analysis / Markets / Analyst Research
Dr. Franz J. Kruger Senior Advisor, Roland Berger Strategy Consultants GmbH
4:15 pm Q & A / Discussion
4:30 pm Coffee Break
5:00 pm SESSioN 2
Discussion Panel- How to get Costs Down, How to speed up manufacturing, Critical Issues and Best Practices
Participants:Marco Stehr Sales Director Li-ion Batteries, Manz Tübingen GmbH *
Lutz Redmann Founder and CEO of Jonas & Redmann Group GmbH *
Dr. Werner Schreiber Managing Director Volkswagen Varta Microbattery Forschungsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG
Dr. Gerold Neumann CTO, Dispatch Energy
Dr. Norbert Schall Vice President Research & Development Battery Materials, Süd-Chemie AG a Clariant Group Company
Dr. Franz J. Kruger Senior Advisor, Roland Berger Strategy Consultants GmbH
Dr. Andreas Würsig Head of Integrated Power Systems, Fraunhofer ISIT
6:25 pm Closing Remarks
6:30 pm End of the Production Technology Forum
Shuttle bus transfer to networking dinner
The entrance for the workshop and the dinner is included to all registered conference badge holders. The forum, with lunch and evening dinner, can be booked for €395 or €350, for members of association partners, including IPVEA.
The Energy Storage Production Technology Forum Committee includes:
� Dr. Binder, BTC Technologies
� Mr. Bryan Ekus, MD of IPVEA
� Dr. Jens Tübke, Fraunhofer ICT and Chairman of the Fraunhofer Battery Alliance
� Dr. Vetter, Fraunhofer ISE
* member
bREAkINgIT DOwN exploring the various applications for large-capacity electrical energy storage (ees) to support renewable energy integration
MARCH/13 | Issue 2 | ENERGYsTORAGeJOURNAL
39fEATURE
fEATURE
Energy storage, due to its tremendous range of uses
and configurations, may assist renewable energy
(RE) integration in any number of ways. These uses
include, inter alia, matching generation to loads
through time-shifting; balancing the grid through
ancillary services, load-following, and load-levelling;
managing uncertainty in RE generation through
reserves; and smoothing output from individual RE
plants.
Promising large-capacity electrical energy storage (EES) technologies
The universe of energy storage applications maps
closely to the challenges of integrating RE into the
grid. In the same way that RE integration creates
needs at a variety of temporal scales, different types
of energy storage are suited to different discharge
times, from seconds to seasons.
The suitability of an energy storage resource for a
particular discharge timeframe is determined by its
power density and energy density. Power density
refers to the energy storage technology’s ability to
provide instantaneous power. A higher power density
indicates that the technology can discharge large
amounts of power on demand.
Energy density refers to the ability of the technology
to provide continuous energy over a period of time.
A high energy density indicates that the technology
can discharge energy for long periods. Generally,
energy storage technologies with the highest power
densities tend to have the lower energy densities;
they can discharge enormous amounts of power,
but only for a short time. Likewise, technologies
with the highest energy densities tend to have lower
power densities; they can discharge energy for a long
time, but cannot provide massive amounts of power
immediately. This quality gives rise to a division of
energy storage technologies into categories based on
discharge times. While the categories are general and
nearly always admit of exceptions, they are useful in
conceptualising how many roles storage can play with
respect to renewables integration.
Short discharge time resources discharge for
seconds or minutes, and have an energy-to-power
ratio (kWh/kW) of less than 1. Examples include
double layer capacitors (DLCs), superconducting
magnetic energy storage (SMES), and flywheels
(FES). These resources can provide instantaneous
frequency regulation services to the grid that mitigate
the impact of RE’s uncontrollable variability.
Medium discharge time resources discharge for
minutes to hours, and have an energy-to-power ratio
of between 1 and 10. This category is dominated by
batteries, namely lead acid (LA), lithium ion (Li-ion),
and sodium sulphur (NaS), though flywheels may also
be used. Medium discharge time resources are useful
for power quality and reliability, power balancing and
load-following, reserves, consumer-side time-shifting,
and generation-side output smoothing. Moreover,
specific batteries may be designed so as to optimize
for power density or energy density. As such, they
are relevant to both the uncontrollable variability and
partial unpredictability that RE generation brings to
the grid.
Medium-to-long discharge time resources
discharge for hours to days, and have energy-to-
power ratios of between 5 and 30. They include
pumped hydro storage (PHS), compressed air
energy storage (CAES), and redox flow batteries
(RFBs). RFBs are particularly flexible in their design,
as designers may independently scale the battery’s
power density and energy density by adjusting the
size of the cell stacks or the volume of electrolytes,
respectively. Technologies in this category are useful
primarily for load-following and time-shifting, and can
assist RE integration by hedging against weather
uncertainties and solving diurnal mismatch of wind
generation and peak loads.
Long discharge time resources may discharge for
days to months, and have energy-to-power ratios
of over 10. They include hydrogen and synthetic
natural gas (SNG). Technologies in this category are
thought to be useful for seasonal time-shifting, and
due to their expense and inefficiency will likely see
deployment only when RE penetrations are very
large. For example, large amounts of solar power on
the grid will produce large amounts of energy in the
summer months, but significantly less in the winter.
Storing excess generation in the summer as hydrogen
or SNG and converting it back to electricity in the
winter would allow a time-shift of generation from
one season to the next. Such technologies can assist
RE integration in the long term by deferring the need
for transmission expansion and interconnection that
arises due to the locational dependency of renewable
resources.
The suitability of an energy storage resource for a particular discharge timeframe is determined by its power density and energy density.
41
MARCH/13 | Issue 2 | ENERGYsTORAGeJOURNAL
fEATURE
roles of electrical energy storage (EES) in renewable energy integration Grid-side roles of EES The widest range of uses for EES lies in services to
the grid operator in providing generation flexibility.
These services also represent – from the grid
operator’s perspective – the optimal use of storage
as a tool to mitigate variability and uncertainty for an
entire grid, rather than for specific loads or generation
assets. The optimality arises from the fact that
integration of large amounts of wind and solar energy
over large geographic areas results in lower net
variability and output uncertainty than the integration
of a single RE plant, and so the need for services
overall is reduced.
Nevertheless, it is simplistic to expect that this will be
the only use of energy storage for RE integration that
emerges in future grids. Indeed, the grid operator’s is
not the only perspective that is important or relevant.
Individual RE generators or plants facing specific
incentive policies or isolated grids may find it in their
best interests to co-locate generation and storage to
level output prior to grid integration. On the demand
side, expanded use of electric vehicles (EV) may
provide substantial aggregate energy storage to the
grid even if the storage resource itself appears sub-
optimal to the grid operator.
We avoid making any specific judgments or
predictions about exactly what the distribution of uses
will or ought to be for EES in assisting RE integration,
and instead simply present all of the potential uses
from a variety of perspectives. The actual use of EES
in various countries in the future will vary significantly
depending on government policies, utility strategies,
social and cultural factors, and the peculiarities of
each particular grid.
Generation-side roles of EES Operators of RE generation plants may use energy
storage technologies to assist in the integration of a
particular plant, or of several plants that feed into the
same substation. EES used in this fashion serves to
improve the grid-friendliness of RE generation itself.
It is important to understand that generation-side use
of energy storage is not simply a shift in ownership
of the storage resource, but an entirely different role
Grid-side EES case study: The national wind power, solar power, energy storage and transmission demonstration project in Zhangbei, China
The national wind power, solar power, energy
storage and transmission demonstration project,
co-sponsored by the Ministry of Finance,
the Ministry of Science and Technology, the
National Energy Bureau and SGCC, is located
in North Zhangjiakou. The wind and solar
resources are rich, but the local load is small
and the installation is far away from the Beijing-
Tianjin-Tangshan load centre so the energy
must be transmitted to the load centre by a
high-voltage and long-distance transmission
network. This project exemplifies the basic
characteristics of RE development in China, and
is a typical project for studying the problem of
accommodating large-scale renewable power.
The planned capacity of the project is 500 MW
wind power, 100 MW PV power and 110 MW
energy storage. Phase I of the project, which
was completed in 2011, consists of 100 MW
wind power, 40 MW PV power and 20 MW
energy storage. In order to test the performance
of different types of battery storage, three types
of battery storage are used in the 20 MW energy
storage station: 14 MW of lithium iron phosphate
(LiFePO4, LFP) batteries, 4 MW of NaS batteries
and 2 MW of vanadium redox flow batteries
(VRFBs).
Through a panoramic intelligent optimal control
system, panoramic monitoring, intelligent
optimisation, comprehensive control and smooth
mode-switching between wind, solar and
storage, the project has met targets of output
smoothing, schedule following, load levelling
and frequency regulation. The storage system
has contributed to making the wind farm and PV
station more grid-friendly.Individual RE generators or plants facing specific incentive policies or isolated grids may find it in their best interests to co-locate generation and storage to level output prior to grid integration.
fEATURE
for storage from that envisioned by grid-side use of
EES. Rather than using EES as a tool to balance an
entire power grid, an RE generation plant may use
EES to provide integration applications prior to grid
integration, either at the plant or substation level.
While the technical requirements of generation-side
EES applications are similar to those of grid-side EES,
greater flexibility is required of generation side EES
facilities, because a single RE plant exhibits greater
variability and uncertainty than many RE plants
aggregated on the same grid.
This means that dedicating EES facilities to specific
RE generation results in proportionately higher
costs than using EES to balance net variability
and uncertainty on the grid. For isolated and
geographically-constrained grids, however, co-
location of RE generation and EES may be an
attractive option, as balancing such grids through
interregional trading, conventional backup capacity or
demand-side management is more challenging than
for larger and more interconnected grids.
Essentially, generation-side use of EES aims to
transform an uncontrollably variable and partially
unpredictable resource into a controlled and
predictable one – it turns RE generation into
something that looks very much like conventional
energy generation. Such an RE generation resource
is said to be dispatchable. It may also play a role
in effectively utilising limited transmission capacity,
particularly where the RE generation is located on an
isolated or weak grid. Generation-side uses of EES
include:
Time shifting: The dedicated energy storage facility
stores energy whenever its generator produces it,
and stands ready to dispatch energy to the grid when
needed. This can make RE output both predictable
to grid operators and co-temporal to demand. Time
shifting functions require EES facilities to store large
quantities of energy for significant periods of time,
from hours to days. NaS batteries exemplify the
qualities needed for this function: they may store
relatively large amounts of energy efficiently for hours
at a time as well as ramp quickly. Storage efficiency
is very important for economical operation of time
shifting.
output smoothing/flattening: Even when RE
generation is producing energy at a time when it is
needed, the EES resource may be used to smooth
out fluctuations in frequency and voltage that result
from the inherently variable nature of RE generation.
Smoothing functions require ramping capability – the
ability to rapidly change power output or uptake in
order to regulate the output of the RE plant. When RE
output spikes, the EES technology must be capable
of storing the excess energy quickly. Conversely,
when output suddenly drops, the storage system
must be able to release energy quickly to provide
extra power, keeping the plant output stable.
The necessary function of storage facilities varies
according to the requirements. In some cases just
smoothing output is satisfactory, but in other cases
output is required to be kept at the fixed values.
Output smoothing at the plant level reduces the need
for power quality and ancillary services on the grid
itself.
Transmission utilisation efficiency: Because
RE generation is location-dependent, sufficient
transmission may not be available to move energy to
loads. It is often the case that transmission may be
available, but it may be heavily congested.
Generation-side EES resources may allow for more
efficient use of transmission capacity by allowing an
RE generation facility to wait to use the transmission
line until congestion has cleared. SECOND BOX
Generation-side case study of EES support of rE plant integration in Japan
In 2008, Japan Wind Development Company
(JWD) began operating the first commercial
‘Wind and NAS Battery Hybrid System’. The
plant consists of 51 MW (1 500 kW × 34 units)
of wind turbines and 34 MW (2 000 kW × 17
units) of NAS batteries.
The NAS battery application regulates the output
of the plant to produce more electricity during
high demand (price) periods, and less during
low demand (price) periods. Output can also be
reduced when system conditions require. JWD
has operated its wind and EES technologies in
combination according to plan for three years.
43
MARCH/13 | Issue 2 | ENERGYsTORAGeJOURNAL
fEATURE
Demand-side roles of EES Energy storage has a number of applications
for energy consumers; time-shifting to reduce
consumption of grid electricity at peak times, firm
power for off-grid, renewably-powered homes or
critical industrial applications, and emergency power
supply are a few examples.
These applications, however, are related more to
the needs of the consumer than to solving particular
challenges related to the integration of large-capacity
RE. In seeking demand-side EES technologies that
directly relate to large capacity RE integration, only
one critical type emerges: electric vehicles.
EVs are significant to RE integration because of the
potential for aggregation. While a single EV can store
a relatively small amount of energy, many EVs all
plugged into the grid at the same time may someday
be operated as a single large energy-storage device,
or virtual power plant (VPP). As such an electric
vehicle virtual power plant (EVPP) may provide both
time-shifting and other energy applications to store
RE at times of low demand and release it to meet
peak demand, as well as operating reserves such as
frequency regulation service, increasing quantities of
which are needed as more variable RE generation is
added to a system. Such functions are referred to as
vehicle-to-grid (V2G) systems. EVPPs providing V2G
services must satisfy the requirements of both vehicle
owners and grid operators. By aggregating individual
vehicles into a single controllable EES resource, an
EVPP can potentially achieve this balancing act,
bidding and providing ancillary services at all times
without locking a vehicle owner into a charging station
from which she or he cannot depart at will.
EVPPs are still conceptual in nature, and involve
significant complexities that are beyond the scope
of this report. A number of modelling efforts are
presently examining EVPP feasibility and architecture.
One of the more robust and RE-integration relevant
modelling efforts is located on the Danish island of
Bornholm, which relies heavily on wind turbines with
30 MW of wind capacity that services 22% of the
island’s load.
Summary EES may serve as a source of flexibility for the
integration of RE in a wide variety of ways, from
improving the grid-friendliness of RE generation itself
through increasing generation flexibility to providing
demand response from electric vehicles. These
represent the near-term uses of energy storage
as one means among many of providing system
flexibility. In the medium term, energy storage may
allow, through both balancing and time-shifting
functions, for more effective and full utilization of
transmission lines and thus assist in transmission
expansion and siting to RE resource areas. In the
longer term, energy storage may influence energy
system planning in unique and profound ways.
Large-scale, long-term energy storage such as
hydrogen and synthetic natural gas may provide a
means of storing seasonally-produced RE for months
or years and thus serve the need for dispatchable and
controllable generation that is currently met through
fossil fuels. The cost of such storage is currently
considered prohibitively expensive and the energy
penalties too high by many system operators and
governments. Advances in technology and shifts in
the politics of energy may be necessary before such a
future becomes likely.
Credit
This article is summarised from Section 5 of
‘Grid integration of large-capacity Renewable
Energy sources and use of large-capacity
Electrical Energy Storage’, a white paper
produced by the International Electrotechnical
Commission (IEC) and published in October
2012. The white paper is the third in a series
whose purpose is to ensure that the IEC can
continue to contribute with its standards and
conformity assessment services to the solution
of global challenges in electrotechnology.
‘Grid integration of large-capacity Renewable
Energy sources and use of large-capacity
Electrical Energy Storage’ was written by a
project team under the IEC’s market strategy
board, in particular the experts of the State Grid
Corporation of China and RASEI the Renewable
and Sustainable Energy Institute (RASEI) in
the University of Colorado at Boulder and the
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
in the US.
www.iec.ch
Essentially, generation-side use of EES aims to transform an uncontrollably variable and partially
unpredictable resource into a controlled and predictable one – it turns RE generation into something that looks
very much like conventional energy generation.
wITH bATTERIESgrid storage opportunities for Batteries
Source: Aquion
TEcHNOLOgy fOcUS
Batteries, which cover a range of technologies, are suitable for stationary grid storage applications both at the utility-scale and for community and other distributed storage applications near the consumer end of the distribution network. Unlike the electric vehicle market, which is suffering from overcapacity in battery production, in the coming years growth opportunities for grid connected stationary energy storage will drive demand for batteries, attracting new companies that are developing batteries for the specific demands of grid storage.
The utility-scale market will take time to establish
itself as utilities are conservative and risk averse.
According to Pike Research (part of Navigant
Consulting) reduced costs, regulatory support
and business model clarification is required for
utility-scale storage to become established. Pike
Research values the global market at $1.5 billion
by 2015 and this is a relatively conservative
forecast. Lux Research, for instance, predicts
the global grid-scale storage market to be worth
$114 billion by 2017 and Boston Consulting
Group forecasts a $400 billion market by 2020,
though precise breakdowns of grid-scale
markets by different analysts could be reason for
the varying forecast values.
Few markets have demonstration projects for
utility-scale battery based energy storage. They
include China and the US.
Though they require much fewer batteries than
utility-scale storage applications, distributed
storage demonstration projects are increasing
in number worldwide, in markets such as the
US state of California, Japan, South Korea and
the UK, where the government is providing
support to some projects that will piloting battery
storage to alleviate pressure on the low voltage
(LV) network that the predicted increase in PV
systems, heat pumps, electric vehicles and other
low carbon technologies will add. According
to a report published in 2012 produced for
the UK government the value in the majority
of future storage installations lies in distributed
storage on the semi-urban network. Instances
of partnerships between solar suppliers and
companies supplying energy storage systems
and technologies are increasing in order to
develop opportunities that are emerging.
Today the most popular primary applications
for advanced battery in stationary storage
applications is for load levelling/peak shifting,
where typically sodium-sulfur (NaS) batteries are
used. Other primary applications for batteries
include integration of renewables, where NaS
as well as flow and lead acid batteries are
used. For frequency regulation as the primary
application lithium ion (l-ion) batteries tend to
be used. Nickel cadmium (NiCd) batteries tend
to be favoured where spinning reserves is the
main application. In Q2 2012, nearly 250 MW
of installed capacity of NaS batteries were used
for load levelling/peak shifting, according to
Pike Research, with around 25 MW of installed
lithium-ion battery capacity for frequency
regulation applications.
‘wE NEED TO THINk AbOUT
THE PRObLEm DIffERENTLy. wE NEED TO
THINk bIg AND wE NEED
TO THINk cHEAP …
LET’S INVENT TO THE PRIcE POINT Of THE
ELEcTRIcITy mARkET.’
45
MARCH/13 | Issue 2 | ENERGYsTORAGeJOURNAL
TEcHNOLOgy fOcUS
by STAff
New battery products developed for grid storage
However, as various regions, such as Europe,
increase renewables capacity to meet carbon
reduction targets many companies are bringing
to market new cost-effective, scalable and
safe battery technologies. US zinc-air battery
developer Eos is scaling up battery prototypes
(5 kW/30 kWh units) for initial manufacturing
in 2013 and delivery of MW-scale systems to
first customers in 2014. The company’s Aurora
grid product is a 1 MW/6 MWh energy storage
system for the electric grid with 1 MW optimal
power for six hours with surge capability. The
price of the battery for major orders is $1000/
kW.
Aquion Energy was spun out of Carnegie Mellon
University in 2009 to develop a low cost battery,
initially for off-grid and microgrid applications.
The battery is suitable for grid services such as
deep-energy-daily-cycling (four or more hours),
load shifting, diesel optimisation, renewables
integration and transmission and distribution
(T&D) referral. The company is headquartered in
Pittsburgh.
The Aquion battery is based on a propriety
aqueous hybrid ion (AHI) chemistry, to provide
superior life, safety, durability, and low system
costs. The anode consists of activated carbon,
the cathode of manganese oxide and the
electrolyte from water based sodium sulphate
and the separator from cotton. The battery is
sealed in a polypropylene casing, the cells are
self-balancing and the architecture is modular
and scalable, with no thermal management
required, no maintenance and limited balance of
system requirements.
Aquion will produce its batteries from its plant
in Westmoreland, Pennsylvania. The firm is
targeting different global markets by various
applications, for example rural electrification in
Africa, weak grids in India, grid arbitrage in the
US and Europe as well as renewables integration
globally.
Towards the end of 2012 Aquion entered
pilot manufacturing of its batteries to meet
demand for the various demonstration projects
where it is sampling its batteries with potential
customers. This year the company’s main focus
is on microgrid and off-grid opportunities for
its batteries, where energy storage integrated
with solar can be used instead of diesel power
generation backup. The market is potentially
global. VP of business development Ted Wiley
cites south-east Asia, Australia, India as well as
the US, where micro-grid markets are driven by
the military and mission critical facilities, or even
as back-up power support during the hurricane
season that often causes power outages.
Potential partners the company is aiming to
work with include systems integrators. Though it
has some projects lined up it is actively seeking
potential partners that it can sample its batteries
to, for lab assessments on performance and
where partners can support Aquion in finalising
specifications and ultimately to bring its batteries
to market as part of off-grid and microgrid
energy storage systems.
In late 2013 Aquion will then move into high-
volume production in anticipation of supplying
utility-scale projects and demand in early 2014.
The utility market will require batteries in much
higher quantities while the microgrid and off-grid
markets will provide manageable demand ahead
of the company scaling production.
Ambri (formerly Liquid Metal Battery Technology)
is targeting grid-scale opportunities for energy
storage provided by the increased use of
intermittent renewables such as solar and wind.
Ambri, which was spun out from Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2010, is backed
by investors that include Bill Gates, Total and
Khosla Ventures. The company is bringing to
PIkE RESEARcH VALUESTHE gLObAL mARkET fOR
UTILITy-ScALE ENERgySTORAgE TO REAcH AT
$1.5 bILLION by 2015
TEcHNOLOgy fOcUS
market an all-liquid battery – a process known
as reversible ambipolar electrolysis. The design
avoids cycle-to-cycle capacity fade. This is
because the electrodes are reconstituted with
each charge through an alloying/de-alloying
process, enabling the battery to exceed 70%
round-trip efficiency without degradation.
Low cost battery for grid-scale storage
Ambri’s cells consist of a molten salt electrolyte
that sits between a high density metal on the
bottom and a low density metal on top, when
heated to the melting point. In a charged state
a thermodynamic driving force between the
top metal layer and the bottom metal layer
creates a cell voltage. The movement of the
electrons through the cell generate enough
heat to keep the battery at temperature.
An additional advantage is that no thermal
management or control is required, ensuring
the battery’s simplicity. All components are
based on abundant elements. Each cell is a
16-inch square unit containing about 1200
Wh. The cells are then placed into 25 kW (100
kWh) refrigerator-sized modules. To produce
commercial grid-scale storage battery banks
Ambri will pack the modules into a 40-ft shipping
container, rated at 500 kW and 2 MWh storage
capacity.
Ambri’s strategy to commercialise its technology
initially targets applications where large amounts
of energy need to be stored and the battery can
respond in milliseconds. This will potentially open
up markets where Ambri can charge premium
prices for storing and delivering electricity to the
grid to make up for fluctuations in supply and
demand, which will become more acute as more
wind and solar power is installed. To reduce
capital costs in future Ambri has created a
battery design that can be fabricated in existing
factories using contract manufacturing.
The recent fate of A123, which filed for
bankruptcy in 2012, suggests that developing
new, potentially game-changing battery
technologies is no less risky any other high-tech
field. However, by exploiting abundant materials
for their respective battery technologies, nascent
players such as Ambi and Aquion are keeping
cost at the forefront, because for intermittent
renewables to become a mainstream form of
energy generation, low-cost high performance
storage technologies are going to be absolutely
critical in the coming years. Speaking at a TED
conference earlier this year, professor Don
Sadoway, the inventor of Ambri’s liquid metal
battery, said: ‘The need for grid level storage is
compelling, but the fact is today there is simply
know battery technology capable of meeting
the demanding performance requirements of
the grid, namely uncommonly high power, long
service lifetime and super-low-cost. We need
to think about the problem differently. We need
to think big and we need to think cheap ... let’s
invent to the price point of the electricity market.’
potential partners aquion is aiming to work with include systems integrators. though it has some proJects lined up it is actively seeking potential partners that it can sample its Batteries to.
47
MARCH/13 | Issue 2 | ENERGYsTORAGeJOURNAL
TEcHNOLOgy fOcUS
Aquion has developied an advanced battery for a variety of stationary applications and is working with partners such as systems integrators to bring the technology to market Source: Aquion
ENERgy STORAgE& SOLAR EVENTS18-19 march 2013 Energy Storage Congress Center Düsseldorf (CCD), Messe Düsseldorf, Germany
At the inaugural Energy Storage summit
and exhibition, held in March 2012, 20
exhibitors presented their products and
services in the field of storage technology
and 350 participants from 29 countries
took part in the two-day conference with
accompanying exhibition.
The show also includes the Energy Storage Production Technology Forum.
www.energy-storage-online.com
16-20 april
Solar 2013Baltimore, Maryland, US
SOLAR 2013, taking place at the Baltimore
Convention Center, in Maryland, is
managed by staff and volunteers under the
supervision of ASES and its local chapter,
the Mid Atlantic Solar Energy Society
(MASES). SOLAR 2013, ASES’ 42nd
Annual National Solar Conference, gathers
the nation’s top solar energy experts in all
topical areas and for the first time ever,
the National Solar Conference encourages
Young Professionals to present their
papers alongside those of industry experts.
SOLAR 2013 highlighted technical
sessions include:
- Trends in Distributed Renewable Energy
Generation & Storage
- Financing Distributed Generation
Projects
- The Facts about Community Solar
- Developments in Micro-grids and
Distributed Storage Technologies
For more information, visit www.ases.org/
solar2013/about-solar-2013/
23-25 april 2013
6th Energy Storage Forum Berlin, Germany
Past Energy Storage Forums in Asia
(Beijing, Tokyo) and in Europe (Barcelona,
Paris, Rome) have altogether attracted
over 500 professionals from 20 countries.
Some of the past speakers have included
utilities such as EDF and ENEL. The
Forum, to be held at the Hotel Kempinski
Bristol, in Berlin, aims to get deeper
into the business case according to
different applications by comparing
different technologies including: flywheel,
li-ion, CAES, flow battery, hydrogen,
supercapacitors, power electronics,
hydropower and new alternative
technologies. The forum is broadening its
expanding its remit to further explore the
role of wind, solar and power electronics in
energy storage. The event is supported by
the Electricity Storage Association (ESA),
which is based in Washington DC.
More information about the event can be
found at www.energystorageforum.com
8-9 may 2013
Global Solar SummitMilan, Italy
The global solar industry is facing a
tumultuous phase as market consolidation
has profoundly impacted the sector with
weaker players being pushed out of
business. In the upcoming months many
challenges will need to be addressed by
the solar community at worldwide scale.
The first edition of the Global Solar
Summit, which will be held in Milan on
8-9 May in conjunction with Solarexpo,
will strive to answer those challenges
by bringing together Industry leaders
and decision makers with the purpose
of helping drive the solar energy sector
forward.
Highlights of the event include:
Solar energy & the energy marketsStatus and prospects of PV and CSP
Comparative value of solar power in the
context of the global energy markets
High grid penetrationDiscussion forum between the solar
industry and the utilities Ancillary
services, grid storage and other enabling
technologies
New and emerging markets How sustainably and how quickly can they
fill the sales gap?
Growth drivers, volatility, business models,
prospects
For more information, visit www.global-
solar-summit.com/eng/highlights/
14-16 may 2013
7th SNEC international Photovoltaic Power Generation Conference Shanghai, China
SNEC (2013) International Photovoltaic
Power Generation Conference & Exhibition
[SNEC PV POWER EXPO] will be held in
events 49
MARCH/13 | Issue 2 | ENERGYsTORAGeJOURNAL
Shanghai, China, 14-16 May.
The conference will cover all the
aspects of photovoltaic technology and
manufacturing, including equipment/
devices, materials, processes,
manufacturing, integration, as well
as emerging PV technologies and
applications.
For more information, visit http://www.
snec.org.cn/Default.aspx?lang=en.
17-21 June 2013
intersolar EuropeMunich, Germany
From June 19–21, 2013, the international
solar industry’s largest manufacturers,
suppliers, distributors and service
providers are convening to showcase the
latest market developments and technical
innovations at Intersolar Europe, in Messe
München, Germany.
Intersolar Europe has enjoyed rapid
growth over the past few years, clearly
underscoring the exhibition’s status as a
global industry hub for solar technology.
This year, 1500 exhibitors and 60,000
visitors are expected at the show.
As well as providing an extensive
conference programme on solar markets
and technologies, business models,
encompassing silicon and thin film PV,
and solar thermal Intersolar Europe’s
conference programme includes energy
storage topics, from policy and market
prospects to technologies.
The exhibition runs from 19-21 June and
the conference runs from 17-20 June.
For more information, visit www.intersolar.
de/en/intersolar-europe.html.
8-11 July 2013
intersolar North AmericaSan Francisco, USA
Intersolar North America 2013 will run
from 8-11 July. This year’s show has been
expanded to include an energy storage
exhibition segment.
Visitor registration for Intersolar North
America 2013 will be available from 18
March. For more information about the
show, visit www.intersolar.us.
10-12 septemBer 2013
Energy Storage North AmericaCalifornia, USSan Jose Convention Center
With the first staging of Energy Storage
North America (ESNA) from 10-12
September 2013 at the San Jose
Convention Center in California, Messe
Düsseldorf will bring its successful concept
from Germany to the US.
Jointly organised by Messe Düsseldorf
North America and Strategen Consulting,
ESNA 2013 will be the first energy storage
conference and expo in the US to focus
exclusively on applications, customers and
deal making.
ESNA 2013 is strategically timed to
coincide with potential new energy storage
procurement targets for California load
serving entities pursuant to AB 2514.
Exhibitor applications and information
as well as conference registration are
available online at www.ESNAexpo.com.
17-19 septemBer 2013
The Battery ShowNovi, Michigan, USA
Taking place 17-19 September, Novi,
Detroit, Michigan, The Battery Show 2013
is the premier showcase of the latest
advanced battery technology.
The exhibition hall offers a platform to
launch new products, make new contacts
and maintain existing relationships. With
more qualified buyers and decision makers
than any other event in North America, The
Battery Show 2013 is the key to unlocking
your organisation’s future business
opportunities.
The Battery Show is attended by technical
leaders, scientists, engineers, project
leaders, buyers and senior executives
concerned with advanced energy
storage and will host the very latest
advanced battery solutions for electric
& hybrid vehicles, utility & renewable
energy support, portable electronics,
medical technology, military and
telecommunications.
For more information, visit www.
thebatteryshow.com.
30 septemBer - 4 octoBer 2013
28th EU PVSEC Paris, France
The 28th European Photovoltaic Solar
Energy Conference and Exhibition (28th
EU PVSEC) will take place from 30
September to 04 October 2013 at Parc
des Expositions Paris Nord Villepinte in
Paris, France.
The five-day Conference is complemented
by the three-day Exhibition, held from 1-3
October 2013. The event is being held in
a period when France is increasing its PV
activities, including the launch of a new set
of incentive measures and a doubling of
the country’s 2013 PV installation targets.
Paris represents one of the world’s leading
business centres. The city hosts the
headquarters of international organisations
such as UNESCO, ESA – European
Space Agency, OECD – Organisation for
Economic Co-operation and Development,
IEA – International Energy Agency, ICC
– International Chamber of Commerce,
REN21 – Renewable Energy Policy
Network for the 21st Century and many
more.
In addition to the conference programme,
EU PVSEC 2013 includes several parallel
events including PV Production Forum
2013, which has been expanded to
include energy storage subjects.
For more information about the 28th
EU PVSEC, visit www.photovoltaic-
conference.com
� For €3000, an annual membership to IPVEA provides a host of discounts and benefits
� Significant discounts on raw booth space at large solar shows
� Free listing and entry in the PV Matrix – a real-time platform representing the PV supply chain
� Free PV industry book-to-bill data
� Free weekly solar energy intelligence reports and e-bulletins
� Free subscription to Update – IPVEA’s official newsletter, which provides latest news on equipment providers, IPVEA events and IPVEA-sponsored conferences and shows, exclusive analysis of PV industry and market trends, profiles and case studies.
� Free subscription to Energy Storage Journal – a new quarterly B2B publication covering business and market strategies for energy storage and smart grid technologies
� Discounts to leading solar industry conferences and events
� Discounts on technical publications
� Numerous brand-building and networking opportunities at major solar shows including:
� IPVEA member press conferences and press materials
� Exposure through the website www.ipvea.org
� IPVEA video casts
� Inclusion on appropriate panels at key industry trade events
� IPVEA member pavilions at trade shows
� Use of the IPVEA & PV Matrix logos to support branding
� Listing in IPVEA PV Directory and Update newsletter
…much more. IPVEA is working to forge stronger ties between solar and energy storage.
Join IPVEA and be part of it.
[email protected] / www.ipvea.org