Almost £250 million is to be spent by the UK government on the development of batteries for electric vehicles over the next four years should the Conservatives be returned to Parliament in June.

Business secretary Greg Clark announced the funding before the beginning of purdah on Friday [21 April] as part of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF), which will commit over £1 billion to research and innovation in specific areas identified in the government’s Industrial Strategy.

One such area is batteries for clean and flexible energy storage, which will receive £246 million to help UK businesses tap into the opportunities presented by the global transition to a low carbon economy.

According to a statement from the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) released late last week, the funding will “ensure the UK leads the world in the design, development and manufacture of batteries for the electrification of vehicles”.

Clark said: “The UK is home to some of the world’s best innovators at the very forefront of global excellence. The funding I am announcing today, providing hundreds of millions of pounds of support to develop the next generation of technologies across a range of sectors, shows our determination and commitment to making sure the UK remains at the very forefront of research innovation for years to come.”

Innovate UK, which will be responsible for deploying the funds, has already identified a first wave of £10 million worth of projects across the entire ISCF starting in 2017 to 2018. Thirty-five projects have been selected for funding however the full list of companies and project allocations will not be released until after the June 8 general election.

Innovate UK also revealed that the first investments will be delivered across 73 different collaboration partners across the country which have already worked with the body previously.

Click Here to Read Full Article

The greatest challenge that solar power faces is energy storage. Solar arrays can only generate power while the sun is out, so they can only be used as a sole source of electricity if they can produce and store enough excess power to cover the times when the sun is hidden.

Traditional batteries have not been up to the task, but recent innovations in energy storage are rapidly resolving the issue. Research is still ongoing, but many of the newest developments have the potential to turn solar power into the dominant source of energy. You think it’s impossible? The IRENA already confirmed in their 2014 report that it is equally, or in many cases, more cost-effective to use alternative energy for power production rather than fossil fuels.

Fractal Circuitry

Nature itself has provided the inspiration for one of the most promising ways to store energy. A team at RMIT University has come up with a new storage method that manages to be about 3000 percent more efficient than traditional batteries. It also has the potential to help with energy capture and storage in a variety of smaller contexts, such as cell phones, watches, and even electric cars. That widespread potential will most likely be enough to ensure that this technology gets all of the support that it needs to mature into a powerful tool.

The new method relies on the combination of a supercapacitor and a powerful new electrode. The supercapacitor works as the gateway to the new system. It can absorb and discharge energy very quickly, but it can’t store very much energy at once. Previously, that meant that they were almost useless for storing solar power. The new electrode fixes that problem. It uses a large set of repeating circuits to hold energy and carry it through the system. The new electrode is a much more efficient form way to store energy than traditional batters, both in terms of cost and space. Combining the two systems creates a system that can hold a huge amount of energy and transmit that energy with high speed and efficiency.

New Batteries

While most research into storing solar power focuses on finding alternatives to batteries, there are some contexts where they remain useful. Most power plants are reluctant to use batteries because they are relatively expensive and take up a lot of space compared to the amount of energy that they store. That prevents them from being viable for large facilities in most cases. On the other hand, those problems aren’t important for private homes. They don’t need to store a huge amount of energy at once, and batteries that are big enough to meet their needs are reasonably affordable. In many cases, the simplicity of using an array of batteries is more valuable than the increased efficiency of other methods.

The new Tesla Powerwall 2 is proof that batteries are strong option for storing domestic solar power. It can store more energy in less space than previous models, so it’s fairly easy to fit it into an existing home. It also includes an inverter, which is necessary to run most appliances on solar power. It doesn’t have quite as much power as most of the alternatives, but it’s more convenient than they are, which encourages adoption on a small scale.

Click Here to Read Full Article

It may not have a clever name, but Mercedes-Benz’s home energy storage solution looks primed to bring some competition to Tesla’s Powerwall in certain markets.

After being announced in 2015, the Mercedes-Benz energy storage unit is ready for deliveries in the UK, and it should be on sale in the US some time this year, as well. Like Tesla’s Powerwall, Mercedes-Benz’s batteries can be used to provide power to supplement traditional grid use.

The Mercedes-Benz battery features a capacity of 2.5 kWh, which may not seem like much, but up to eight can be combined for a total storage capacity of 20 kWh. And that’s just for personal use — businesses and larger outfits can opt for even more capacity if need be. To compare, a single Tesla Powerwall battery holds about 14 kWh of charge.

Like Powerwall, Mercedes-Benz says its battery is best used in conjunction with solar panels and an in-home energy management system. Of course, you’ll have to shell out even more money to build a full system, but no matter how you cut it, these batteries ain’t cheap.

Pricing for MB’s batteries is left to the distributor, but Business Insider estimates that purchasing and installing one Mercedes-Benz battery (along with its supporting hardware) will cost between $9,000 and $10,000. While a single Powerwall battery costs $5,500 for 14 kWh, an installed Powerwall setup should be about the same or a bit less compared to its Mercedes equivalent.

Both are relatively elegant solutions, though. The Powerwall is a flat-ish slab that looks best hung on a wall, whereas the Mercedes-Benz battery more closely resembles an air conditioning unit. Batteries aren’t always pretty, but it’s a Mercedes-Benz, after all.

Click Here to Read Full Article

LONDON, April 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — Supercapacitors are an emerging energy storage technology that will take a key role in the future of energy systems.. Batteries and supercapacitors combined offer the best solution for many energy systems from the automotive sector to grid energy storage, allowing batteries not only to perform better but also to extend their lifetime whilst reducing both CAPEX and OPEX.

STOCKHOLM, Apr 25, 2017 (PR Newswire Europe via COMTEX) — STOCKHOLM, April 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ —

NorthStar, the Swedish-American energy storage provider, today presents its partnership with City Utilities of Springfield, Missouri, within the area of Energy Storage Systems (ESS). The initial demonstration deployment in the Springfield electricity grid is aimed to evaluate how Springfield’s energy supply can be made more efficient and sustainable, and will be using NorthStar BLUE+ batteries monitored by the remote management solution NorthStar ACE(TM).

ESS represents an emerging industry with a potential worldwide capacity of multiple gigawatt hours. There has been a tremendous growth in the ESS market globally aligned with the increased deployment of renewable energy and tighter emission restrictions of coal-fired power plants.

The need for utilities to reduce peak power demand on generation, transmission and distribution systems has created a need for battery storage to fill reliability gaps and cut peak costs. Utilities strive to optimize transmission and distribution of the electric grid, among other objectives.

“The ESS market is expected to grow to USD 200-400 billion by 2040 and represents a significant growth opportunity for NorthStar. In light of this global development, and given this partnership’s importance specifically for Springfield, our joint project with City Utilities is very important,” says NorthStar’s CEO Hans Liden.

The energy storage solution in Springfield will be deployed next to an electrical substation located in southwest of Springfield. The project will support a growing region and new business developments are currently under construction.

The project enables City Utilities to investigate the possibility of a utility scale battery storage system. It will be carefully evaluated to determine the benefits of battery storage with respect to managing future system peak loads for City Utilities.

Click Here to Read Full Article

Based on the lithium-ion battery technology that Mercedes-Benz has used to power 80,000 hybrid and fully electric vehicles since 2012, Mercedes Benz residential storage batteries are now ready for sale to customers in the UK. Up to 8 battery modules, each with a capacity of 2.5 kWh, can be combined to create an energy storage system with a capacity of 20 kWh. Industrial applications have even greater scalability.

Using an energy storage system from Mercedes-Benz Energy, households with their own solar energy systems can store surplus power with virtually no losses. By combining renewable energy sources with a battery storage unit, households can explore the potential of their own “private energy revolution,” as Mercedes-Benz put it.

Prices for residential systems depend on the components of a customized package selected by the customer. A typical system consists of solar panels, a battery inverter, an energy management system, and the Mercedes-Benz energy storage unit itself, plus the cost of installation.

“A network of qualified partners and distributors makes planning and installation easy. At present, Mercedes-Benz Energy is working in the UK with distributors such as Alternergy, Innasol and Wind & Sun, as well as with partners who offer a complete system installation, such as Solar Frontier,” Mercedes notes. “The latter’s network of qualified installers can advise customers on-site, make offers on all components and manage all planning and installation. Stationary battery storage systems are generally installed together with solar panels.”

But do people really want Mercedes-Benz batteries in their garage? Apparently.

“There is tremendous interest in our energy storage units in the UK. We’re very pleased to be able to offer Mercedes-Benz Energy Storage Home to customers here,” said Marc Thomas, Managing Director of Mercedes-Benz Energy.

Click Here to Read Full Article

Since President Trump’s election to office, his administration has made it very clear that building and restoring infrastructure is at the top of their “to-do” list.  The Energy Storage Association and their supporters are looking to turn Trump’s priority into an opportunity for their agenda.  To create this opportunity, the ESA, and other supporting organizations, are turning to Congress for assistance.

Attempts to gain support and assistance from the U.S. Federal Government have been taking place since the Inauguration.  The executive director of the ESA, Matt Roberts, has been expressing his desire to capitalize on energy storage opportunities since February.  The Trump administration has appeared to be receptive of the ideas and suggestions that energy storage advocates are making.

In the meantime, the ESA has been communicating with Congress about their goals for Trump’s infrastructure agenda.  Energy storage advocates are specifically interested in government plans to enhance grid technology and infrastructure.  Supporters believe that energy storage systems will address demand response issues and grid reliability.  Storage systems are said to increase efficiency and reliability for grid technology and generation resources.  These opinions were submitted to Congress in a letter that detailed several other benefits that advocates feel could enhance grid infrastructure.  From a financial perspective, the costs of energy storage systems are attractive.  Analysts report that costs have decreased by 30% in one year.

Gaining support from Congress could help the energy storage organizations involved to capitalize on infrastructure opportunities, but the support has the potential to assist the energy storage industry in other ways as well.  The energy storage industry is in need of legislation to allow businesses and organizations to grow.  At this point in time, industry growth is difficult because of the lack of government legislation.  Many feel that the energy storage industry will experience success in this area because of the bipartisan support surrounding energy storage.  Both Republicans and Democrats can see the benefits of this cost saving, efficiency increasing technology when implemented on the grids.

Click Here to Read Full Article

LG Chem has formally launched its series of residential battery systems for the North American market.

This is the first foray for LG Chem into the North American residential market following successful completion of UL certification and follows successful implementation of the energy storage systems in Europe and Asia, especially in Germany, Italy, the U.K., Japan and Australia.

The North American residential energy storage systems work for both indoor and outdoor installation and come in two voltage options: A low-voltage 48V version and a high-voltage 400V version. LG says the 400V storage is compatible with SolarEdge’s StorEdge single inverter for both solar systems and storage. LG Chem plans to offer additional inverter compatibility options later this year.

LG Chem is partnering with Sunrun, an energy storage provider, to supply the LG Chem RESU systems. Sunrun has already installed initial systems in both Hawaii and California and LG says it is in negotiations to provide coverage for the systems to all U.S. states and Canadian provinces.

“LG Chem’s entry into the North American residential battery market is based on much planning, product development and system testing,” says Peter Gibson, head of ESS sales for LG Chem in North America. “Customers can now enhance the benefits of their residential solar systems by using our batteries to maximize consumption of solar energy, and to use the batteries as a dependable source of energy during grid interruptions.”

Click Here to Read Full Article

As part of its REV program, New York regulators recently issued an order on new structures for compensating distributed energy resources.

The order’s main focus is on community solar projects, but could eventually encompass the integration of standalone energy storage and small, local clean energy resources.

REV has already spurred a variety of projects, including a 1 MW, 4 MWh demonstration storage project in New York City being developed by Consolidated Edison in partnership with NRG Energy.

The state has also been funding other types of pilot projects as part of REV. Last month NYSERDA announced awards of $11 million for 11 microgrid projects in the state. In the first phase of that program 83 municipalities were awarded $100,000 to conduct feasibility studies for microgrids.

For the energy storage awards, NYSERDA will select the best projects to submit follow-up proposals for feasibility studies or for full demonstration projects. Initial concept papers will be accepted through March 1, 2020, or until all funds are committed.

NYSERDA is looking for papers that highlight technologies that are already commercially available and have the potential for replication throughout the state. The proposed projects must be able to demonstrate how they can support the state’s energy goals, including renewable generation and greenhouse gas reduction.

New York is targeting that 50% of the state’s electricity to come from renewable energy sources by 2030.

Click Here to Read Full Article

San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) has signed contracts for five new local battery storage facilities for a total of 83.5 MW.

According to the California utility, the four-hour energy storage facilities would be like having batteries from more than 5,500 all-electric, long-range vehicles at the ready. All five battery projects will be able to store supplies of solar, wind and other traditional sources and release it when energy is in high demand, the company adds.

In addition, SDG&E has signed a contract to add a 4.5 MW demand response program, and the company has submitted all six contracts to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) for approval.

If approved, two of the five lithium-ion battery energy storage facilities will be owned and operated by SDG&E to enhance regional energy reliability while maximizing renewable energy use.

AES Energy Storage will construct a 40 MW storage facility, building on its successful 37.5 MW of deployments in Escondido and El Cajon, Calif. A 30 MW facility will be built in Miramar by Renewable Energy Systems Americas Inc. The other storage projects, totaling 13.5 MW, will be owned by third parties, including Powin Energy, Enel Green Power North America and Advanced Microgrid Solutions.

“These projects will add more flexibility to the system and help us to ensure reliability while providing greater levels of clean energy to all of our local communities,” says Emily Shults, SDG&E’s vice president of energy procurement. “By building these projects, SDG&E will remain at the forefront of helping the state achieve its bold clean-energy and carbon-emission targets.”

The CPUC has set targets for investor-owned utilities to procure large amounts of energy storage by 2020, including 165 MW by SDG&E. With these five new projects, SDG&E says it is on track to meet this goal. The new facilities are expected to come online between December 2019 and late 2021.

The utility notes that the proposed demand response program, to be run by OhmConnect, will also add flexibility to the system. Beginning in early 2018, OhmConnect will request industrial and commercial customers who have enrolled in the demand response program to reduce energy usage within 20 minutes of being called during certain days and hours. This process will be conducted by the California Independent System Operator and/or SDG&E as needed.

Click Here to Read Full Article