NEC Corporation representatives have said that while the domestic market opportunity for battery energy storage remains fairly small for the Japanese company, it is expected to “increase dramatically” within the next three years at commercial and industrial (C&I) and utility-scale.

NEC is one of the world’s biggest players in energy storage systems via its Massachusetts-headquartered Energy Solutions division in the US. It has delivered battery systems technology for more than 10 years since it was originally formed from the acquisition of the relevant department of A123 Systems, and has deployed more than 900MW globally.

Recent projects include a crowdfunded 12MW project in the Netherlands – thought to be the country’s largest to date – and some of New York State’s first utility-scale front-of-meter batteries for developers. The majority of that 900MW is thought therefore to consist of NEC’s Grid-Scale Solutions (GSS) kit; the company’s containerised, large-scale energy storage product.

However in its parent company’s homeland, the strategy is very different. Unlike many other advanced economies with built-out grid infrastructure, Japan is yet to launch opportunities or market frameworks for fast-acting battery assets to deliver frequency response and other ancillary services.

Although a few specific regions such as the northern island of Hokkaido have issued requirements that new renewable energy projects come with some energy storage attached as a means to preventing grid congestion, for the most part, large-scale batteries as a means to integrate renewables are not considered economically viable either in Japan at this stage, according to various sources.

Initial focus on industrial and commercial, with grid-scale to follow
For now, in Japan, NEC Corporation is focusing much of its energy storage sales activity on its Distributed Scale Storage (DSS) product that it launched just over a year ago, in February 2019. Aimed at commercial and industrial (C&I) customers, the units go from 40kW / 90kWh to 240kW / 540kWh and are integrated all-in-one with power converters and built-in connectors for ease of installation. Up to five units can be combined, allowing for 2,700kWh maximum capacity and 1,200kW maximum power per install.

BOSTON, March 26, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — The pandemic infection of COVID-19 led to the lockdown of a considerable number of cities, leading to reduced pollution activity. With the large number of renewable energy sources (RES) employed in the last decades to decarbonise the energy sector, a growing number of energy storage devices have been coupled with RES. As highlighted by Luke Gear, Technology Analyst at IDTechEx, in the report “Batteries for Stationary Energy Storage 2019-2029” the Li-ion batteries are currently dominating the energy storage sector, while other technologies, such as redox flow batteries, are also slowly acquiring their share of the energy storage market, As described in the report “Redox Flow Batteries 2020-2030”.

Li-ion batteries (LIB), since their introduction to the market in 1991, have started to be adopted in a wide range of applications, from the energy storage sector to the automotive, to power electronics like smartphones and tablets.

The great advantage of LIB is given by their higher gravimetric and volumetric energy densities compared to other battery technologies. The high energy content is given by the rocking chair principle of the Lithium ions. The charge battery stores Li-ions into the negative (anode) electrode, usually made of carbon material. During the discharge of the battery, the anode material releases ‘n’ electrons in the external electrical circuit, together with ‘n’ Li-ions which are instead released into the electrolyte. Simultaneously, the cathode electrode accepts ‘n’ electrons, together with ‘n’ Li-ions. During the discharge process, the positive and negative electrode reactions are reversed.

Besides the simple working mechanism, a constant study is required to improve the performances and safety of this technology, together with reducing the cost by adopting low-cost materials.

While initially a cobalt base cathode material was employed, its high cost pushed for the adoption of low-cost materials such as aluminium and nickel and silicon. While the adoption of low-cost materials affects the cost of the battery itself, the large market of Li-ion battery has a strong influence on the economic status of entire countries. A complete analysis of raw materials for LIB is provided by Dr Alex Holland in the report “The Li-Ion Battery Supply Chain 2020-2030”, together with a cost analysis and the demand forecast for the period 2020-2030.

Besides the constant research of cheaper and more performant materials, the complex system of lithium-ion batteries made of electrodes, thermal management systems, and battery management systems is constantly being improved. The report “Li-ion Batteries 2018-2028” analyses all aspects of Li-ion batteries, from the electrode’s components to the battery management system (or BMS), cell design, and the battery production methods. Moreover, their applications and second-life battery are also described. In conclusion, the price forecast and cost analysis are provided.

“The bottom line is that this is a good business decision. We will get back our money in eight to 10 years at the current price of power. As the price of energy goes up, we’ll pay it back even quicker.”

“The bottom line is that this is a good business decision. We will get back our money in eight to 10 years at the current price of power. As the price of energy goes up, we’ll pay it back even quicker.”

Jeff Murray, an orchard-keeper and farmer in West Australia, has purchased zinc-bromine redox flow batteries (RFBs) to keep power supplies reliable including irrigation for his plants, after losing power following devastating bushfires in December.

Local electrical contractor TIEC installed 40kWh of Australian manufacturer Redflow’s ZMB2 batteries, which use a zinc bromine electrolyte, splitting the capacity across four 10kWh devices. They are combined with 14kWp of LONGi solar panels.

While the tragic total cost of bushfires and how much their threat has been exacerbated by climate change is still being figured out, the Murray farm and residence was spared by the fires. However, a day-long blackout did occur as power was cut off, and the following days saw many more outages. Furthermore, Jeff Murray said his property has long been affected by frequent blackouts already, irrespective of the fires, as well as power surges.

“Our water comes from two bores, so without power, we can’t get any water. If fire does reach us, we need energy to run the pumps to defend our property, which is why the bushfire was the last straw for us,” Murray, a former firefighter, said.

To counter the impact of the “debilitating” power quality issues, the solar-plus-storage system can take the whole property off-grid, although it is still connected as normal. Murray also said he chose the zinc bromine flow batteries over lithium-ion due to his concerns over the latter’s fire safety as well as Redflow’s claimed recyclability of its devices.

“Now the system is in place and we’re going well. I’ve driven it pretty hard since we’ve had it, like turning on pumps when I didn’t need to. I’ve taken batteries down as low as I could and then kicked in the grid purely to charge the batteries. It has taken everything I threw at it. I can check the system via the Internet whenever I want,” Jeff Murray said.

With this announcement of the dates, Messe Düsseldorf is reacting promptly to the recent postponement of the leading trade fair for the global energy storage industry. In consultation with the trade fair advisory board and all partners involved, this decision was made in order to counteract the increasingly dynamic developments regarding the possible spread of the coronavirus.

“It is very important for us to announce this new date which will allow exhibitors, visitors and the media to make reliable plans,” explains Erhard Wienkamp, Managing Director of Messe Düsseldorf GmbH, and adds: “Our partners can trust us to act responsibly and calmly even in difficult situations.”

As Energy Storage Europe’s partner, BVES – Bundesverband Energiespeicher Systeme e.V. – fully supports the decision. “We expressly welcome the fact that Messe Düsseldorf had the courage to take this step and that we are now collectively providing a clear perspective for 2021. Planning security is entirely in the interests of the energy storage industry. In our opinion, Energy Storage Europe has reacted cautiously, sensibly and correctly, taking all advantages and disadvantages into consideration,” says Urban Windelen, CEO of BVES.

Existing contracts with Messe Düsseldorf remain valid for the new date. The same applies to visitor tickets already purchased. If visitors have any queries, they can send an e-mail to ticket@messe-duesseldorf.de.

JUPITER, Fla., March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — DMG Productions will explore recent developments in energy storage technology on an upcoming episode of Advancements with Ted Danson, scheduled to broadcast 3Q/2020. Check your local listings for more information.

Energy storage can take many forms, including pumped hydro, flywheels, and batteries. Focusing on recent developments in microgrid technology, this segment of Advancements will explore energy storage integrating secondary-use batteries, which are batteries that have been removed from service in Battery Electric Vehicles.

The show will educate about a new energy routing technology that blends and optimizes electrons from any and all sources of energy, which can provide energy off-grid or can supplement the grid. Audiences will see how the Multi-Flex™ energy routing technology can place everything necessary to manage and store energy into a single cabinet and will learn how batteries for storage can be internal to the cabinet or stored in separate racks.

The show will discover how batteries removed from service in Battery Electric Vehicles have been integrated into energy storage systems and will educate about how this technology can produce smooth and reliable power, utility cost savings, and socially responsible energy.

“Indie Power Systems was the first to integrate secondary-use batteries into a commercial energy storage system. This is both ecologically responsible and can provide the lowest-cost energy storage. To accomplish this, the company designed and built a complete energy management system that includes the software logic, the electronics hardware, and of course the Battery Management System,” said Founder and CEO, Steve Tolen.

Highlighting Indie Power Systems’ (IPS) Redundant Array of Inexpensive Batteries (RAIB™) technology, viewers will see firsthand how the technology allows the blending of multiple battery chemistries into a Hybrid Energy Storage System (HESS), and will learn what makes IPS a leader in battery energy storage.

“Today, batteries are the most prevalent method of energy storage,” said DJ Metzer, senior producer for DMG Productions and the Advancements series. “We look forward to exploring how Indie Power Systems optimizes battery storage.”

One of the biggest criticisms of power produced by renewables is that the wind does not always blow and the sun does not always shine. Since renewable electricity generation can be intermittent, it is at a disadvantage compared to coal, natural gas, and nuclear power plants that produce steady power. As a result, energy storage is considered the missing link between intermittent renewable power produced by technologies, such as solar and wind, and a 24/7 reliable supply of renewable electricity. In addition, no other power industry technology can serve so many vital roles: renewable production smoothing; energy shifting and arbitrage; fast ramping ancillary services; alternatives for peaking generation, transformers, and line upgrades; voltage and frequency support; microgrid supply; electric vehicle charging support; etc.

Over the last decade a surge in lithium-ion battery production has led to an 85% decline in prices, making electric vehicles (EVs) and energy storage commercially viable for the first time in history. Batteries hold the key to transitioning away from fossil fuel dependence and are set to play a greater role in the coming decade.

NextEra Energy, North America’s leading wind and solar generator, is adopting an aggressive approach on the falling cost of energy storage by evaluating the addition of batteries to its existing solar facilities. At the beginning of the year, NextEra’s earnings call showed that the company’s stock has gained more than 50% in the past year, as it deployed 2.7 GW of new and repowered renewables, including 700 MWac of solar power and 340 MW/1.3 GWh of energy storage in 2019.

A small but growing number of utilities across the United States are taking a similar approach to NextEra and adding storage at existing solar plants. In doing so, they can claim the Investment Tax Credit (ITC), tap additional revenue streams, and maximize the existing grid infrastructure.

In fact, NextEra CFO Rebecca Kujawa noted on the same earnings call, “We are designing our own management systems. We believe that some of the real value-add that we are going to be able to provide to customers – that will differentiate us from the competition – is battery system management. This management system and optimization is going to be part of the secret sauce of our batteries.”