Winter Issue 94 - Batteries International by hamptonhalls

Issue 94

Winter 2014/2015

New angles for an old industry Battery businesses face up to the grid

Wirtz Manufacturing: the inside story, from Michigan to the world

Better separator design extracts maximum value from supercaps

John Pierson: hero of cutting edge lead acid battery making

The Great BMW Teardown: under the hood of the i3's battery pack

Why integrators matter to energy storage business modelling

Untimely death robs Axion of CEO, but future strategy intact

Bringing the industry try together www.batteriesinternational.com national.com

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CONTENTS GRID STORAGE TO TURN THE BATTERY BUSINESS UPSIDE DOWN

Energy storage level at the grid scale has changed enormously in the past three years. Then it was all about trial projects sponsored by governments or research institutions. Those days are fast ending; instead there’s a scramble to win commercial contracts. Meanwhile battery manufacturers have become de facto the key players in the technology behind the integration of renewable energy supplied into the grid. It’s not necessarily a job that they’re cut out for — or always that adept. Grid scale energy storage reaches for the skies as renewable demand soars

Batteryman becomes middleman as next gengrid storage rolls on

An ABC of grid-storage basics

Energy storage projects worldwide by rated power, a comprehensive list

EDITORIAL

Disruptive technology, game-changers, quantum shifts — the gobbledegook of dreamers. But why not engage with the language of realism?

PEOPLE NEWS

The changing face of disruptive technology

Younicos opens up five new executive slots ahead of renewed focus on sales for next generation energy storage products • NAATBatt International honours three in AGM awards ceremony • Jones, Teliska set up sales/marketing agency for next generation energy storage products • Farewells to LaSota, Spencer • Tom Isbrecht, the new man at MAC

NEWS

BCI and CBIA join forces in cooperation agreement •Challenge to EU End of Life Directive as battery bodies argue that lead is essential • Fuji Pigment prepares for launch of new aluminium-air battery in spring • Aquion to supply aqueous hybrid ion battery to Hawaii private estate • Syrah Resources unveils breakthrough uncoated spherical graphite • Polaris and Brammo in deal to leverage lithium-ion technology • Seeo secures testing contract with automobile manufacturers • Eos Energy raises $15m, seeks another $10m • OakridgeLeclanché deal ‘expensive’ but could work • Global automotive battery market to hit $7.7bn by 2019 • Japanese firm backs manufacturer of electrolytes for lithium-ion cells • Avista invests $3.2m grant in vanadium flow batteries • Electrovaya raises C$2m, targets Europe • Smart grid installations to drive energy storage from 2014 to 2020 • Investment in microgrid storage solutions to exceed $155bn • New storage prototype chooses Protect Line leadacid batteries • Canada’s biggest lead recycling facility forecasts growth • Regen braking power stored for Tokyo railways • Trojan claims deep-cycle AGM battery is world first • Neah Power Systems to acquire Shorai • Siemens, Duke Energy demonstrate cheaper EV smart charging, cloud connectivity with utilities new energy management interface • SK Innovation ends battery JV with Continental • New Tesla battery swap scheme offers challenging business model for alternative to recharging • Eos wins $2.1 million from California Energy Commission • Saft completes delivery of MRX Ni-Cd train batteries for China CNR • VW looks electric with QuantumScape solid-state battery stake • Black & Veatch in strategic tie up with Dynapower • Teijin opens second production line for Lielsort separators for lithium ion secondary batteries • Accumulux inaugurates new production plant in Bulgaria • New Energy Power Systems facility to deliver 500MWh of lead acid production capacity • A123 Systems praised for out manoeuvring its rivals • Imergy Power supplies vanadium-based flow batteries to Alps restaurant

PRODUCT NEWS

Arnold Magnetic introduces new line of thin and ultra thin metals • Enervate looks to silicon anode for leap forward in lithium ion energy density • Yuasa provides new AGM

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BCI links forces with China Battery Industry Association

Wirtz Manufacturing: growing not maintaining the family legacy 40

The BMWi3 laid bare: lessons from stripping down EV battery packs

Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015 • 1

CONTENTS line for BMW motorbikes • Johnson Controls unveils 12-volt lithium titanate battery • Maxwell 48V module includes exclusive ‘DuraBlue Advanced Shock and Vibration Technology’ • US university finds low cost method to make nano-porous graphene

THE GREAT BMW i3 TEAR-DOWN

Car testing company Munro & Associates has just dissected everything that makes up the new BMWi3, the first production carbon fibre car, as well as the lithium-ion battery that powers the vehicle. PLUS exclusive readership offer A sad and untimely death but DeGiacinto left a legacy, Axion moves on 84

ANALYSIS

Axion Power International lost its chairman and chief executive David deGiacinto this January. Despite only being a year in the job he made many changes — we examine his legacy, profile the development of the firm and pay tribute to his life.

CONFERENCE IN PRINT

A comparison of non-woven separators for supercapacitors High energy applications using ELDCs can experience significant ohmic losses when power levels are high. A better separator — with a lower internal resistance — is part of the solution, according to DreamWeaver International. 94

EVENTS Pierson: transformer of the lead acid battery manufacturing line 120

Our comprehensive listing of the must-attend conferences and exhibitions of 2015

ADVERTISING DIRECTORY

118

BATTERY HEROES: JOHN PIERSON

120

Transforming productivity by challenging the logic of the manufacturing line — improvements in the mechanization of battery making have led to huge strides in productivity. And one individual, John Pierson, has spent most of his career involved in these advances

THE LAST WORD Yo daddy-o, this is the ultimate weed battery — dude! 128

128

Another boy? John sounds like a good name! • The odds for charitable cycling • Trouvé book reviewed • Smoking hot supercaps — now made from hemp (man)?

Publisher Karen Hampton, karen@batteriesinternational.com, +44 (0) 7792 852 337 Editor: Michael Halls, mhalls@batteriesinternational.com, +44 (0) 1 243 782 275 Supplements editor: Wyn Jenkins, wyn.jenkins@serenglobalmedia.com, +44 1792 293 222 Business development manager June Moultrie june@batteriesinternational.com +44 (0) 7775 710 290

Reception tel: +44 (0) 1 243 782 275 fax: +44 1787 329 730

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International advertising representation: advertising@batteriesinternational.com

Research editor William Aslan will@batteriesinternational.com Staff reporters: Philip Moorcroft, Niamh Kenny

The contents of this publication are protected by copyright. No unauthorised translation or reproduction is permitted. ISSN 1462-6322 (c) 2015 Mustard Seed Publishing, UK company no: 5976361. Printed in the UK via ThisismethodUK

Disclaimer: Although we believe in the accuracy and completeness of the information contained in this magazine, Mustard Seed Publishing makes no warranties or representation about this. Nor should anything contained within it should be construed as constituting an offer to buy or sell securities, or constitute advice in relation to the buying or selling of investments.

2 • Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015

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EDITORIAL Mike Halls • editor@batteriesinternational.com

Disruptive technology, game changers, quantum shifts — the gobbledegook of dreamers In mere handfuls of years the term “disruptive technology” has taken off.

— it’s only when the business model is truly disruptive that we can bandy the term in such fashion.

It’s a useful concept, even though only a few technologies can truthfully be called disruptive or create a step-change in the way we work.

A common visual used by many of these disruptive dreamers is the one developed by Geoffrey Moore in the early 1990s.

But it holds merit in that it allows us free rein to reflect over the commercial boundaries of a new technology. Answering the question of ‘how disruptive is disruptive?’ can spell life or death to a variety of business models.

His theories of the pace of technological adoption are fascinating, have deep insights and they’re useful reading. But that doesn’t mean that they can’t be misleading in the way that over-simplifications can.

It’s also been a term that’s troubled the great and the gullible alike. Management consultants, start-up companies and green-eyed environmentalists have pointed and power-pointed the term — sometimes, it feels, to destruction.

Bridge that chasm

Likewise in the world of energy storage, any kind of progress in so-called “advanced batteries” — a marketing term, be it in lead, lithium, vanadium or whatever, that has little meaning or relevance — has been hailed as a ‘paradigm shift’ hailing the advent of a disruptive technology.

Bridge this chasm, Moore says, and we have reached the promised land of mass adoption, treasures falling from heaven and possibly a promised land flowing with milk, honey and maybe something even stronger.

The term was coined by Clayton Christensen, a Harvard Business School professor in 1995. His initial idea was to find a way to investigate the impact of the arrival of new technologies, A little later, the thinking was modified in that the business model attached to the science causes the disruption. (Not the other way around.) The standard example of this being the arrival of the automobile. It’s arrival as such wasn’t disruptive — cars had existed since the 1880s and in many ways were just fancier horse and buggies. But when Henry Ford produced the Model T in 1908, it was the arrival of the massproduced car that changed the face of transportation and the way we transact business forever. So, despite the prophets, seers and populists of new battery chemistries — which are seemingly forever being called ‘disruptive technologies’ or ‘game changers’

4 • Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015

The now over-familiar chart shows early adopters/first movers marching along a smooth curve facing the challenge of crossing a so-called chasm.

And that’s the kind of battery heaven that is being painted for us... energy storage saves the planet with the help of a solar panel or two, those windmill thingies that blot the landscape and some of these nippy little green electrons. Forgetting the obvious aside — an electron is just an electron wherever it comes from — the reality is different and more complex. A brief history of the energy storage business, both at an automotive level and a grid level, shows progress happens sporadically. In leaps and jerks. Sometimes it even goes backwards — just look at the crash in photovoltaic sales three years ago. It’s never a smooth curve. It’s also full of fashions. About a decade ago fuel cells were about to save the world, this year it’s ultracaps. Come 2020 it could be lithium air. Or fuel cells again. Vehicles like the Chevy Volt a mere three years back were going to set the automotive world alight — so www.batteriesinternational.com

EDITORIAL the world of hype said. (And that with an automobile that had a pure electric driving range less than cars almost a century ago.) Attend the right conference today and you’ll hear experts talking about life-after-lithium-ion, neatly sidestepping the fact that, apart from smallscale applications in laptops, we’ve yet to come to grips with lithium in any meaningful shape or form. The strength of Moore’s point is that technological adoption is about market psychology as much as anything else. But the so-called experts saying what’s in, or what’s out are as likely to be as fallible as ourselves. Just five years ago, for example, top investment bank Goldman Sachs was confidently predicting that a barrel of oil would hit $200 (and with little chance of ever returning to low levels again). Last week OPEC was talking about oil not dipping below $25, while a barrel of WTI was trading in the low $40s.

A sense of direction Perhaps in this search for competitive advantage we’re looking the wrong way for direction. Rather than gabbing on about disruptive technologies, chasms and the like we should return to fundamentals? The minor increments that give real advantage. Two items over the past month are particularly noteworthy for the energy storage industry.

manufacturing moving to Asia. This is China marking out its future. The way may be faltering at first but it’s an inevitable step forward — and another reason that the country deserves a place at the top table. This suggests that for western manufacturers to compete, the idea of disruptive innovation verges on the useless. Christensen’s so-called “technology mudslide hypothesis” — an idea he retracted later — was that companies are like climbers attempting to get to the top of a mud pile. If you stop innovating, you slip behind.

The first is the most brutal for western business: economic growth in China hit a 24-year low in 2014. A mere (!) 7.4% increase in GDP.

Many people believe that it takes constant upwardclimbing just to stay still, and any break from that effort (or even complacency born of profitability) is a signal of imminent failure.

The latest IMF forecasts show China’s economic output could amount to $17.6 trillion this year, compared to the US’ $17.4 billion. (In 2000 the US accounted for three times’ China’s output.) Last year China made two-thirds of the world’s lead acid batteries. Where will these be in another five years?

Christensen went on to show that this is simplistic — reality is very different. Not only are examples of this happening the exception, but the type of value network — how a company can engage its resources to market innovation — from an existing business are different from those of the start-up innovator.

Surely these are more important to consider than the prophetic bleatings of yet another start-up hungry for publicity?

The market leader competing on a level playing field with the new competitor is in a situation heavily skewed against the new arrival.

The second is more disconcerting for those battery manufacturers working outside the PRC. According to the OECD, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, by 2019 China will lead the world as the biggest spender in research and development.

The truth is that commercial success is based on a mix of things and innovation is just part of a larger puzzle. Marketing, a strong sales staff, product awareness, timing, financial strength, the commercial environment (and much more) are just some of the pillars to build a business.

In a way this is a bigger sea-change than battery

Not the whims, wishes — and wiles — of dreamers.

www.batteriesinternational.com

Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015 • 5

PEOPLE NEWS

East Penn promotes Miksiewicz to senior VP East Penn Manufacturing has promoted Larry Miksiewicz as senior vice president of manufacturing and purchasing. He will report directly to Robert Flicker, chief operating officer. Miksiewicz will oversee each of the company’s manufacturing divisions including Automotive, Industrial

(reserve power & motive power), and Diversified (wire, cable, accessories, and injection molding). “Miksiewicz’s oversight also includes East Penn International (a division that serves the Asia-Pacific market) and the many purchasing departments that support the company’s

manufacturing divisions,” says the firm. “The company has also promoted other key management positions within its manufacturing organizational structure.” Miksiewicz was previously VP of manufacturing and purchasing for East Penn Industrial Division.

“He has extensive experience within manufacturing management,” says the company. This includes as a director of the industrial division, plant manager of East Penn’s specialty plant, and plant manager of its automotive plant. He joined East Penn in 1987 as a project engineer.

MAC Engineering hires Tom Isbrecht For the record, MAC Engineering has hired Tom Isbrecht as a director of sales to replace David Imach who

MRS appoints Parrillo to board The Materials Research Society has appointed David Parrillo, global research and development director, packaging and specialty plastics for The Dow Chemical Company to its board of directors, for a one year term starting on January 1, He will also work on the MRS finance committee. Parrillo has 20 years of experience in chemical engineering, application development, and technology commercialization. Before he joined Dow in 2007, he held positions at General Electric and Air Products and Chemicals.

Axion appoints private equity specialist to board Axion Power International, has added Richard Bogan, a private equity specialist, to its board following the resignation of Howard Schmidt at the end of 2014.Bogan is the operating partner of Key Bridge Partners, a $50 million private equity firm with more than 100 employees.

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left the Michigan-based firm last summer to relocate to California. Isbrecht previously spent eight years in a sales and advisory capacity for the US multinational Whirlpool Corporation, mostly based in Nashville, Tennessee. “This is a return to my roots,” says Isbrecht, who was born and raised near Benton Harbor where MAC is located. “I’m particularly impressed by the way that MAC is set up — decisionmaking is fast and is dis-

cussed between sales and manufacturing in a highly efficient manner. “Working for large organizations often means that decisions take weeks and everything takes a long time. Here the pace is different. It’s a fun and exciting place to work.” Isbrecht, reports to Doug Bornas, vice president of sales and marketing at the company which produces an extensive range of battery making equipment. “Tom’s shown incredible

aptitude in quickly understanding our business both from a technical viewpoint and a commercial one. He’s a great asset to have on board.”

Sad farewells to Chuck LaSota, Mike Spencer Charles LaSota, president of the Battery Innovation Center, lost his battle with his cancer on January 26. His presidency of the BIC, based in Indiana in the US, was a second career for LaSota who had completed a distinguished and much respected 35 year term with the US Navy. The BIC is a not-for-profit technology development enterprise which brings together resources from industry, academia, and government agencies to accelerate the development and commercialization of advanced battery solutions. The BIC, which was formed in May 2012, is being considered for membership in the soon to be formed Energy Hub run by the US Department of Energy. One of his colleagues said: “He had that unique ability to very quickly grasp a technical problem and then provide the technical leadership as solutions were developed and implemented.” Jim Greenberger, head of NAATBatt International, said: “Chuck was an outstanding patriot and an even more outstanding gentleman. “He will be sorely missed.”.

Colin Michael Spencer — always known to his friends as Mike — an engineer at CellCare Technologies, a UK battery testing firm, collapsed at the company’s offices in Leicestershire in January. He died later with his wife by his side in hospital. Mike, who had worked in CellCare for four years, had extensive experience as a service engineer including a period in the US and working with Alber on data centres. He had also been a much respected figure working on the extensive battery testing equipment for London Underground. The funeral was held on January 22, followed, with a celebration of his life in a wake in the local pub. “Mike was a much-liked and well respected member of our team,” says Dave Smith, managing director of CellCare. “We liked his quiet sense of humour and consummate professionalism. He will be sadly missed.” Colin leaves behind his Canadian wife Leigh and his two sons James and Andrew. He was just 52 when he died.

Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015 • 7

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PEOPLE NEWS

Jones, Teliska set up agency for sales, marketing of next generation energy storage ideas and products Two well known battery industry figures, Laura Jones and Maggie Teliska, announced in January the set-up of a marketing/sales partnership working under the banner of Regent Power/ RyanTel. “A new generation of companies and products are seeking to do business in what is still a market that has largely been unexplored,” says Teliska. “The world of micro-grids, community energy storage, integration of photo-voltaic and wind power into smart grids, adapting existing new generation products, such as hybrid buses, to fit thirdworld environments are just some of the products that we intend to promote.” The two say they each complement the other’s strengths. Jones — who married last autumn and is better known under the surname Schacht — brings over 20 years of consultative selling to the partnership. Teliska, with a PhD from George Washington University and a background of post doctorate research, as well as senior experience in Johnson Controls’ Power Solutions Business and consultancy work, brings technical expertise as the customerfacing engineer. The two argue that the energy storage industry is under-served and there are structural problems hindering its development The pair have been endorsed by several key industry leaders, including Ann Marie Sastry, who runs solid state battery company Sakti3. “Laura and Maggie are Energy Storage Impresarios — they have their fingers on the pulse of the industry. Firms like theirs provide a

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critical business interface for manufacturers, purchasers and other members of the supply web in batteries. We are thrilled to welcome their new business to the industry, given their outstanding track records and joint expertise.”“ We’ve many companies that are filled with some of the best and brightest engineers but their problem is that this, their core strength, works against them when involved in sales,” says Jones. “Their tendency to over-analyse is confusing for buyers who don’t want a flood of information but the big picture first. It’s not just this but also the ability to engage the prospective buyer into getting the big picture and ultimately the ideal solution.” “Moreover, technical expertise only goes so far in a sales relationship where meeting a buyer’s objectives and earning their trust is only the first step. Buyers need to feel safe with their decision and that their sales rep has their back.”

Relationship building Both Teliska and Jones believe that the after-sales relationship. “It’s this that delivers referrals and future business within our small — and very connected — ecosystem of an industry,” says Jones. “Repeat business and referrals only happen when that balance of quality, trust and reliable results are achieved consistently. Over the past 10 years, I’d say 80% of my business has come from referrals.” Part of the sales’ product they offer is preferential access to parts of US government business through being certified as WBE (women-

Marketing and technical savvy: Laura Jones and Maggie Teliska

owned small businesses) and DBE (disadvantaged business enterprise) members. “There are advantages in bidding for government and military business as there are quotas for WBE, DBE and WOSB business and most of the Fortune 100 companies in the US are striving to increase their diversity programmes,” says Teliska. “Some are called ‘set asides’ which can be bid on by certified small WBE and DBE (as well as veteran) businesses. It gives small firms like ours the opportunity to earn business that they might not be considered for.

Results based “Once given the chance, it is up to us to build on our reputation and not rest on our certification laurels. We have to deliver consistent quality results or we won’t continue to win projects.” Jones says: “In my experience, women look at sales as a process rather than an event, which is why it is easier for us to establish long-term relationships with clients. It’s never for the oneoff sale.”

Future business could come from a variety of energy storage directions. “Many will be in smaller niche markets that the big players don’t want to deal with,” says Jones. “It may be finding the best batteries for a certain application or integrating an entire renewable solution which will be attractive to hospitals, small communities with unstable grid systems and brown-outs, or simply smaller products for other niche applications.” Jones, a long-time director of sales for Sovema, became an outside rep for the Italian battery equipment manufacturing company in December to focus on and advance Regent Power. “I’m made some wonderful friends in Sovema and the broader industry these past years so transitioning on a positive note is unusually nice,” Jones told Batteries International. “But the international energy industry is standing on the brink of the biggest upheaval in a century— and we need to foster the leadership to usher in these changes.”

Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015 • 9

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PEOPLE NEWS

Younicos opens up ﬁve new executive slots ahead of renewed focus on sales Younicos, the grid and energy storage provider has named five high-profile managers to market and sell an ambitious array of energy storage products. “Our ambition is to sell units with a capacity of 2GW in the next five years, said chief executive officer James McDougall, in a recent interview with Bloomberg. “We see a tremendous opportunity coming in as a developer of energy storage solutions. “We’ve attracted a powerhouse executive team that can take forward our company and help transform the entire industry.”

The new executives are: • Philippe Poux, the former general manager for operations and special projects at AREVA Solar became chief

Philippe Poux: CFO

Stephen Prince: CRO

Robert Manasse: CCO

financial officer at Younicos in January. Poux, who joined AREVA as a vice president for mergers and acquisitions in 2005 was a leading figure in the creation of AREVA Renewable and its related acquisitions and integration of renewable firms. • Stephen Prince, became chief revenue officer in November and is responsible for global sales as well as marketing and product

management. His background is in executive, large company roles and VC backed CEO positions. He has also worked with venture and private equity groups investing in growth companies. • Michael Mahan, a former senior executive, at Good Technology and General Electric becomes chief development officer. He heads the Development Company Business Unit implementing

the group’s Energy Storageas-a-Service business strategy. He has had extensive business development experience in the energy storage and enterprise security software industry. • Robert Manasse is a former senior executive at the Italian utility Enel, where he most recently was a senior vice president at its Green Power division in change of business development, regulatory affairs and innovation becomes the chief consulting officer. He joined Younicos in October as a senior adviser. Wade Guindy becomes the chief operating officer. Guindy has worked for 30 years in energy storage and software businesses including Teledyne Technologies, Solicore, Valence Technology and Quantum3D. Younicos, which was a key player in Europe’s biggest battery storage project — the 6MW/10MWh Smarter Network Storage at Leighton Buzzard in the UK — has ambitious plans for the future. Its immediate sales targets are island utilities where the plan is to sell cost-effective renewable energy storage which will replace expensive to run diesel generation. Younicos employs about 115 people and expects to add as many as 80 more over the next two years, McDougall said.

NAATBatt International honours three in AGM awards ceremony James Greenberger, executive director, of the NAATBatt International announced in January the three winners of its awards that will be presented at its annual general meeting held in Phoenix in mid-February. • Stan Whittingham of SUNY Binghamton will receive the NAATBatt 2015 Lifetime Achievement Award —Technology. Whittingham is widely acknowledged as the inventor of the modern lithium-ion battery. His work has facilitated battery applications that would have been unthinkable 30 years ago. Anyone

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working in lithium-ion technology today owes their job in part to the professor. • Naum Pinsky of Southern California Edison will receive the NAATBatt 2015 Technology Commercialization Award. When Pinsky went to work for SCE some 23 years ago and established its Electric Vehicle Technical Center, few envisioned electric drive, let alone storing electricity on the power grid, as practical possibilities. Pinsky was an early researcher and pioneer in those fields at one of the first electric utilities to take electrochemical

energy storage technology seriously. • Sally Miksiewicz, former chief executive of East Penn Manufacturing, will receive the NAATBatt 2015 Lifetime Achievement Award — Industry. Under Miksiewicz’s leadership, East Penn introduced the Deka UltraBattery, a major leap forward in lead acid battery technology, and became an industry leader in lead acid battery recycling. She was a friend, mentor and role model to many in the industry. Miksiewicz died tragically last year.

Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015 • 13

NEWS

BCI-CBIA linkaage to represent 70% of lead-acid ﬁrms worldwide Battery Council International and the China Battery Industry Association announced a joint partnership in mid-January. The aim is ultimately to link 70% of all lead-acid battery companies globally — something that will give the industry greater coordination over regulation and a unified voice for the industry. Mark Thorsby, executive vice-president of BCI says the aims of the partnership include forging a productive relationship with the Chinese government, nurturing a supportive regulatory environment and creating a global communications network for the batteries industry. “We set out to establish a relationship with the main association that represents the lead-acid battery manufacturing industry in China today,” says Thorsby. “We

want to facilitate a global communications network, primarily because of the global nature of the business we’re in.” The CBIA is one of three major battery organizations within China but is reckoned to be closest to the government in its aims to provide a fair, regulatory structure for the country’s battery industry. Thorsby says that BCI will also continue to seek out organizations that represent large groups of battery manufacturers and suppliers. Such partnerships help enable BCI achieve change in the global battery industry, Thorsby says. BCI is already working with a number of other global partners including EUROBAT, the International Lead Association, the Advanced Lead Acid Battery Consortium, the Applied

Battery Research for Transportation Program and the Portable Rechargable Battery Association. There are a number of challenges facing the lead acid battery industry. Two of which are particularly prominent: the need to separate lithium ion batteries from lead acid ones in the recycling stream. The combination of the two during the crushing process is potentially highly explosive as sulfuric acid reacts with raw lithium metal. The other is to deal with the political hot potato of lead blood levels in factory workers making or smelting batteries. One of the early aims of these associations is a development of a labelling system for the visual identification of the chemistry inside each battery. This will enable

separation and segregation of battery chemistries at collection sites, and reduce the problem of lithium-ion batteries finding their way into the lead-acid battery recycling stream. “It’s an immediate challenge that we’re facing not just in the US but around the globe,” says Thorsby. “The labelling system should solve about 90%-95% of the problem. We now hope to secure cooperation from the CBIA in getting their members to affix the proper labels on the batteries based on the chemistry.” BCI is also working with CBIA in initiatives to improve the health of battery manufacturing employees. “We aim to get blood lead levels down yet further, with the ultimate aim of eliminating workers’ exposure to lead,” he says.

ABC plans production qualiﬁcation of new battery Advanced Battery Concepts, a developer of bipolar leadacid batteries founded by former Atraverda executives, says it plans to extend production of its main product. The company claims that its GreenSeal lead acid batteries, launched in September 2014, is the world’s first large-format, bipolar, sealed AGM, valve-regulated lead acid battery. It uses 45% less

lead than standard VRLA batteries and charges in around half the time. It is compatible with existing charging and recycling systems. The new round of production will include what it calls an ultra-light weight, high-power version, capable of starting automobiles and with hybridization applicability.

Lead acid tipped for growth in India The batteries market in India will grow at a compound annual rate of 16.5% between 2015 and 2019, according to research firm TechNavio in December. The lead acid battery sector will be the biggest beneficiary of the growth. Demand for lead acid batteries is coming from the automobile OEM and replacement battery markets as well as the IT, telecom and banking sectors which need UPS to protect against power cuts and power fluctuations. “Factors driving the market for lead acid battery such as high demand for starter batteries from two-wheeler vehicles because of their increasing number and high replacement demand because of short lifespan of the battery,” says Faisal Ghaus, vice president of TechNavi.

16 • Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015

The new battery includes 12V, 24V, 36V and 48V variants and will undergo full production qualification at the firm’s Michigan development facility in 2015, ABC says. ABC says it has been testing the 12V battery’s cold cranking amp capabilities in trials, which have seen it start a full range of vehicles including an Acura 2.2L V4, Impala 3.3L V6, Yukon 5.3L V8 and a Tundra 6.6L V8 Turbo Diesel. Edward Shaffer, CEO and founder of ABC said: “Our trials have shown that this more powerful version of our bipolar lead acid battery delivers consistently high performance and combines the additional benefits that come with a sealed unit and AGM technology. We will be going into full production of this new high powered battery, with variant voltages, in 2015 and will take it to

market alongside our existing general purpose GreenSeal battery.” “The need for small high power batteries at 48V for automotive applications may provide an interesting opportunity for ABC. It is definitely one to watch,” said Geoffrey May, director of FOCUS Consulting. He said bipolar lead-acid batteries have been the subject of R&D by a number or organisations but so far none have been successfully commercialized and much depends on the company’s ability to establish durability both in cycle life and calendar life “The ABC battery certainly works in terms of performance based on company presentations. A bipolar battery should have a higher energy density than a conventional lead-acid battery and offer material savings,” he said.

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NEWS

EU End of Life Directive challenged, as battery/automotive bodies argue lead is essential for economic stability Battery and automotive associations globally have told regulators in the EU that lead-acid batteries are essential to future generations of European cars and that they must remain exempt from the End of Life Vehicle Directive for at least another eight years. The ELV Directive in Europe aims to generate environmental gains through increased levels of vehicle recovery and a reduction in the use of hazardous substances. The recommendation by EUROBAT, the European, Japanese and Korean car industry associations and the International Lead Association, is backed by a series of studies on the technical benefits of lead-based batteries and their sustainability. This includes their 99% recycling rate in Europe and the general availability of the natural resources used to make up the battery. The comments represent part of the formal submission made by the industry groups to EU regulators that have concluded the public consultation phase of the review of the ELV Directive.

Eight year exemption Lead battery and car manufacturers have asked that the current exemption for lead-based batteries within the ELV Directive’s wider ban on lead in light-duty vehicles is maintained for at least another eight years. Following the consultation the European Commission — the civil service body that administers the European Union — is expected to release its opinion in the first half of 2015. Andy Bush, the managing

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director of the International Lead Association, said: “The technical attributes of lead-based batteries, coupled with their excellent recycling rate, means that it is vital that the EU End of Life Vehicle Directive continues to allow the automotive industry to use this type of battery.” EUROBAT president Johann-Friedrich Dempwolff said in November that the industry body’s policy priorities: the threat of substitution of essential metals in lead, lithium, nickel and sodium technologies under EU legislation (REACH authorization or End-of-life Vehicles Directive) would negatively impact Europe’s investment climate as well as hinder the EU’s sustainability and energy security agendas. “Moreover, such a lack of policy coherence in Europe would result in a competitive disadvantage for European manufacturers in a global and enormously competitive market.” Other analysts were less diplomatic. “The EU parliamentary elections last May showed a huge rise in dissatisfaction with the existing politicians in the European Parliament. “The potentially destabilizing wins to the Eurosceptics were only just contained in that lurch to the right,” one commentator told Batteries International. “European voters are looking for the politics of reason and pragmatism. The fact that battery groups have to lobby for simple common sense to be applied is as equally scandalous as the introduction of such an ill-thought out directive in the first place.”

“Such a lack of policy coherence in Europe would result in a competitive disadvantage for European manufacturers in a global and enormously competitive market ” — Johann-Friedrich Dempwolff, EUROBAT Part of the evidence submitted to the EU Commission is a study called A Review of Battery Technologies for Automotive Applications, which found that there are at present no alternatives, either technically or economically, to lead-based batteries for the SLI (Starting, Lighting, Ignition) function in vehicles. This means lead-based batteries are essential in virtually all conventional internal combustion engine-powered vehicles, hybrid vehicles (mild, micro and plug-in-HEV, PHEV) and full electric vehicles. The study also concludes that lead-based batteries will remain the only viable

mass market energy storage system in automotive applications for the foreseeable future.

Irreplaceable Their low cost and unparalleled ability to start a car engine at cold temperatures sets them apart in conventional and basic micro-hybrid vehicles, and as auxiliary batteries in all other automotive applications. Three additional studies also highlight the positive sustainability and environmental credentials of leadbased batteries that are an excellent example of the EU circular economy in action.

Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015 • 17

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NEWS

Fuji Pigment prepares for launch of new aluminium-air battery in spring Japanese specialist manufacturer Fuji Pigment has developed a new type of aluminium-air battery which it claims overcomes the high corrosion rate of aluminium during the electrochemical process — the biggest obstacle to the use of aluminium in batteries historically. It is looking to start commercializing the new battery this spring. The battery is recharge-

able by refilling it with salty or normal water. Fuji says it has overcome the problem of corrosion by placing ceramic and carbonaceous materials between the aqueous electrolyte and electrodes as an internal layer. “Owing to this modified structure, anode corrosion and by product accumulation were suppressed, which resulted in a longer battery lifetime,” the company says.

Several types of so-called metal-air batteries such as lithium, iron, aluminium, magnesium and zinc-air have been developed by companies previously due to their promising energy densities. Among them, aluminium is an attractive anode material for energy storage because of its high specific capacity and highly negative standard electrode potential. Aluminium is also the most

Aquion to supply aqueous hybrid ion battery to Hawaii private estate Aquion Energy, a developer of aqueous hybrid ion batteries and energy storage systems, is to supply a 1MWh battery system to complement an off-grid solar microgrid at a Bakken Hale, a private residential estate on Hawaii. The battery system will store energy generated from the solar installation and enable the estate to operate entirely from self-generated solar power. The off-grid microgrid system will be designed and

installed by Renewable Energy Services. The microgrid uses a 176 kW solar array, a 1 MWh Aquion AHI battery system, and a propanefuelled generator for emergency backup. It is designed to generate 350MWh annually from the sun, with little maintenance for 20 years. Earl Bakken, the owner of Bakken Hale and also a founder of Medtronic, says: “I want to demonstrate that using a solar and batterypowered microgrid is our best solution now. This in-

stallation will enable us to meet our around-the-clock power needs with solar generation and will reduce our fossil fuel usage by 97%.” Scott Pearson, chief executive of Aquion, says: “This is the first of several very large microgrid projects we plan to supply using our M-Line battery modules.” The system will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 5,000 tonnes in that time. Separately, Aquion announced the closing of a

Syrah Resources unveils breakthrough in delivering uncoated spherical graphite Syrah Resources, an Australian resource company, has produced battery grade uncoated spherical graphite from an operation it has in Mozambique. It says that the initial feedback from anode and battery producers suggests the material is of a superior quality to the synthetic graphite that is widely used. The company said its Balama natural graphite anode compares favourably with the theoretical maximum discharge capacity, as well as against competing Chinese natural graphite, anodes and synthetic anodes. The company said that

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synthetic graphite has traditionally been a major anode material (55%) with natural graphite accounting for the balance. However, due to improvements in natural graphite quality and its lower cost, the use of natural graphite in anodes is rising and expected to continue. Coated spherical graphite sells for $7,000 to $10,000 per tonne compared to synthetic graphite which sells for around $20,000 per tonne. “Consequently, Syrah has been advised by the anode producer that these initial results and the specifications achieved by coated Balama

spherical graphite have satisfied and exceeds the requirements required for anodes that are used in 3C (computers, communications, consumer) and Li-ion battery applications,” says the company. “A preliminary economic study for a spherical graphite plant is underway which considers a 25,000 tonnes per annum scenario in both Mozambique and the US for a combined production of 50,000 tonnes a year. This production will satisfy some of the expected significant growth in the electric vehicle and energy storage markets.”

recycled metal in the world and cheap. Fuji Pigment says its aluminium-air battery has a theoretical specific energy level of 8,100 Wh/kg — potentially 40 times that of a lithiumion battery — and the second largest capacity among various potential secondary batteries. The theoretical specific energy of a commercialized lithium-ion battery is 120Wh/kg-200Wh/kg. $36.8 million Series E financing round in November. The financing included participation from new investors: the business interests of Gigi Pritzker Pucker and Michael Pucker represented by DNS Capital; Constellation Technology Ventures, the venture capital arm of Exelon Corporation; Total Energy Ventures; Shell Technology Ventures; and CapX Fund IV. Previous investors also participating in the round include Bill Gates, Yung’s Enterprise, Nick and Joby Pritzker through their family’s firm Tao Invest, and Prelude Ventures. “Aquion Energy is poised to create transformative change in the stationary energy storage market,” said Michael Smith, head of Constellation Technology Ventures. “Aquion’s technology has the potential to drive the increased adoption of distributed renewables and to support the integration of additional renewable generation resources on the grid.” Aquion’s Pearson, said: “Building on the recent unveiling of our second generation AHI battery technology at Solar Power International, this funding will allow the Aquion team to continue to scale our operations and prepare for increased sales and deployments around the globe.”

Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015 • 19

NEWS Boston-Power embarks on big expansion in China Boston-Power, a maker of lithium-ion batteries, has secured $290 million in financial support from local governments in China to expand its operations in the country. Its Liyang facility will receive $160 million to increase production capacity fivefold by 2016. Its Tianjin plant will expand to 4GW by 2017 with $130 million, the company said. Bigger facilities are needed to meet demand in China, the largest and fastest-growing electric vehicle market in the world. Boston Power has moved its manufacturing operations from the US and Taiwan to China. The company is funded by GSR Ventures, Foundation Asset Management and Oak Investment Partners.

K2 Energy signs $81m contract with Naval Sea Systems K2 Energy Solutions, a developer of lithium iron phosphate battery technology, has signed a contract with the US’ Naval Sea Systems Command potentially worth $81 million. K2 will provide an intermediate energy storage battery system for the Office of Naval Researchand the Naval Sea Systems Command’s electromagnetic rail gun. The initial contract was awarded by the Naval Sea Systems Command. The contract lists K2 Energy Solutions as sole source battery provider. The deal includes design, engineering and support for the energy storage system.

Polaris and Brammo in deal to leverage lithium-ion technology Polaris Industries, a manufacturer of a wide range of off-road vehicles, has acquired the electric motorcycle business of electric vehicle technology firm Brammo as part of a wider deal that will better leverage Brammo’s lithium-ion electric drivetrain technology, the companies claim. Polaris will act as lead investor in a recapitalization of Brammo that allows the company to focus on the de-

sign, development and integration of its electric vehicle powertrains. Polaris has been a strategic investor and partner with Brammo since 2011. During that time, the companies have collaborated on a number of projects in motorcycles, off-road and on-road vehicles. The two companies say they will leverage Polaris’ position in the global powersports industry to market a

variety of electric vehicles, all using Brammo’s lithium-ion electric drivetrain technology. This will also free Brammo to continue developing its electric vehicle powertrains. Brammo supplies its products globally to a wide range of original equipment manufacturers., Polaris will use the assets acquired to begin manufacturing electric motorcycles in the second half of 2015.

Seeo secures testing contract with automobile manufacturers Seeo, a developer of lithium polymer batteries, has secured a contract for technology assessment from the United States Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC), a collaborative organisation comprising Chrysler, Ford Motor Company and General Motors. The contract encompasses three-party assessments of the technical characteristics of Seeo’s high energy density batteries and validation of characteristics anticipated for electric vehicle applications. Co-funded by the US Department of Energy, the contract has a value of $298,736, including a 50% cost share by Seeo. Hal Zarem, chief executive of Seeo said: “Seeo will deliver several hundred cells from our pilot manufacturing line assembled in battery modules, each mod-

ule providing 1.65kWh of storage capacity. We welcome the opportunity to independently validate their performance as we prepare to introduce the next leap forward in electric vehicle battery technology.” Seeo’s DryLyte battery modules will be delivered to USABC for testing under a nine month technology assessment programme. These are based on Seeo’s current cell technology providing an energy density of 220 Wh/kg. Steve Zimmer, executive director of the United States Council for Automotive Research, the parent organization of USABC, said: “These programmes are essential to advance the technology needed to meet both near- and long-term goals that will enable increasingly efficient and affordable ve-

hicle electrification.” Separately, ALABC awarded a $2.68 million contract in November for the development of a highperformance, hybrid energy storage system for automotive stop-start applications to Maxwell Technologies. The competitively bid contract award is co-funded by the US Department of Energy and includes a 51% cost-share from Maxwell. The 19-month programme focuses on the technological and economic feasibility of adopting a 12volt hybrid energy storage system consisting of lithium-ion batteries and Maxwell ultracapacitors to an automotive stop-start application meeting USABC specifications. The programme goals also include development of an improved capacitor.

Eos Energy raises $15m, seeks another $10m Eos Energy Storage, a developer of grid-scale battery systems, has raised $15 million from a private placement with specialist energy investment firm AltEnergy. It plans to raise a further $10 million from other investors. The money will be used to scale up manufacturing of its hybrid zinc cathode,

20 • Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015

aqueous electrolyte-based battery, known as the Aurora battery. The second part of the placement is expected to occur in the first quarter this year. Eos has previously raised about $27 million in two funding rounds from investors including AltEnergy,

NRG Energy and Fisher Brothers. Its batteries promise 75% round-trip efficiency, along with a 10,000-cycle, or 30year, lifetime, at a price point of $160 per kilowatt-hour. This is much lower than the cheapest competing lithiumion battery grid storage systems.

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NEWS

Oakridge-Leclanché deal ‘expensive’ but could work A deal between one of Europe’s oldest battery makers and a specialist in solidstate battery systems using mainly lithium-ion chemistries looks expensive but could ultimately work for

Avista invests $3.2m grant in vanadium ﬂow batteries Energy company Avista will use a $3.2 million grant from the state of Washington in the US to invest in a 3.6MW capacity vanadium flow battery it is buying for a substation in Pullman, Washington. The battery will specifically be used for load levelling — to balance the load on the entire distribution system, as opposed to a specific renewal energy source such as a solar farm or wind turbine. The award represents a portion of more than $14 million in grants being made available by a Clean Energy Fund for smart grid matching grants. Others companies taking advantage of the money include Puget Sound Energy and Snohomish PUD. “The challenge with energy is that as soon as it’s produced, it must be used immediately. That makes it difficult to plan ahead to supply the energy our customers need with renewable energy if the wind isn’t blowing or the sun isn’t shining. Battery storage could be the missing piece in this puzzle,” said Don Kopczynski, Avista’s vice president of energy delivery. Power from the battery will be available within 50 milliseconds, versus 10 to 15 minutes it takes to fire up a natural gas combustion turbine. This rapid responsetime provides the flexibility required to react to a sudden drop in power supply or increase in demand.

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both companies, market analysts told Batteries International in December. Oakridge Global Energy Solutions, a specialist in solid-state battery systems, will acquire a controlling stake in Leclanché, founded in 1909 in Switzerland and which is credited with inventing the lead acid battery used for starter motor batteries. It is one of the oldest continuously operating battery businesses globally. Under the terms of the agreement, Oakridge will acquire 11,000,000 Leclanché shares from Precept Fund Management in a deal worth some $45 million. The recent deal follows a

joint development and marketing agreement between the two firms in April 2014 that provided the Swiss company with a Sfr3 million ($3.1 million) loan in June 2014. Leclanché has said it will consolidate all of its strategic lithium-ion battery manufacturing investments under Oakridge. Leclanché has also invested heavily in recent years in lithium titanate energy storage technology. One analyst said this will be a big attraction for Oakridge — though it could prove difficult to commercialize. “The deal looks expensive but the company has made significant investments in lithium titanate cell pro-

duction, is loss making and needs cash,” he said. “They need sales in utility energy storage and related markets at a premium price which will be a challenge.” In a separate development, Leclanché announced it has secured a Sfr21 million ($23.6 million) credit from Danish financial services firm Recharge. The facility will mature on June 30, 2016. The financing consists of two parts. A Sfr13 million portion will provide Leclanché with working capital until it can achieve steady-state cashflow breakeven, which it expects to be achieved by the end of 2015. A second Sfr8 million portion will fund the company’s 2015 Growth Plan, which it said aims to create sustained profitability and increase market share through various initiatives.

Global automotive battery market to hit $7.7bn by 2019 The global automotive battery market will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 8.4% over the next five years reaching a value of $7.7 billion by 2019, a new report suggests. The report, by Research and Markets, suggests the value of the market is $5.1 billion now. Lead-acid batteries continue to dominate this market, especially due to recent improvements made in this field. “With the increase in the

adoption of electric and hybrid vehicles, the demand for lithium-ion and nickel-metal hydride is also projected to increase,” it said. “Lithium-ion is also slowly being utilized in aerospace and marine applications.” The markets in Asia-Oceania and North America are growing at the fastest rate thanks to the increase in automotive production and demand for aerospace transportation in these re-

gions, the report said. The increase in purchasing power and low penetration of automobiles in emerging nations such as China, Brazil, and India have also resulted in an increase in demand for personal transportation. But Asia-Oceania is the largest market for automotive and commercial aviation batteries and is projected to grow at the highest rate from 2014 to 2019, the report said.

Japanese ﬁrm backs manufacturer of electrolytes for lithium-ion cells Ube Industries, a Japanese firm that manufactures formulated electrolytes for lithium-ion battery cell manufacturers in the energy storage market, has increased its stake in Advanced Electrolyte Technologies to 70%. Ube plans to increase its

stake in Advanced Electrolyte Technologies to 80.5% by the end of fiscal 2014, ending March 31. Advanced Electrolyte Technologies was formed in December 2011 as a 50/50 joint venture between Ube Industries and Dow Chemical. This oper-

ates as Advanced Electrolyte Technologies in the US and AET Electrolyte Technologies in Zhangjiagang, China. The additional stake is part of Ube’s strategy to strengthen its electrolyte marketing capabilities for lithium ion batteries.

Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015 • 23

NEWS Johnson-Toshiba launch lithium titanate for advanced stopstart Johnson Controls and Toshiba have launched a 12-volt lithium titanate battery to power advanced start-stop vehicles. An advanced startstop system uses two batteries. A 12-volt absorbent glass mat or enhanced flooded battery will start the engine and supply power to accessories such as lights, navigation systems and radios. The 12-volt lithium titanate battery will store regenerative braking energy during vehicle deceleration, enabling greater power and load management. The companies believe this type of battery could save up to 8% every time they fill up their gas tank. “We are pursuing opportunities to develop evolutionary low-voltage energy storage systems that will help our customers meet increasing fuel regulations at a lower cost than a hybrid or electric vehicle,” says a spokesperson.

Bluesphere buys rights to fast charge lithium-ion technology Bluesphere, a company that develops wasteto-energy projects, has signed an agreement establishing the ownership rights of a technology designed to charge lithium-ion batteries faster. The deal also includes a strategic alliance with Nanyang Technological University and professor Chen Xiaodong, the inventor of the technology.

Electrovaya raises C$2m, targets Europe for take-over Electrovaya, a developer of lithium-ion super polymer batteries, has raised some C$2 million ($1.7 million) from a brokered private placement split between two tranches of financing. The company said a third tranche of funding was possible. Each unit sold to investors, comprising one common share and purchase warrant of the company, was sold for C$0.70. Each common share purchase

warrant is exercisable to acquire one common share of the company at a price of C$1.05 for a period of up to 36 months from the date of issue. The co-lead agents on the deal were Euro Pacific Canada and Jacob Securities. The company recently reported its 2014 results. Its revenues increased to C$7.4 million for the year, an increase of 161% compared with 2013. Its gross margin for the year was

38%. In its 2014 results, Electrovaya said it was experiencing increased demand from many sectors including utilities, industrials, distributed power and automotive. It also confirmed it is planning a large acquisition in Europe in a deal involving what it describes as the largest European producer of lithium-ion battery electrodes and separators, with capacity of about 500MW hours.

Smart grid installations to drive energy storage from 2014 to 2020 Increases in smart grid storage and installation owing to high electricity consumption will be the main driver of growth in the advanced energy storage systems market, according to a new research report by Grand View Research. However, high capital investment and environment issues may restrict the market over the next six years. Grid storage and transportation applications are expected to grow at a considerable rate over the forecast period, the report said. Battery energy storage for grid applications is expected

to significantly contribute to advanced energy storage systems market growth. The market can be segmented on the basis of the energy segment, technology and application. Energy segments include industry, transportation, electricity generation, building, fuel production and delivery, and electricity delivery and management. In terms of technology, the market can be segmented into flywheels, pumped hydro storage, fuel cells, batteries, super capacitors, compressed air energy storage and superconducting

magnets. Hydrogen storage and synthetic gas storage are a few emerging technologies in the market. Pumped hydro storage will continue to dominate the sector. The report suggests that while North America and Europe account for a significant market share now, Asia Pacific will witness high growth over the forecast period owing to increasing population in India and China. Increasing mergers and acquisitions is resulting in consolidation of the advanced energy storage systems market.

Investment in microgrid storage solutions to exceed $155bn Investment in so-called microgrid enabling technologies could exceed $155 billion by 2023 with energy storage solutions using advanced battery technologies being one of the big winners from this change, a new report by Navigant Research claims. The report analyses the global market for microgrid enabling technologies ranging from diesel generators to forms of advanced en-

24 • Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015

ergy storage using battery technologies. Microgrids have become a growing phenomenon in the global energy sector in recent years. Demand for the technologies that underlie these systems will grow rapidly over the next several years. ”Dramatic change is occurring in the microgrid market, as the economic value that these systems bring to the overall power

grid becomes more and more apparent,” says Peter Asmus, principal research analyst with Navigant. “We expect the technologies that enable these systems to play key roles in the expansion of the microgrid sector to encompass additional technologies and services related to smart buildings, demand response, distribution and substation automation, and smart meters.

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NEWS

New storage prototype chooses Protect Line lead-acid batteries AEG Power Solutions and Spanish utility company Iberdrola have joined forces with the innovation foundation Tecnalia to develop the prototype of a new battery energy storage station.

Canada’s biggest lead recycling facility forecasts growth The owner of Canada’s biggest integrated lead recycling facility has said its sale to a private equity firm should unlock growth opportunities for the business. Recycling specialist Newalta is selling its industrial division, including its leadacid battery recycling facility based in Québec, to Revolution Acquisition, a company formed by Birch Hill Equity Partners of Toronto, for cash proceeds of $300 million. Greg Jones, Newalta’s managing director of corporate communications, said that it is business-asusual for now at the facility. “Pending confirmation of various items, the sale agreement is expected to close sometime in the next couple of months,” he says. “In terms of benefits of the ownership change, the industrial division will be able to focus on its strengths and benefit from new ownership that plans to invest in it to maximize the full potential for increased profitable growth.” John Barkhouse, Newalta’s president, said: “This transaction advances our strategy of unlocking value as we focus on our core growth divisions,. The industrial division is a solid business but no longer fits with our strategic vision. Todd Moser, senior vice president, industrial division at Newalta, will lead the newly formed unit.

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Protect Line lead-acid batteries have been selected for use in the project and customized to fit the purpose. The company said they were selected for the ruggedness, moderate cost and long life. The project called SAGER (Sistema de Almacenamiento de Energía a Gran escala para la Red Eléctrica — System for Large Scale Energy Storage for the Electricity Grid) includes the design, installation, integration and validation of a new type of energy storage station through large batteries. It has been developed on the premises of the secondary substation called Archimedes, owned by Iberdrola, located in Júndiz, Vitoria, Spain. The name SAGER re-

AEG’s Jesús-María Rodríguez: “The station is a learning tool of a new experimental phase.”

fers both to the programme and to the R&D cluster created by Iberdrola Ingeniería y Construcción, AEG Power Solutions Iberica & Tecnalia in Vitoria. In the SAGER project, the station is designed to be connected to the grid, to store

Regen braking power stored for Tokyo railways Toshiba Corporation has supplied a traction energy storage system (TESS) to Tobu Railway which became operational in December.. TESS stores traction energy generated by decelerating trains as they enter a station and releases it when trains leave. Toshiba’s TESS is installed at Unga station on the Tobu Urban Park Line con-

necting satellite cities around Tokyo together and uses Toshiba’s SCiB rechargeable batteries to store regenerated power. “SCiB offer outstanding characteristics, including a high degree of safety, a wide state-of-charge range and stable operation at low temperatures,” says Toshiba. “TESS offers a battery ca-

Trojan releases ‘world ﬁrst’ deep-cycle AGM battery Trojan Battery, the US manufacturer of deep-cycle batteries, has unveiled what it says is the world’s first deep-cycle AGM battery. It says the battery, called Reliant AGM, is suitable for a range of applications including floor cleaning, golf buggies, renewable energy applications and remote telecom. It is also designed to power equipment used in locations where regulatory mandates require use of non-

spillable batteries such as airports, healthcare facilities and shopping centres, the company says. “Trojan’s Reliant AGM is specifically engineered for deep-cycling applications, unlike most AGM batteries on the market today which are designed for dual-purpose or standby applications, such as UPS backup,” said Dave Godber, Trojan Battery’s executive vice president of sales and marketing.

energy during low demand time and inject it to the grid at peak demand. It allows the utility to monitor the grid load and to integrate the locally generated wind power. “Iberdrola will then be able to operate the energy storage station like any other substation,” said JesúsMaría Rodríguez, managing director of AEG Power Solutions in Spain. “The station is a learning tool of a new experimental phase.” The SAGER R&D initiative has a budget of €1 million ($1.1 million) and is supported by GAITEK, a programme of the Basque Agency for Enterprise Development to support R&D ventures, SPRI and the city of Vitoria programme. pacity 10 times that of typical traction energy storage systems and also employs the company’s proprietary charge-discharge control technology, which takes full advantage of the wide SOC range of the SCiB.” In addition to supporting stable supply, the system can also be configured to support other applications, including traction energy loss prevention and peak demand power management. “Trojan has focused on deep-cycle technology longer than any other battery manufacturer in the industry and has utilized our extensive expertise and knowledge in developing the industry’s most reliable deep-cycle AGM battery.” The battery also uses what the company calls C-Max Technology, which incorporates features not found in many other AGM battery offerings. These include a proprietary paste formula, unique separator, special polymer case design and maximum flame arrestors.

Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015 • 25

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NEWS JCI to supply batteries for Range Rover Hybrid Johnson Controls, announced midDecember that it is supplying lithiumion batteries for the Range Rover Hybrid. Production of the cells and complete battery systems is underway at Johnson Controls’ manufacturing facility in Holland, Michigan. “As the first company in the world to produce lithium-ion batteries for mass production hybrid vehicles, we are excited to work with Jaguar Land Rover,” said Lisa Bahash, vice president and general manager of the Original Equipment Group for Johnson Controls Power Solutions. The Range Rover Hybrid is made in the UK.

Marubeni to distribute EnerG2’s next-gen energy storage materials throughout Asia Marubeni Corporation has announced an exclusive distribution agreement with EnerG2 a US company manufacturing advanced carbon materials for energy storage devices. Marubeni will have the exclusive rights in Asia — including Japan, China, Taiwan, Korea and Malaysia. EnerG2’s engineered carbon is used for high-end and high-performance rechargeable leadacid batteries, electric double layer capacitors (supercaps), and lithium ion batteries. Marubeni says its proprietary carbon technology platform enables it to design and manufacture customized carbon and siliconcarbon nano-composite materials.

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Neah Power Systems to acquire Shorai Neah Power Systems, the lithium ion and fuel cell developer of products for military, transportation and portable electronics applications, is to acquire Shorai, a provider of lithium ion-based power sports and starter batteries for the consumer motorsport industry. The combined organization — which holds 12 patents and has a further six pending — will be called Neah Power Systems. The companies expect the merger to be imme-

diately accretive with Shorai reporting more than $4 million (unaudited) revenues in 2014. Chris D’Couto, chief executive of Neah Power, says: “Completing this merger allows us to create product, operational and marketing, synergies.” David Radford, CEO of Shorai, says: “Shorai is poised for a leap in growth, and we are thrilled to have the backing and technology of Neah Power Systems. In the near

term, Shorai will introduce new controls to increase our lead in lithium power battery performance. “Also near production is an all-new Shorai product that addresses wider markets in motorcycle, automotive and military sales channels. Shorai manufacturing, distribution, and marketing expertise will complement Neah’s patented fuel cell technologies, and open up opportunities in the defence, commercial and consumer markets.”

Siemens, Duke Energy demonstrate cheaper EV smart charging, cloud connectivity Siemens Energy Management Division has teamed with Duke Energy to demonstrate the results of an 18-month effort to reduce the cost of electric vehicle battery charging technologies. The project also offered utilities the ability to manage grid load resources remotely and allow appliances to work with utility demand response programmes. Held at the Duke Energy Envision Center in Kentucky in the US and using a Ford Fusion Energi Plug-In Hybrid, Siemens provided the first Underwriters Laboratories approved residential EV supply equipment to demonstrate the ability to monitor status, report energy use, and be controlled locally from

the local area network and from the cloud. Siemens’ EV supply equipment was accessible by webconnected devices, allowing the owner to monitor the status of the EV charging, schedule charge events, as well as determine the total kilowatt hours consumed and cost of charging. Utilities can also take advantage of the technology to offer programmes that help manage the time and level of EV charging across the grid to increase grid reliability and efficiency while minimizing peak demand. “This demonstration marks a turning point for the EV industry and proves the tangible benefits of bringing advanced electric vehicle

supply equipment technologies into the home and the power marketplace,” says Barry Powell, head of Siemens Low Voltage & Products. “Intelligence in EV charging stations means homeowners can reduce the cost of charging up to 60% by automatically charging during low energy rate periods, where such programmes are available. Utilities can shift loads off critical peak periods to avoid the need for new generation sources.” An EV owner can now better understand what they are spending to charge their electric vehicle, schedule the charging process when rates are lowest, and share charging experiences.

SK Innovation ends battery JV with Continental SK Innovation of South Korea announced at the end of November that it will end a battery-pack joint venture with German partner Continental, according to Yonhap News, the South Korean news agency. The cancellation of this joint venture is believed to be due to slow growth in demand for electric cars in Europe.

The agency reported that: “In a regulatory filing, SK Innovation said it will buy a full stake in the Korean branch of the joint venture at 14.48 billion won ($13.9 million) via off-board transactions within this year to dissolve it.” SK Innovation said: “We decided to withdraw from the battery venture with Continental due to the lower-than-expected synergy

because clean diesel vehicles were selling more than electric vehicles in the European market. We will continue to research and develop batteries for electric vehicles in the future.” The ending of this joint venture does not affect SK Innovation’s work in South Korea where it produces the battery that powers the 2015 Kia Soul EV.

Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015 • 27

NEWS

New Tesla battery swap scheme offers challenging business model for alternative to recharging Tesla Motors announced mid-December that it was ready to pilot a battery swap programme for selected Model S owners. Tesla says the automated swap of a spent battery for a fully charged one takes about three minutes and will cost, according to analysts, around $50. A regular 20 minute charge for a Model S at a supercharger station is free. “Faster or free?” Tesla chief executive Elon Musk asked when he announced the programme last year. In his presentation he joked that the battery swap would be the fastest filling station in Los Angeles at a rate of 10 gallons a minute. The debate about the business model will prove to be a long and complicated one, given the questions that it throws up as to everything varying from what price is a second-hand battery going to be worth, the price point a Tesla owner will pay to warranty liabilities. The Tesla Model S has been ranked number two out of 12 US ‘super luxury’ cars and costs upwards of $70,000. The most positive question is whether this will become the new industry standard for electric vehicles? A benchmark the EV market will aspire to? And potentially a fillip to the lithium ion battery marketplace? Or, given the collapse of Israeli-US firm Better Place in May 2013 which had developed battery switching as part of its battery charging business model, a cost too far? Musk reckons that the price of each battery swap

The plan is for Model S cars to drive over a special underground bay, where automated nut runners remove and re-fasten the supporting bolts at high speed during the replacement process of the 500kg battery. station will be around $500,000. The first station will be situated between San Francisco and Los Angeles where traffic volumes are huge and predictable. The site will also be eligible for California’s state tax credits to promote zero emission vehicles (ZEVs). However, developing a US infrastructure will have neither the benefits of convenience nor such tax breaks. The Better Place business model was based on the idea that its users would also be subscribers — they would pay for their driving distance in the same way that cell phone users pay by the minute but typically have a subscription plan that is also in place. For Better Place the subscription payment was a way to factor in other ideas such as capital cost (perhaps the most expensive), battery life, degradation, warranty life, maintenance in addition to the use of the electricity to power the car. Irrespective of Better Place’s demise there is little point in denying that the thinking behind the company strategy was subtle, sophisticated and had the potential to be workable and profitable. That said, the collapse of Better Place and the some $850 million invested can

28 • Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015

be easily ascribed to mismanagement of its delivery — not forgetting a company that over-extended itself in trial projects — yet the root of its problems always lay in that it lacked the critical mass of users to make it profitable. This means that, once more, any assessment of Tesla plans are all to do with scale — and, in an almost twisted way, the company’s bet on the pace of innovation. Underlying the latest Tesla headlines and live displays is the fact that the idea is not new — and only enjoyed a limited success some 100 years ago. To overcome the limited range of early EVs, and the lack of recharging infrastructure, an exchangeable battery service was first set up by the US utility, Hartford Electric Light Company, through its GeVeCo battery service in the 1890s. It started first with trucks and was then extended to cars. The owner bought the car or truck from General Vehicle Company, a subsidiary of General Electric, without a battery. The electricity was then bought from Hartford Electric through an exchangeable battery. The owner paid a variable per-mile charge and a monthly service fee.

Both vehicles and batteries were modified to make for a quick manually operated battery exchange. The service operated for some 15 years until the rise of the internal combustion engine showed that petrol-driven cars were more economical. If lessons can be learnt from history, here they would be those of the power of the mass marketplace. Does the second less-adopted technology — irrespective of its potential superiority and advantages — inevitably have to be the eventual loser? However, the practicalities are more complicated in that liability issues are inevitable. The plan is for Model S cars to drive over a special underground bay, where automated nut runners remove and re-fasten the supporting bolts at high speed during the replacement process of the 500kg battery. There is no need for the driver to leave the car. Already the 90 second swap has been extended to three minutes to cover the contingency of possible battery fires. Tesla says it could shave that time back down to as little as one minute, but it is going to wait and see whether the demand justifies the investment.

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NEWS

Eos wins $2.1 million from CES, claims energy storage at $160kwH Eos Energy Storage plans to demonstrate its grid-scale battery system at Pacific Gas & Electric’s Smart Grid Lab in San Ramon, California, with the support of a $2.1 million award from the California Energy Commission. The funding is part of California’s Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC), and supports development of grid-level advanced energy storage technology solutions. The Energy Commission gave Eos’s project the highest ranking among 28 competing proposals and awarded $2.1 million from a total funding pool of $6.3 million. The project was the only advanced battery storage system selected. Eos says it has developed its Aurora battery system that can be manufactured at a fraction of the cost of

Global sales of EVs to hit 6.4m by 2023 Worldwide sales of light duty electric vehicles are forecast by Navigant Research to increase from 2.7 million in 2014 to 6.4 million in 2023 driven by government policies that incentivize the use of these vehicles by governments around the world. Navigant’s report examines the light duty vehicle market and the light duty electric vehicle market. It said the use of EVs is being promoted by governments because of the economic, environmental, and energy efficient benefits they provide. Although they make up a small portion of the overall LDV market now, they will become a significant part of the global automotive industry.

existing energy storage solutions. Eos’s technology will help to incorporate renewable energy such as wind and solar while reducing peak demand on the grid. “We’ve developed an energy storage solution designed specifically to meet the requirements of California’s utilities and industrial users. At a price of $160 per kilowatt-hour, our batteries will compete with gas peaking plants and copper wire to provide peak generation and infrastructure benefits,” says Philippe Bouchard, Eos vice president of business development. Commercial volumes of Eos’s MW-scale Aurora systems will be available beginning in 2016. Eos is partnering PG&E, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Stem, and ETM Electromatic. PG&E’s Smart Grid Lab

will install and test the AC energy storage system, which integrates Eos’s Aurora DC battery, ETM’s power electronics, and Stem’s software, featuring real-time data analytics and controls. EPRI will provide program management and data validation services and coordinate safety, interconnection, and system integration requirements. Berkeley Lab will use real-time grid simulation to characterize performance and quantify system benefits under dynamic load and renewable integration use cases. “Energy storage is likely to be a key element of the integrated grid and successful integration requires a complete understanding and characterization of the performance, controls and interactions under a wide range of system conditions and scenarios,” says Mark McGranaghan, vice presi-

dent of EPRI’s Power Delivery and Utilization division. The project will test Eos’s Aurora product as the company ramps up manufacturing to deliver MW-scale batteries in 2016. The first of these systems, the Aurora 1000|4000, is a containerized DC battery system that can provide 1MW for four hours of continuous discharge to shave system peaks and defer costly transmission and distribution upgrades. The battery also offers fast-responding surge capability to balance power fluctuations associated with intermittent renewable generation. Eos expects to offer the industry’s “lowest cost turnkey energy storage solution through partnerships with major power controls suppliers and system integrators who will sell, install, and service the AC-integrated product”.

Saft completes delivery of MRX Ni-Cd train batteries for China CNR Saft, the high-tech industrial battery manufacturer, finished in December a sixmonth, contract for China CNR Corporation to supply the on-board battery systems for the CRH5 highspeed bullet EMUs (Electric Multiple Units) destined for the new Lanxin line that crosses three provinces in the northwest China. In May 2014, Saft was awarded a fast-track contract to supply 320 battery systems, each comprising two strings of 20 MRX230 nickel-cadmium batteries. Deliveries started in August, in readiness for the inauguration of the first segment of the Lanxin line in November, with deliveries that had been scheduled for completion in December.

30 • Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015

This contract is the latest in a series, beginning in 2006, that Saft has been awarded for MRX batteries for CRH 5 EMU trainsets, with around 1,600 battery systems already in services on high-speed routes across China. Saft said it would have delivered 320 battery systems to China CNR Corporation by the end of 2014. The MRX batteries provide backup power to support emergency services and traction functions, in what Saft describes as some of the most demanding operating conditions ever experienced by rolling stock, including extremes of hot and cold, ultraviolet radiation, high winds and sandstorms.

The eight-car trainsets, capable of carrying up to 622 people, have been designed to withstand temperatures that can vary from -40°C to +40°C, high winds that can reach 37.6 metres per second and the sandstorms of the Taklimakan Desert that can cause sand ingress into equipment enclosures. Separately Saft announced in December it had delivered several large battery systems containing thousands of its new generation Uptimax cells to CNOOC (China National Offshore Oil Corporation), China’s largest producer of offshore crude oil and gas, to power UPS installations that support critical control and safety systems at projects across China.

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NEWS

VW takes 5% stake in solid-state battery ﬁrm QuantumScape Volkswagen, the German car maker, has bought a 5% holding in battery startup QuantumScape Corporation and has options to increase the stake, according to a Bloomberg news report in December. Market talk is that QuantumScape’s technology has the potential to more than triple the range of electric

vehicles. This could equally provide a direct challenge to Tesla Motors which, with its plans to build a huge lithium ion battery factory in the US state of Nevada is otherwise tipped to dominate the EV market space by 2020. QuantumScape is working on solid-state batteries as an alternative to liquid electrolytes such as the lithium-ion

Accumulux inaugurates new plant in Bulgaria

Black & Veatch in strategic tie up with Dynapower

Accumalux Group, the international plastic injection molding for for automotive and industrial batteries, inaugurated its new plant in Sadovo in Bulgaria in November. The Luxembourg-headquartered firm, which also has affiliates in the Czech Republic, Australia and Russia, has moved its production facilities from Asenovgrad to Sadovo. Accumalux Group, set up its first Bulgarian production site in Asenovgrad in 2008 and the relocation to Sadovo is testament to its growth and need to expand its production facilities. Construction of the new facility started in 2013 and includes a new hall of some 4,100m2 ins size with a new administration facility of 550m2). The construction work was finished in July last year. At the inauguration on November 4, Charles-Louis Ackermann, president of Accumalux Group and Berthold Kiefer, the general manager, welcomed Dimitar Zdravkov, the mayor of Sadovo, and the deputy mayor of Plovdiv, Stefan Stoyanov, as well as Tom Jungen, the mayor of Roeser in Luxembourg.

Black & Veatch, an engineering, procurement and consultancy firm and Dynapower are to create a strategic alliance — where Dynapower’s inverter technology will be combined with Black & Veatch’s infrastructure development experience — to address the growing need for grid-scale energy storage systems. The companies will address transmission and distribution-level energy storage projects, in North America and internationally. “There continues to be an increasing amount of renewable energy being deployed on the grid,” said Dean Oskvig, chief executive officer of Black

technology used in many electric cars today. Solid electrolytes are burn resistant and could potentially store more energy and provide more power to extend the range of electric vehicles. Although solid state batteries are noted for their high energy density but relatively low power density, effectively giving range without

& Veatch’s energy business. “These resources often require the support of energy storage to reduce supply variability and improve grid stability.” He says the partnership will develop and deploy storage solutions of all sizes and technologies. There is an estimated $10 billion energy storage market in North America by 2022, according to Black & Veatch. This growth is driven by several factors, including grid stability, statelevel storage mandates, and an increased level of renewable energy sources. The 2014 Strategic Directions: US Electric Industry report from Black &

acceleration, the ability to offer both could be a gamechanger, say analysts. VW it talking of a potential EV range of 700km. QuantumScape was founded in 2010 by Stanford University researchers. The firm says it says that it is “working on a fundamental disruption in the field of energy storage”.

Veatch shows that nearly two-thirds of industry respondents view energy storage as the most important technology for facilitating the integration of variable energy sources. Black & Veatch has developed SmartES, a modelling platform to optimize energy storage integration. The firm, which had a revenue of $3.6 billion in its 2013 financial year, has experience supporting energy storage projects using battery, compressed air energy storage, flywheel, and pumped storage hydro technologies. Dynapower has over 200MW of inverters installed in energy storage applications worldwide.

Teijin opens second production line for Lielsort separators for lithium ion secondary batteries Teijin, the Japanese multinational opened a second production line for its Lielsort separator for lithium ion secondary batteries in December. By effectively doubling production, Teijin is working to establish Lielsort as the de facto standard for next-generation lithium ion batteries. It says it is looking for Lielsort revenues of ¥2 billion ($17 million) by 2020. Teijin produces two types of Lielsort separators. One

32 • Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015

is a polyethylene-based material coated with the heatresistant meta-aramid Teijinconex and the other is coated with a highly electrode-adhesive, oxidation-resistant fluorine-based compound. Teijin Lielsort Korea produces both types, which are sold by Teijin Electronics Korea, a wholly owned sales company for Lielsort separators. Lielsort is used widely in globally bestselling smartphones and tablets.

Teijin says the line will accelerate the development of a new type of Lielsort that Teijin is working on to achieve higher heat resistance and adhesion for improved lithium ion battery safety. “We used our expertise in polymeric chemistry to develop the first technology for simultaneously coating both sides of Lielsort. We also developed a high-speed coating technology that is five times faster than conventional coating.”

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NEWS

New Energy Power Systems facility to deliver 500MWh of lead acid production capacity Energy Power Systems, a Michigan-based advanced battery technology company using Planar Layered Matrix technology — a new category of VRLA batteries that provide several times the service life of conventional AGM batteries — has agreed to lease 150,000 square feet of a former General Motors plant in Pontiac, Michigan, where it will build a high-volume manufacturing facility. The new plant, expected to begin commercial scale production in early 2016, will produce high-performance, low-cost and long-life batteries for use in fuel efficient

Imergy Power supplies vanadiumbased ﬂow batteries to Alps restaurant Imergy Power Systems, an energy storage developer, has supplied two vanadium-flow batteries to help manage multiple sources of energy including PV at a restaurant in the Slovenian Alps. Imergy’s ESP4 series were installed at a restaurant called Trojane by Metronik Energija. The project was sponsored by the Slovenian Utility Elektro Ljubljana and supported by Kranj, a regional development agency. The flow batteries will manage multiple applications, such as renewable energy system integration, peak demand reduction, backup power and EV charging. Energy storage systems that can support multiple applications deliver a higher return on investment than systems only used for a single application. The project is part of the European AlpStore program,. An evaluation period for the project will take two years.

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start/stop and micro-hybrid vehicles; utility-scale distributed energy storage; renewable energy integration; and fast-charging infrastructure for electric propulsion vehicles. The initial annual production capacity will be 500MWh, the equivalent of 500,000 start/stop vehicle batteries. The new facil-

ity will use state-of-the-art, ultra-low emission manufacturing processes that support the company’s commitment to sustainability and a clean environment. The project is expected to create some 300 new hightech and manufacturing jobs during the initial production phase. It will lease the space in the former General

Motors Pontiac Centerpoint Central building from Industrial Realty Group (IRG), which bought the property from RACER Trust. “The EPS team has successfully completed the product development phase and we are now launching the commercialization phase,” said Subhash Dhar, founder, chairman and CEO of EPS. “This major milestone is a testament to the proven performance attributes of our PLM technology, which offers a superior value proposition for our customers’ applications.”

A123 Systems praised for out manoeuvring its rivals A123 Systems has “outstrategized” its rivals by maintaining its focus on the automotive and mass-transit segments in recent years and is poised for growth in the transportation sector while also establishing itself as an innovator in lithium-ion technology. That is the view of Frost & Sullivan which gave in a detailed analysis of the battery company in which it also explained why it had awarded A123 Systems the 2014 Global Frost & Sullivan Award for Competitive Strategy Innovation & Leadership. The report said A123 Systems has historically offered solutions across transportation, energy storage, and industrial segments. It recently sold off its lithium-ion battery integration operations for the energy storage sector to NEC.

Although it will remain a supplier of lithium cells to NEC, this change in focus to end-user application will enhance its position in the engineering and manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries, the report said. The company acquired rights to Leyden Energy’s high-power technology and related technical staff. As Leyden Energy specialized in developing lithium titanate batteries that utilize nonflammable electrolyte material, this could help A123 Systems address a key product safety challenge associated with lithium-ion batteries, the report said. “By extending the life cycle of its lithium product while simultaneously adding reliability and safety, A123 Systems has effectively established itself as a lithiumion technology innovator,”

said Imran Khan, a research analyst at Frost & Sullivan. “Specifically, within the automotive segment, A123 Systems’ lithium batteries offer more power density, thereby helping micro-hybrid vehicle manufacturers comply with regulations aimed at boosting vehicle fuel efficiency.” The report says A123 Systems’ affiliation as a member of the Wanxiang Group provides it with a solid manufacturing base in China. Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents the Global Frost & Sullivan Award for Competitive Strategy Innovation & Leadership award to a company that, it says, “has leveraged competitive intelligence to successfully execute a competitive strategy that results in stronger market share, competitive brand positioning and customer satisfaction”.

Nano-wire manganese lithium batteries studied The US’ National Science Foundation has awarded a $505,000 five-year grant to Arunkumar Subramanian, an assistant professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, to fund his work into technological advances that reduce the cost of Li-ion batteries by extending their lifespan.

A key aspect of Subramanian’s project will be to create batteries in which the team will isolate a single manganese oxide nanowire as the battery’s functional electrode element. These nanowire materials are synthesized and supplied by Ekaterina Pomerantseva, a research

collaborator and materials science professor at Drexel University. “We want to do this with nanomaterials because the small form-factors have the potential to facilitate high charge-storage capacities at fast battery charging and discharging rates,” says Subramanian.

Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015 • 35

PRODUCT NEWS

Arnold Magnetic introduces new line of thin and ultra thin metals Arnold Magnetic Technologies introduced in December its BESThin line of thin and ultra-thin metals for battery and energy storage designs. The BESThin line, which includes nickel, aluminum and copper, enables thinner substrates to be used in battery and energy storage technologies. As the push for new battery performance materi-

als increases, titanium and stainless steel are also being considered. These thin substrates improve storage capacity by allowing for greater energy density in a smaller system. In addition to thinness, Arnold says it is able to improve material performance through fine-tuned grain size and grain structure and uniform surface roughness. These allow for precise dep-

osition of electrode materials on to the substrate. “Thin and ultra-thin metals play an important role in today’s battery and supercapacitor technologies,” says Ted Baker, general manager of Arnold’s Precision Thin Metals division. “We’re working to overcome the challenges and limitations of each technology, to achieve more efficient electrifica-

Enervate looks to silicon anode for leap forward in lithium ion energy density Enevate Corporation, a developer of lithium-ion batteries, has released its HD-Energy Technology for lithium ion batteries which it says represents a landmark — using a novel silicon-dominant composite anode that has four times the energy density of conventional graphite anodes — in the development of these batteries. The product offers the possibility of delivering significantly higher energy density in thinner form factors to enable longer runtimes in less space, which could be a

potential game-changer for many applications. Unusually, John Goodenough, recipient of the US National Medal of Science and one of the key figures in the inventions of the Li-ion battery has endorsed the firm and its technology. “Enevate is using a unique technical approach for silicon anodes that is truly different and innovative to deliver high energy density Li-ion batteries,” he says. “Their technology and process is practical, highly manufacturable, and can be sufficiently inexpen-

sive for high volume consumer electronics.” HD-Energy Technology uses silicon-dominant composite anodes for rechargeable Li-ion polymer batteries which increase energy density over conventional graphite anode cells. While conventional graphite anodes can store 372 mAh/g, pure silicon through an alloying process has the potential to store up to 4200 mAh/g, the firm says. The anodes are mostly silicon in a micromatrix composite that is 100% active

Yuasa provides new AGM line for BMW motorbikes Yuasa Battery has introduced an absorbed glass mat battery specifically designed to replace the conventional vented lead-acid batteries that come as original equipment in BMW motorcycles. The Yuasa YT19BL-BS battery is an exact OEM replacement, even including the protective terminal caps that characterize the BMW OEM battery. The Yuasa YT19BL-BS battery fits a variety of BMW motorcycle models from 1970 to 2014 model years, and engine sizes from 500cc to 1600cc. It is an upgrade battery for the Yuasa part numbers 51913 and 51814.

“The batteries on BMW motorcycles are especially difficult to access,” said Hitoshi Ohta, chairman of Yuasa Battery. “This makes it hard for the owner to maintain the battery on a regular basis. The new Yuasa YT19BL-BS battery is a sealed, maintenance-free AGM design.” The Yuasa YT19BL-BS battery is 12V, rated at 170 CCA and 17.7 AH. The battery measures 185mm x 81mm x 170mm and weighs 12.5 lbs. (5.7 kg). Because of its lead calcium design, an AGM battery will hold its specific gravity more than three times longer than

36 • Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015

conventional lead antimony types. This means much longer periods between charges when the battery is used less frequently, such as winter storage. The Yuasa YT19BL-BS AGM battery is shipped dry along with its own pack of electrolyte that is added at the time of installation. “Once filled with electrolyte from its special packs, an AGM battery is virtually maintenance free,” says Yuasa. “The electrolyte is absorbed in the special plates and separators, so there is no need to worry about leaks on the valuable vehicle parts and accessories.”

tion of their machines.” Arnold is a member of The New York Battery and Energy Storage Technology Consortium (better known as NY-BEST). This is an industry-led, private-public coalition of corporate, entrepreneurial, academic and government partners focused on developing worldclass battery and energy storage solutions in New York State in the US. and contains no inactive or dead space binders and is engineered for high volume manufacturing. “This delivers a high capacity monolithic or singleparticle anode which enables cell designs today up to 700800 Wh/L core energy density with cycle life similar to graphite cells,” says the firm. “Competitive approaches using silicon nanowires or nanoparticles are difficult and expensive to manufacture in high volume. Others using silicon oxide as a dilute additive in graphite anodes do not deliver enough performance improvement.” Benjamin Park, chief technology officer of Enevate says: “This new and different approach allows us to realize a roadmap to over 1000 Wh/L volumetric energy density which is exciting to differentiate mobile consumer applications. “Imagine what can be achieved with four times the energy density in smartphones and other mobile devices.” Enevate’s custom cell designs using HD-Energy Technology also have very low AC impedance or internal resistance, typically less than half that of graphite cells. Investors include Mission Ventures, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Tsing Capital, Infinite Potential Technologies, Presidio Ventures and CEC Capital.

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PRODUCT NEWS

Maxwell 48V module includes exclusive ‘DuraBlue Advanced Shock and Vibration Technology’ Maxwell Technologies, the ultracap manufacturer, has added further enhancements to its 48V module product. The new module meets the industry’s shock (IEC 60068-2-27 and 2-29) and vibration (ISO 16750-3, Tables 12 and 14) ratings for ultracapacitor modules, “exceeding the most demanding testing requirements for mass transportation applications, such as in hybrid buses, particularly in China”, says the firm. “The enhanced module has been validated through several months of sampling with selected customers and is immediately available.” Maxwell’s ‘DuraBlue Advanced Shock and Vibration Technology’ is the company’s latest advance in ul-

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tracapacitor reliability and performance. “It combines Maxwell’s dry electrode formation and manufacturing process with a patentpending cell structure design, resulting in an increase in vibration immunity of as much as 300% and in shock immunity of as much as 400% versus most comparable competitive offerings,” says the firm. The new module will offer advanced capacitor management system options for improved reliability, as well as safety enhancements, which include a redundant over-voltage alarm, while maintaining the existing product life characteristics. “Ultracapacitors’ rapid charge and discharge characteristics, long operating lifetime, wide operational

temperature range and ruggedness make them an ideal energy storage solution for hybrid buses and other vehicles that employ braking energy recuperation systems,” says Franz Fink, Maxwell’s chief executive. “Bringing the entire module system to DuraBlue standards shows our commitment to providing the most advanced features and benefits ultracapacitor technology can offer.” Maxwell’s dry electrode fabrication process gives the cells in the 48V module with DuraBlue superior cohesion and adhesion properties, ensuring that the cells and the module remain intact in the most demanding operating environments. Separately, the electron-

ic community EDN has named Maxwell’s K2 2.85volt 3400-farad ultracapacitor cell as one of its “100 Hot Products of 2014.”

US university ﬁnds low cost method to make nano-porous graphene Oregon State University scientists claim they have discovered an environmentally friendly, low-cost way to make nanoporous graphene for use in supercapacitors. The chemical reaction outlined in the study involved a mixture of magnesium and zinc metals, a combination discovered for the first time.

Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015 • 37

www.wirtzusa.com

WIRTZ NEW PASTER/ CUTTER BRINGS LOTS OF ADVANTAGES. 7KH 3ODWH 0DNLQJ /LQH 5HGHĆŠQHG Wirtz has re-engineered the plate making line by combining the pasting machine and plate cutter into a single frame providing many new advantages, plus the best plate tolerance accuracy in the world. Closed Loop Servo Plate Thickness Control Our new machine design allows for precision plate thickness control either through the panel view input or completely automatically via closed loop measurement and feedback. More Accurate Plate Width The longer steel belt increases the area of contact of the pasted strip on the steel belt which reduces slippage and improves plate cut accuracy. More Accurate Paper Application The new paper hanger design allows for larger diameter glass mat rolls and has micro-adjustment for direction and position for exact location of the paper to the pasted strip. Quick Change Cutter Tooling Our completely new modular tooling design allows for cutter tooling changeover with only 4 bolts. Less Floor Space The combined frame reduces the floor space requirement. The Results Are Long Lasting Plates The newest evolution of our plate making line produces the most close tolerance plates ( +/- 2 grams wet paste weight, +/- 0.025 mm, 0.001 inch thickness) with controlled over paste on both sides of the plates. Call Wirtz today at 1.810.987.7600 or email us at sales@wirtzusa.com

INNOVATION. PERFORMANCE. RELIABILITY.

PROFILE: WIRTZ MANUFACTURING Wirtz Manufacturing is one of the best known equipment manufacturers in the lead acid battery business. Batteries International visited the ﬁrm at its headquarters in Port Huron, Michigan.

Scaling a family business to reach an international battery industry Little did John Wirtz know as he set up a small shop in his garage in 1932 what a legacy he was about to create for his family and, equally inadvertently, a generation of battery suppliers as yet unborn. The early years were not easy for

his fledgling firm — a machinist by trade he had been laid off in the Depression — as the whole US economy, like that of the rest of the world, was suffering. His bright idea, in the days when batteries were made by hand, was to use his own skills to

Rather than following the stereotype pattern — the ﬁrst generation creates the wealth, the second accumulates it and the third spends it — each generation of the Wirtz family has built on the work of the one before and the fourth generation look set to push the boundaries yet further outward.

make the battery grid mold. And, to his surprise, he found that his first mold could be sold for $30. Not a desperately huge amount even in those days, but substantial all the same. It was the birth of a family firm, and an unusual one at that. Rather than following the stereotype pattern — the first generation creates the wealth, the second accumulates it and the third spends it — each generation of the Wirtz family has built on the work of the one before and the fourth generation look set to push the boundaries yet further outward. In those early years for the firm his small company struggled but survived. The founder John’s son, John William — the family tradition is that the eldest son is called John — went to college with a single purpose in mind, to build up his father’s business. And this he did as the firm expanded from mold making into the battery equipment business.

From regional to national

210 years of experience at Wirtz in one photo. Bottom l-r; Ken Marzka, technical service manager 29 years; Joel Arundel, US sales manager 16 years; Scott Mercurio, chief engineer 16 years; Roel Mendoza, vice president engineering, 36 years. Back l-r: John W Wirtz 2, manufacturing manager eight years; Rob Wirtz, engineering manager, ﬁve years, Jack McLane vice president product development 48 years, John O Wirtz, president, 45 years; Jason Wirtz, tooling manager seven years.

40 • Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015

John William built the business to a national company at a time when there were over 200 US battery manufacturers, and the key tipping point for the company was when maintenance free batteries were introduced in the early 1970s and Wirtz developed the calcium grid caster for the production of calcium alloy grids for the maintenance free batteries. But it is the firm’s current managing director John O Wirtz — the third generation John — who took the firm to its next level as a full blown international player. From the eighth grade he had worked in the factory on a variety of manual jobs such as sweeping floors (a tradition he has perpetuated with

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PROFILE: WIRTZ MANUFACTURING his three sons, John, Rob and Jason) which he continued to do as he worked his way through college. After graduating he was unsure about what to do and his first automatic choice was not working for his father’s firm. But the catalyst for his decision was the result of a year long crippling strike by a labour union which resulted in a partial relocation to North Carolina to keep the business alive. After learning the manufacturing processes John O Wirtz says he focused on growing the business volume and the sales organization. Up to that point any international sales were received through agents, typically divisions of battery manufacturers and in particular one large lead acid battery company. Wirtz quickly found out that his company was in a strange position. “Because we used agents, we had little idea of what our customers wanted or, for that matter, what they liked or disliked about our equipment.” With characteristic energy he insisted on getting involved in international — despite the agent firms’ objections. “I was too brash, certainly naïve and probably very irritating,” he says. “But it was all valuable experience. I met our customers and learned what I thought we had to do to supply the international market. In the early days we did pretty much all of our business in North America — now 85% of our sales are international.”

An international dimension The result was that from the mid1980s the firm started to grow internationally. And in the early 1990s, the unionized employees voluntary decertified the union and the workforce became union free. “These two factors — the ability to develop direct relationships with our international customers, and the freedom to increase automation within the plant because we were not restricted by a union probably created another tipping point for the company,” he says. Over the next years Wirtz Manufacturing was able to flesh out its product lines with strategic acquisitions and partnerships with other US firms (see box). But one defining feature of the firm has remained constant over the past three generations of business. Wirtz Manufacturing remains a family concern. A family business — from a struc-

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Origins: Port Huron in the early 1930s

THE ACQUISITION TRAIL Rather than bringing related manufacturing companies into the Wirtz name, the company has expanded over the years through acquisition but kept the product lines under the original company names. They product lines consist of grid and plate manufacturing, oxide conveying and mixing, battery assembly, corrosive resistant finishing line equipment, and battery recycling equipment. All of which can be integrated. “We can consult, design, build, install, commission, train and service individual pieces of equipment, and with a couple of exceptions provide most of the equipment for a greenfield factory plant, for any lead acid battery you need to produce,” says Wirtz. “We can take you from pig lead to finished batteries for automotive, motorcycle, industrial, VRLA, leisure, marine, aircraft, telecom, motive, UPS, EV, HEV or standby and including the next generation battery for 42 volt vehicles.”

CONBRO Corrosive resistant conveyors Water bath formation Washers Volumetric acid fillers Continuous acid dump Continuous fillers Blow-off Acid refrigeration systems Acid mixing Acid filtration

In brief, the roles of the company as a group are:

Eagle Oxide Wirtz has an agreement with Eagle Oxide which allows Wirtz to build Eagle products in its India and China operations for sale outside the US. Eagle develops, designs and services lead and lead oxide systems throughout the world and Eagle systems include ball mills, Barton reactors, litharge and red lead systems, hammer mills, lead melt pots, pneumatic and mechanical material conveying.

Wirtz Manufacturing Grid casting Continuous casting Continuous plate Making, pasting, cutting, attacking, curing, grid molds and wheels Oxmaster Paste mixers Oxide conveying

LEKO Intercell welding High voltage testing Weld testing Heat sealing Terminal burning Leak testing Date code/serial numbering Battery Recycling Systems Low cost recovery of lead and plastics. Systems sizes ranging from 300 to 3000 (5.5 to 55 tons) batteries per hour with lead yields of 99+%

Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015 • 41

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PROFILE: WIRTZ MANUFACTURING

Part of the Wirtz team on the road: here at ELBC this past September: Eric Donjon, John O Wirtz, Rob Wirtz, Jason Wirtz, Doug Lambert

A family business, from a structural point of view at least, is very different from other business structures. In most corporate structures accountability is to the shareholders, transitions at the chief executive level can result in knee-jerk and sweeping changes of management approach.

tural point of view at least — is very different from other business structures. In most corporate structures accountability is to the shareholders, transitions at the chief executive level can result in sweeping changes of management approach. Swathes of workers are hired and fired in a remorseless hunt for profit.

Relationships But family businesses work in a different way. Accountability is to the family and, often they tend to have a different relationship with their employees. The loyalty tends to run more deeply. And it runs both ways. A typical employee at Wirtz remains for around 10 years. So, when Batteries International visited Wirtz Manufacturing at its headquarters in Port Huron, Michigan, the immediate impression was one of solidity. Sitting in front of us, in no particular order was — Wirtz family aside — the inner heart of Wirtz Manufacturing. Jack McLane vice president of product development who has been 48 years with the firm and worked with three generations of the Wirtz family, Nearby is Scott Mercurio, chief engineer who has been 16 years with the firm, Roel Mendoza, vice president engineering 36 years, Joel Arundel, regional sales manager for North America 16 years, and Ken Warshefski who has been 30 years at Wirtz. John O Wirtz says, “ Our team’s great experience and dedication is the reason for our continuing success.” New blood consists of Wirtz’s three elder sons — John William 2, the eldest officially joined the firm in 2005 and is the manufacturing manager but — like his brothers Jason, head of the tooling department, and Robert, planning and marketing manager

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BACK TO SCHOOL In addition to installing, testing and maintenance of Wirtz equipment the company also offers training for: • operators such as timing, operation, mold and machine care, cork mixing, spraying techniques, grid weight control and high-speed production techniques • maintenance personnel. Instruction topics include trouble shooting, preventive maintenance and spare part inventory requirements The class size is small — typically three to five as a maximum. The course consists of classroom lecture and student practice and involvement with actual equipment on the floor. The maximum time in the formal classroom for any one day is four hours and the remainder is spent on the shop floor with hands-on experience with the equipment. For the operator course, the classroom work consists of instructor, lecture and discussions to familiarize the class with various

systems that make up the casting equipment, cork allowances, casting theory, production casting, etc. Class work in the plant is conducted on actual casting equipment and consists of trouble-shooting the equipment, corking for weight control, production running, touch-up spray techniques, etc.. The instructor, deliberately alters the equipment out of phase, or adjustment, and each student is given the opportunity to correct the problem. Each student is allowed, with instruction, to develop the proper cork spraying techniques needed for weight control and long cork life. The students are taught all the technical knowledge of casting along with the actual running and corking of the machine. This type of learning allows for more ﬂexibility later in their casting career. Upon successful completion of the program a diploma is awarded.

Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015 • 43

PROFILE: WIRTZ MANUFACTURING

“Our philosophy is to have a ﬂexible capacity and be able to supply our equipment within a two to six month delivery window from taking the order to make sure we can satisfy our customer’s demands. Our workforce likes the overtime we offer which helps with this ﬂexibility.” — has served his time throughout the plant. Although each has upwards of seven years’ professional experience at the firm since college they each took their time in making up their mind about deciding whether the firm would be right for them. “I’d been sweeping the factory floors since a kid and operating most of the equipment while going through college,” says Robert Wirtz. “This was something I knew and understood. We’re a close family too and we all work together well.” Wirtz, now 63, says he is confident

that the transition of management to his three sons will proceed smoothly when it happens — “when I’ve been away they take decisions collaboratively and though I’m not involved in this, I respect their judgment” — but it’s clearly still many years away.

Product range Over the years Wirtz Manufacturing has built up an impressive range of battery-making machinery which it continues to develop as state of the art. The firm continues to push out its R&D capabilities. “The goal is to produce plate making equipment which

will produce the most efficient, most accurate, and lowest cost battery plate which is the heart of the battery. This includes paste mixing, grid making, plate making and plate curing and we never stop trying to improve the equipment or the processes. “For our non-plate making product lines such as Battery Recycling, Leko, and ConBro, we focus on the highest quality equipment and competitive pricing.” It’s also about being able to adapt and improve existing products for customers as well as developing completely new products. “Products that are being developed and designed at the moment include a cost effective strip caster and rolling mill system for improved quality rolled strip, special formation water baths for Trojan Battery, and a highspeed motor cycle plate making line for Exide India.” Some of the innovations / improvements occur in partnership with customers. Working with East Penn, for example, the two developed a com-

LEAD ACID — A POSITIVE OUTLOOK FOR THE FUTURE Wirtz says he is optimistic about the future of the lead acid battery market — like many lead veterans he’s heard many times over that the days of the lead are over. “But it’s more than that,” he says. “It’s not hard to see where lead’s competitive price advantage puts it at the forefront of entire new markets. India’s market for motorcycles and electric bikes has an enormous way to go before we see a slacking off of demand for batteries. “ “A whole generation of third world and developing countries are catching up with us quickly in their demand for ﬁrst world products.” India is a relatively new country for Wirtz which set up operations in the country just three years ago. It employs around 15 staff of whom about six are engineers. “We supply basic grid casting machines assembled in India but we are adding more products as fast as we can,” he says. “It’s going to be a huge market and for ourselves it offers a low cost base per employee with very favourable tax regime. He is also positive too about the now-rapid growth in AGM production which offers a better product for partial state of charge applications such as stop-start vehicles. Like many US manufacturers, he

44 • Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015

Wirtz believes lead’s competitive price advantage will continue to put it at the forefront of entire new markets. India’s appetite for motorcycles and electric bikes has an enormous way to go before any slacking off of battery demand

remains wary about China whose history of IP protection is poor and where production values are more concerned with cost than quality. Wirtz maintains ofﬁces in Changzhou in the south of Jiangsu province in the People’s Republic.

Looking at other regions, he is very positive about South America and, despite successful projects in Africa, believes that talk of the continent as the next golden goose for the battery industry is way too early to say.

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PROFILE: WIRTZ MANUFACTURING THE LATEST IN PIONEERING PATENTS Wirtz Manufacturing has a long history of trying to improve its manufacturing processes — looking through the directory of US patents, almost 30 of them have been granted since the first one was issued to the founding John Wirtz in the late 1930s. Since the heart of any good battery is normally understood to be in the manufacture of the grid, and particularly the way lead paste adheres to it, over the years Wirtz has sought to improve the processes behind this. A string of patents for everything from improved grid stacking arrangements for a grid casting machine, to cooling shut-off valves has been added to the intellectual property rights of the company over the years. The latest addition to its family of patents was released in November (although the patent application was first filed some six years ago). In essence it improves the shape of the wire, and particularly the surface finish, for grids using continuously manufactured positive grids and plates. Punched grids, although typically capable of being manufactured with greater precision, speed and less cost than cast grids, have a clean edge to their surfaces. This means that the later adhesion of the battery paste to the grid is more troublesome — and which almost invariably only shows up after the curing — while a rougher surface allows the paste to stick better. “The result of all this is that these grids have much better paste adhesion, providing longer life

A string of patents for everything from improved grid stacking arrangements for a grid casting machine, to cooling shut-off valves has been added to the intellectual property rights of the company over the years.

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o, positive plates and, so, longer life batteries,” says ith John O Wirtz, who with ck John W Wirtz and Jack McLane was also an t. inventor on the patent. Wirtz also says that a similar process of e adding texture can be applied to Concast grids and expanded metal grids. John O Wirtz says that he anticiaptes that the patent will be the seal of approval behind the development of a new strip caster — which has already been offered to some existing Wirtz Manufacturing customers — which feeds into the Con punch punching system.

THE PATENT WORDING RDING THAT COUNTS “A method of making a grid for a battery plate for a lead-acid battery, comprising. “Punching a cast or cast and rolled lead alloy solid strip to form a grid strip of the lead alloy having a plurality of connected grids with each grid having a generally planar surface, a plurality of spaced-apart wire segments interconnected at nodes, and a plurality of open spaces between the wire segments. “Stamping the plurality of the wire segments of each grid with a reforming die without removing lead alloy from them, to change the transverse cross-sectional shape of said wire segments of

each grid and thereby forming on said wire segments respective land surfaces inclined at an angle which is neither perpendicular nor parallel to the generally planar surface of the grid. “Forming a controlled surface roughness having a substantially uniform distribution and a size of about 100 micro inches Ra to 900 micro inches Ra on the plurality of the inclined land surfaces of the wire segments of each grid with stamping or rolling dies without removing lead alloy from said wire segments to promote adhesion to said plurality of wire segments of each grid of subsequently applied and cured battery paste.”

Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015 • 45

PROFILE: WIRTZ MANUFACTURING Wirtz realizes that the cost of labour in the US is expensive when compared to the emerging world. His solution has been to utilize machines that can work 24 hours a day, mostly un-manned with only minor supervision required.

bination plate pasting-cuttering machine, and improved the pasting machine frame design for easier cleaning and maintenance. Wirtz chooses the manufacturing machinery to make their tooling with specific factors in mind. “Naturally we’re looking for the highest precision” he says. “All of our machining centers have tolerances of 4/10,000 of an inch or about a quarter of the thickness of a human hair, but these machining centers are very expensive and we’ve also got to insure that we remain competitive.” Wirtz realizes that the cost of labour in the US is expensive when compared to the emerging world. His solution has been to utilize machines that can work 24 hours a day, mostly un-manned with only minor supervision required.

Shift productivity

Wirtz has two manufacturing plants in Port Huron as well as subsidiary ﬁrms across the US in addition to operations abroad in India and China

46 • Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015

“It’s not a difficult one to figure out,” he says. “If I’ve got 10 machines working three eight-hour shifts and five people are needed overall to insure that the machines are operating properly, then the labour cost is just a fraction of the actual labour rate.” “But labour cost is not the only thing we watch, the tolerance control of our tooling, and the tolerances of the grids and plates produced from our tooling is tough for lower cost competitors to match. And we test every tool before it is shipped to our customers to assure it meets the quality and operating specifications. So we’re trying to provide a great tooling package” John William 2 re-organized the manufacturing organization utilizing project managers to organize, plan, and manage the equipment assembly operations, or “projects”. Project management includes component and assembly cost control, inventory management, and scheduling and in practice each project manager has some three to four projects to handle at a time. Each project has teams and job leaders who manage specific elements of the project and they meet and coordinate every project around three times a week. The companies lead times have been reduced and the on-time deliveries have improved dramatically since this re-organization. Wirtz takes particular pride in the firm’s short delivery times — something that the energy storage industry, broadly, has never been particularly able to keep under control.

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PROFILE: WIRTZ MANUFACTURING

Wirtz boardroom: decision-making, debate and discussions are held in an informal, easy-going atmosphere

“Our philosophy is to have a flexible capacity and be able to supply our equipment within a two to six month delivery window from taking the order to make sure we can satisfy our customer’s demands. Our workforce likes the overtime we offer which helps with this flexibility.” This flexibility has an unusual sidebenefit in that it provides job security for the staff. “We haven’t laid off anyone during this recession, or in previous economic downturns,” says Wirtz.

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Wirtz is conﬁdent that the transition of management to his three sons will proceed smoothly when it happens — “when I’ve been away they take decisions collaboratively and though I’m not involved in this, I respect their judgment” — but it’s clearly still many years away. “We offer voluntary overtime at good rates to make our deadlines. This means that our employees are some of the best paid in the region.”

“But also if business gets slack that we can cut down the overtime and move to a regular 40-hour week without layoffs.”

Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015 • 47

THE GREAT BMW-i3 TEARDOWN

Lessons to be learnt by ripping batteries and cars to destruction

Automotive benchmarking company Munro & Associates has just dissected everything that makes up the new BMWi3, the ﬁrst production carbon ﬁbre car, as well as the lithium-ion battery pack that powers the vehicle. Mike Halls reports from Detroit. Automotive pathology is probably the only way to describe the work of Detroit firm Munro & Associates. Their job is a strange but ultimately fascinating occupation. Take a car to pieces — completely — work out how to make it, then calculate the costs to manufacture it, and the cost of each of the individual components. Moreover, historically they get it right with a typical accuracy of plus or minus 10%, or better. If you think the challenge is a daunting one, you’d be right. But the scale of the task — known as a teardown — and its importance make the challenge worth facing. Today’s car manufacturer sources parts from across the globe in a sometimes desperate attempt to balance quality against price. The parts for the frame of the i3 may have been made in the Czech Republic, while the seats were made in Turkey and injected moulded parts come from Poland This requires not just an in-depth knowledge of the cost of making these goods from these countries — and including the salary levels of factory

48 • Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015

For Ellis and Munro there were two particular areas of interest — the new carbon ﬁbre body and the latest EV battery and related battery management system.

“We stripped the BMWi3 into 10 vehicle zones. The BMW i3 is a radically new design, utilizing carbon ﬁber extensively for the ﬁrst time in a high production electric vehicle. We looked at the battery system, as well as the electronics… this is one of the best designed cars that I’ve ever seen.” workers within them — but a knowledge of the machines that will be used to assemble them to the car, and then an understanding of the price of these robots and the costs of tooling them. So meet two figures behind this extraordinary job — Sandy Munro, the founder of the firm, and his associate Mark Ellis. Munro worked his way from humble beginnings as a tool maker to designer and eventually engineering manager at Valiant Machine Tool Company, a world recognized specialty tool firm. In 1978 he joined Ford Motor Company and continued his rise up the ranks. Here he had his ‘eureka’ moment when he met Edwards Deming — whose work in post-war Japan helped create the country’s economic miracle — who was then working as a consultant to Ford. Deming, one of the most influential business figures in his generation, took a shine to Munro when they first met. Munro, adapted many of the business ideas of Deming such as design-forassembly principle and became corporate coordinator at Ford. In this new position, he saving the company billions of dollars, improved quality and reduced development cycles during the early 1980s. And it was six years later that Deming convinced Munro to quit Ford — “he advised me that he would have to force the company to fire me if I didn’t take his advice and set up on my own!” says Munro. “I took his advice and now the Deming spirit and philosophy is evident in all our products and services. Ellis is a senior associate in the firm and expert in pretty much all things mechanical, electrical and nowadays automotive too. His background is an interesting one. For almost two dec-

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THE GREAT BMW-i3 TEARDOWN

“Vehicle disassembly is captured and analyzed in a process in which every system, sub-system, and component — along with its fabrication process, assembly steps and fastening methods — is mapped to produce individual and rollup metrics for piece cost, labor cost, and nonlabour costs” ades he has been involved in the design and set up of manufacturing equipment, a great deal of which has been for the battery industry working for RD Systems, and later Ovonic and its spin-off Cobasys. Ellis and Munro set themselves an ambitious project last summer. Buy one of the new BMWi3s, the first production carbon fibre car as well as, then, the latest pure electric vehicle from the BMW stable. “This is one of the best designed cars that I’ve ever seen,” says Ellis. “One of the characteristics of BMW designers is their attention to detail, from the choice of products to ease of assembly and, ease of replacement. With just a couple of minor exceptions Disassembling — and sometimes reassembling — the latest production

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The software uses a symbol based mapping format to visually show the relationships of process and time for each step in the manufacturing process. The image above shows the symbols used in the design proﬁt mapping software, and within each symbol resides the data required for the cost model process.

Each symbol contains different information based on the use or operations represented by that symbol.

Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015 • 49

THE GREAT BMW-i3 TEARDOWN line vehicles is not new. All motor companies will dissect and analyze the latest car models from their competitors. It goes as far back as Henry Ford’s rivals at the turn of the last century who within months were trying to get to grips with his new fangled production line methods. From a business point of view, the expenditure is minimal compared to the potential advantages that can be discovered. For Munro and Ellis there were two particular areas of interest — the new carbon fibre body and the latest EV battery and related battery management system. “We stripped the BMWi3 into 10 vehicle zones,” says Ellis. “The body structure is the first — the BMW i3 is a radically new design, utilizing carbon fiber extensively for the first time in a high production electric vehicle. We looked at the battery system, as well as the electronics, the rolling chassis, the cooling pack and HVAC, the driveline, the REX System, the IP and the interior trim, and the seats.” In all Ellis and his team have removed, labelled and catalogued the approximately 25,000 pieces, (less the electronic components), that constitute the car. Part of the key to what they’re doing goes beyond the task of taking photos and videoing of unscrewing every bolt or piece of trim as being able to analyze them effectively. Looking around the huge disassembly room, Munro is located on the outskirts of Detroit, one is quickly struck

Injection moulding costs analyzed

by huge posters on the walls showing flow charts of procedures, and diagrams of individual parts divided into categories, sub-categories and yet further sub-categories. This is all part of the methodology which Munro calls its “proprietary total accounted cost software — design profit”. “Vehicle disassembly is captured and analyzed in a process in which every system, sub-system, and component — along with its fabrication process, assembly steps and fastening methods — is mapped to produce individual and rollup metrics for piece cost, labor cost, and non-labour costs,” says Munro. Ellis says that at the same time redesign opportunities are identified and quantified. He says that the time spent in quality-related work activities including rework was mapped. “Addi-

The BMW i3 battery pack

tional quality costs are derived by the inherent failure rates of parts and processes,” he says. “The Munro process produces a remarkably accurate projected cost of quality, including PPM and CpK, of a quality issue’s total Q burden. In addition to detailed costing information, Munro’s outputs also include a FFQ (fit, finish, and quality) assessment.

THE BATTERY PACK: THE GREAT UNRAVELLING Ellis is unwilling to guess at the cost of the battery pack since access to the full conclusions of their ﬁnal report for the entire vehicle will cost $496,000 for the entire report, sections can be provided for much less, but he explained the process. • The battery pack was disassembled and we have costed each of the components in the entire pack. • The frame, support system holding the batteries in place was costed based on the actual machines used to make the components. Cost for all of the manufacturing processes was compiled in our in-house DP Software. • Using our in-house cost models we then calculated the time required to manufacture each component in the system (and also for the entire vehicle). • The actual battery cells were disassembled and an analysis was conducted on the internal components of the battery. This included the cost of the active materials used in making the electrodes. All of the assembly process and machines needed for the entire manufacturing process were identiﬁed and used to calculate cost centres for these processes.

50 • Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015

• The electrode specific process included: mixing of the active electrode materials, coating, drying, slitting, and compaction. The battery assembly processes included: the assembly of the cell, assembly of current collectors, and attachment of current collectors to the battery cell cover; the assembly of the cover was also processed in detail; stuffing of the cell components into the battery can, electrolyte filling, and the specific cell closing operation was identified; ageing, formation, test functions, and cell sorting by capacity will be costed by identifying the equipment needed for processing the above functions. • All cables assemblies and sensing wire harness were analyzed to determine the cost of the actual components along with the labor cost of connecting the cables and wire harnesses to the pack assembly. • The battery management electronics which are housed in the battery pack were analyzed and costed. The associated labour needed to install these systems in the battery pack were accounted for to determine a total cost for the pack assembly.

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THE GREAT BMW-i3 TEARDOWN

Putting it all together — the report “This report is highly advantageous for Original Equipment Manufacturers or Tier 1 suppliers looking to effectively expand and compete in new markets”

Perhaps the most stunning of pictures is this one above — taken in early January — with the BMWi3 left as just a mere carcass. Every bolt and screw has been disassembled, weighed, measured, sourced, calculated which machines would have been used to put the parts together and a pricing estimate given. The final report was published at the end of January. The result is an astonishing wealth of detail — probably sufficient to build the car from scratch and possibly as close to the inside thinking

of BMW engineers who designed this revolutionary car. “Our Master OEM report is a comprehensive analysis of all aspects of the vehicle and includes the complete findings of our study,” says Munro. “This contains full descriptive and pictorial detail on every aspect of the vehicle — covering everything from assembly sequence to costing, labour, quality projections and, in general, every aspect of the manufacturing of the product. “This report is highly advantageous for Original Equipment Manufacturers or Tier 1 suppliers looking to effectively expand and compete in new markets” The comprehensive information that

is provided includes: • Videos of the disassembly process with modules highlighting key features and functions • Detailed vehicle specifications including all weights and dimensions through fully descriptive and pictorial reports • Complete cost, assembly and materials-analysis for all parts specific to a zone or system • A complimentary edition of the vehicle fit, finish and quality audit report • A complimentary single licence of Munro’s proprietary design profit software which provides the purchaser the ability to print cost maps, indented costed bill of materials and more. • Copies of, or links to, any known BMW public domain articles and videos.

The result is an astonishing wealth of detail — probably sufﬁcient to build the car from scratch and possibly as close to the inside thinking of BMW engineers who designed this revolutionary car

Exclusive readership offer Our publisher Karen Hampton has negotiated a special discount to the regular pricing — prices before discounts are given below — for all our readership who would be interested in obtaining the entirety or parts of the material found in the Munro report. MASTER, SYSTEM AND ZONE REPORTS — REGULAR PRICING Master report Includes all systems & zones: $496,000 Reports System1: Body Includes zones1&2: $110,000 System2: RollingChassis Includes zones 3&5: $115,000 System3: Battery and heat exchange(HEX) Includes zones 4&6 $120,000 System 4: Powertrain Includes zones 5,6,7 & 8 $200,000 System 5: Interiors Includes zones 5,9 & 10 $105,000 Zone reports Zone 1 Body • Life module • Front clip • Glass • Closures • Latches & hardware • Seals • Adhesives • Chemicals $ 95,000 Zone 2 Exterior • Rear quarter panels • Fascias • Cladding • Badging • Fenders • Door exterior • Windshield wipers • Headlamp/ tail lamp/fog lamps • CHMSL $ 50,000 Zone 3 Rolling chasis • Frame • Crush zones • Suspension • Brakes • Electronic parking brake • Brake Lines • Electronic power

steering • Wheels • Tires • Sealant kit/pump $ 75,000 Zone 4 Battery system • Battery pack • DC/DC converter • Power module • 12V battery • Battery harness • Charger $ 110,000 Zone 5 Electronics • System electronics • Infotainment • Body control module • Fuse box $ 75,000 Zone 6 Cooling pack & HVAC • Cooling (battery/engine) • Radiator • HVAC • Evap. condenser • Compressor$ 45,000 Zone 7 Driveline • Driveline • Motor • Gear box • Half shafts $ 50,000 Zone 8 REx system • REx system • Engine/mounts • Generator • Fuel and tank • Exhaust/shields • Engine dress & harness • Electronic control unit $ 85,000 Zone 9 IP & interior trim • IP & harness • Cross car beam • Floor console/shifter • Door trim • Headliner • Carpet/mats • Trunk trim • Pedal box • Steering wheel $ 80,000 Zone 10 Seats • Seats • Restraints • Air bag • Safety$ 60,000

To register your interest and ﬁnd more details email Karen Hampton — publisher@batteriesinternational.com www.batteriesinternational.com

Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015 • 51

COVER STORY: ENERGY STORAGE IN THE GRID Energy storage level at the grid scale has changed enormously in the past three years. Then it was all about trial projects sponsored by governments or research institutions. Those days are fast ending; instead there’s a scramble to win commercial contracts.

Grid scale energy storage to reach for the skies as demand for renewables soars

52 • Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015

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COVER STORY: ENERGY STORAGE IN THE GRID

e’ve heard the bleatings for years. The renewable energy revolution is just round the corner: a world of sunlit meadows, sparkling sunshine and not a smoking chimney stack in sight. But this time there’s substance to it — the huge volume of renewable energy projects and contracts is growing, seemingly exponentially— and it’s time for power utilities to get worried and battery manufacturers excited. A glance through the tables in the following pages, courtesy of independent research by the US’ Argonne National Laboratory shows the huge demand for energy storage at the grid level. But this is the tip of the iceberg say some analysts. Global installed energy storage for the grid and ancillary services power capacity is expected by Navigant Research to grow by around 13 times in the coming decade —from 538.4 MW in 2014 to 20.8 GW in 2024. Oddly enough, given the the banking community’s often appalling reputation for guessing the way things are going to be — think internet bubbles, property market collapses, bankrupt mega-banks — it’s also now time to listen to what the world of finance has to say. The reason to listen is simple. The most conservative, cautious and some say dullest, area of finance — the fund management industry — is getting ready to pull out of much of its investments in power utilities. Institutions as cautious as pension funds are reportedly wanting to move (at least a little) into the space formally occupied by the high-risk, high-return world of venture capital and private equity. According to UBS, the international investment bank, centralized power distribution, for example, could be

END OF THE LINE: THE INEVITABILITY OF RENEWABLES

Dirk Spiers, president and founder of Spiers New Technologies, with facilities in Oklahoma and California, believes distributed generation based on clean resources and energy storage, will become a reality sooner rather than later. And there will be little that utilities can do but to accept it. Although they are ﬁghting back at lots of different levels, in the end change is inevitable. “Depending on where you are based, on a retail level renewables are close — or are already there — to being cost competitive with fossil fuel-produced electricity,” he says. “Once this happens, there is no going back. This will favour distributed generation because the initial subsidies will have done their job — bringing down the cost of solar PV technology.” Spiers is an outspoken believer that change is fast coming to the energy storage industry. Last year at the Battery Show in Detroit he led a panel with the provocative subject of ‘Will batteries and solar

do to utilities what Fedex and e-mail did to the US postal system?’ Spiers’ main business is refurbishing ex-EV batteries, but he also aims to bring down the cost of lithium ion batteries for stationary storage. While consumer electronics is still the largest market for lithium ion batteries, the automotive industry has been responsible for pushing the technology further in terms of safety and longevity. This is something that stationary energy systems are now beneﬁting from. Building on his previous work on life cycle management and preventative monitoring of high voltage rechargeable battery packs for vehicle OEMs, Spiers is turning his attention to energy storage opportunities. Spiers is working with some of the US national labs on an algorithmic software program that enables a solar and storage system to send predictable amounts of electricity to the utility, based on weather forecasts. The subject is still wide open and others are also looking at linking a predictability possible in weather forecasting to energy generation. “Say you have a solar panel array on a commercial roof connected up to a battery, generating electricity and this output suddenly spikes or dips because a cloud passes over,” says Spiers. “The system charges up and tells the utility how much energy it will send to the grid in the next 15 minutes, ﬂattening out any curve in supply — making renewable generation predictable, which utilities like. They don’t like unpredictability.”

DISTRIBUTION BY STORAGE TYPE OF EXISTING NUMBERS OF PROJECTS

Lithium ion 326

Flow batteries 70

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Sodium based 61

Lead acid 57

Electrochemical/ capacitor 41

Nickel 6

Metal air 1

Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015 • 53

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COVER STORY: ENERGY STORAGE IN THE GRID redundant as early as 2025 in Europe. A similar picture could well be painted for huge swathes of the US with Asia not too far behind. Instead, distributed generation — from PV panels in the home to wind farms and typically on a scale from as little as a few kilowatts to say 50MW — will become the new norm. Many of the huge power plants that straddle Europe and North America will be mothballed. Many will simply be scrapped. The opportunities for the energy storage business are huge — especially as all this could be just a decade away. Moreover, while the project list at the end of this article gives the present scope of the business, what it doesn’t show is how although lithium ion and then sodium-based batteries are the dominant players, lead acid is making energetic moves into the space. The present distribution of projects shows, however, that lithium has a clear advantage. And so, surprisingly to commentators just two years ago, has been the entrance of ultracapacitors which may not be able to handle the deep energy storage demands that may be required but will be able to deal with the integration of that energy into the smart grids of the future. Compressed air and flywheels are about to show inroads here too. UBS says the combination of cheaper energy storage — irrespective of the chemistry used to store that energy — caused by greater PV efficiencies as well as mass produced electric vehicles suggest that a return on a home solar PV system could be made within

six years. The business models of power utilities, already creaking across North America and struggling across Europe, will have to be rethought and opportunities for new players will emerge. Battery manufacturers (see related articles on grid integrators) may have the choice of being suppliers to these new players or take over parts of the utility business themselves. Last August the International Energy Agency said renewables now produce 22% of the world’s electricity, followed by record levels of investment in 2013, which exceeded $250 billion, in wind, solar and other green energy technologies. The IEA expects this trend to continue exponentially. In the US, which is served by a patchwork of under-invested electricity grids supplying power to the country’s 50 states, the seams are popping, especially as renewables are added in increasing amounts.

Renewables gaining ground If the monster utilities of the past are about to disappear, then a host of opportunities are about to appear — and not just for the energy storage industry — as new business models emerge and a different kind of utility appears. Many regulators and operators in the US are addressing the challenge by changing policies to accommodate more flexible technologies such as energy storage that can complement solar PV, which is popular, but also intermittent. In other states, meanwhile, rolling back net metering policies or introducing charges for installing solar panels is favoured.

“Energy storage is gaining momentum because natural gas is a more costly and complicated way of managing the grid’s supply and demand” — Jigar Shah, Clean Feet Investors “Energy storage is gaining momentum because natural gas is a more costly and complicated way of managing the grid’s supply and demand,” says Jigar Shah, chief executive of Jigar Shah Consulting and a manager at Clean Feet Investors. Usually power plants, typically running off natural gas or even diesel, have to ramp up and down to supply,

South Africa: 2

Portugal: 2

New Zealand: 2

Israel: 2

Netherlands: 3

Russia: 3

India: 3

Denmark: 3

Chile: 3

Switzerland: 4

Canada: 7

France: 12

Also-rans**: 13

Spain: 13

Australia: 14

UK: 21

Germany: 22

South Korea: 34

Italy 36

Japan: 38

China: 59

US: 256

DISTRIBUTION BY COUTNRY OF ENERGY STORAGE FOR GRID/MICROGRID PROJECTS (2014 SNAPSHOT)*

* Note these are only the number of projects where energy storage is a component and does not detail the MW of storage provided. ** Also-rans are countries with one project only. These are: Antarctica, Austria, Cape Verde, Equatorial Guinea, French Guinea, French Polynesia, Hungary, Indonesia, Nigeria, Qatar, Taiwan, UAE, Sweden Source: US Argonne National Laboratory

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Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015 • 55

COVER STORY: ENERGY STORAGE IN THE GRID “As with the solar industry 12 years ago, storage is a new asset class so there is some embedded friction among potential customers as well as developers and investors. But with each project we are expanding on the potential and showing how it can work. PLUG AND PLAY — THE WAY FORWARD for a few hours a day, the need for energy at its highest, known as peak demand. Energy storage is proving a more efficient and nimbler alternative to this. In addition to supplying electricity to end-users and customers the grid also has to maintain stability, constantly matching supply with demand. Grid operators do this in the form of ancillary services, which they contract out to the participants in their wholesale electricity markets. For short term regulation, a power generator can use its own generation, or buy it from another supplier under a contract, or from the market itself, for example.

Transparent pricing America’s largest transmission grid operator, the PJM Interconnection, has allowed transparent pricing signals for frequency regulation in the ancillary services market provided by storage, triggering a level of demand for this type of technology that did not previously exist. “Electricity is a commodity. Commodities rot unless stored properly, and electricity rots the fastest because it has to move or it’s lost,” says Shah. “Distributed generation has created the challenges that are besetting the grid today, but it is storage functioning as a tool to balance supply and demand which is where the real value proposition is.” The electric grid is built on the premise that energy has to be consumed immediately it is generated and energy storage challenges this. So how to capture value from these systems, which straddle the distinction between generation and supply?

Solar Grid Storage has developed a containerized energy storage system, called Powerfactor, including a solar inverter, that can be connected up to solar PV arrays, reducing the solar system owner’s installation costs and providing critical back-up services in case of power outages. The system’s inverter supplies AC power to the building where the solar PV system is installed and also connects Solar Grid Storage’s battery to the grid, generating revenues from providing grid services. The company — which was set up by executives with previous experience at major league solar ﬁrms, including Sun Edison, Sunpower and Solarcity — works with a few key solar developer partners, one of which is Advanced Solar Products in New Jersey. One of the latest projects underway is at a school in New Jersey, comprising a 400kW solar PV array and the Powerfactor system, which incorporates a 500kW inverter and a 250kWh battery. New Jersey Resources, a gas utility in the state, will own the solar power purchase agreement, while Clean Feet Investors, an investor in Solar Grid Storage, will own the Powerfactor500 system. Solar Grid Storage will operate the system for Clean Feet, including bidding into the PJM Interconnection’s frequency regulation market, and will also provide inverter services for the utility. Solar Grid Storage has also completed four operational projects, all of which are earning revenues for

the company through bidding into the PJM. In one project with Penn State University, which owns the solar PV system that Powerfactor is connected to, the company operates the Powerfactor system and shares frequency regulation revenues with the university. In the second project the Powerfactor is connected to a solar PV system installed by Standard Solar in Maryland, which is part of a microgrid for a commercial customer that provides backup capability as a service for the customer. The other two projects, both in New Jersey, were developed with Advanced Solar Products. Solar Grid Storage uses the excess inverter capacity for frequency regulation services, reducing the capital costs as the installer saves money on the simpliﬁed installation and does not pay for an inverter or associated equipment, such as transformer and switch gear, or maintenance of the inverter. The end-user, WP Properties, beneﬁts by getting a better price from Advanced Solar Products. According to Tom Leyden, CEO of Solar Grid Storage, the installation of Powerfactor adds no additional time to the overall project development. “Instead of assembling all the components as is normally done, the contractor simply pours a pad, brings a conduit to it, and lets us know when to deliver the plug-andplay Powerfactor container to the site where we place it on the pad. “Connections to the Powerfactor are made by the contractor’s electrician.”

Intermittency not an issue www.batteriesinternational.com

Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015 • 57

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COVER STORY: ENERGY STORAGE IN THE GRID The intermittency of wind or solar is not the problem, however, says Shah: “It is not the responsibility of wind and solar plant developers and operators to have storage installed next to

these plants. It is the grid’s responsibility and those that manage it — the utilities — that provide stability and balance out the variability.” There are numerous companies that

are commercializing energy storage on the grid network. One of the biggest is AES Energy Storage, a division of independent power producer AES. In terms of in-

MAKING IT ALL ADD UP: THE AGGREGATION PROPOSITION Aggregating storage resources is an often-discussed turn of phrase in the industry that refers to how providers can achieve the best possible returns from energy storage. Different projects are taking different approaches. To make storage more attractive and overcome barriers to adoption some energy storage providers, including Stem and Solarcity absorb the upfront costs of these systems, while their target customers, typically commercial businesses that want to avoid incurring peak demand electricity charges, benefit from reduced energy bills without having to pay for the storage system outright. But when several of these units are harnessed together they can also act as a single resource providing grid services to utilities and operators. Aggregation works because collectively each individual unit only has to be tapped for a small amount of power so its capacity to be called upon for grid services does not conflict with the system’s primary function of providing electricity for the commercial customer during periods of peak demand. One of the first projects to aggregate batteries in such a way, to make money from providing grid services, has been running at the University of Delaware in teh US and involves electric vehicles. Several EV batteries are linked up to meet the minimum threshold of 100kW to act as a resource for bidding into the PJM Interconnection for providing frequency regulation services. The cars have been fitted with two-way chargers and specially developed software that aggregates the EV batteries into a single power plant. John Jung, chief executive of energy storage start-up Greensmith, says that thinking of energy storage simply as batteries-in-a-box misses the point. “They should be viewed as distributed computers that are programmable and inherently scalable so they act as a versatile

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grid appliance that can behave as both a generation and a network asset.” When configured this way, individual storage systems can be aggregated but can also maximize their ability to act as a flexible resource for the grid. Greensmith’s system architecture has been designed to enable aggregation and scalability. This makes it possible to distribute energy storage across the network, in multiple units, for different applications, even using different battery technologies and capacities. Each individual system is managed and communicates with each other and can also be dynamically controlled as an entire fleet, where several separate units can be tapped into as one resource for a specific grid service or application. Greensmith’s customers include in excess of 10 leading utilities and power developers. The company has made headway in California, where it works closely with one leading southern Californian public utility in particular. For the utility, Greensmith is about halfway through a 6MWh project, which is made up of four 1MWh systems each wrapped with the company’s processor technology, the GEMS 4 platform, so that each acts like a node on the network. One advantage is the customer can add more storage capacity if need be, or if there are other stress points on the network that need addressing, it is possible to ‘unplug’ and physically relocate energy storage units and drop them back into the network, at another location, allowing them to continually operate even if they are redistributed. The company’s technology is also designed to be reprogrammable so that a system originally specified and used for one purpose can be reprogrammed for a different application. This benefit emerged from an earlier pilot that Greensmith did with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and one of its utility partners. When the pilot finished, the utility said

it needed an energy storage system for a carport and a PV smoothing application, so after conﬁrming sizing and recalibrating the somewhat used batteries Greensmith took the existing system and reprogrammed it

John Jung

One advantage is the customer can add more storage capacity if need be, or if there are other stress points on the network that need addressing, it is possible to ‘unplug’ and physically relocate energy storage units and drop them back into the network, at another location, allowing them to continually operate even if they are redistributed.

so it could be deployed at the utility’s headquarters. “As long as the health and safety of the system is carefully managed then the ability of reprogramming, also in combination with redistribution — dropping the storage systems into another part of the network — maximizes the beneﬁts and values over the system’s lifetime,” says Jung.

Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015 • 59

COVER STORY: ENERGY STORAGE IN THE GRID

The Energy Information Agency estimates that 30,000MW of new combustion turbines will be added in the US over the next decade. These new power plants are mainly for system reliability and ﬂexible capacity, not for energy production. “Energy storage can provide an effective alternative to building these critical, but low utilization plants” — John Zahurancik, AES stalled MWs of batteries the company is a market leader with 174MW operational and counting. The company’s storage projects include a 64MW resource in West Virginia’s Laurel Mountain area that has been bidding into PJM’s frequency regulation market for the past three years. More recently the company has built 40MW at Dayton Power and Light’s Tait electricity generating station in Ohio, which is owned by parent company AES. “The advanced storage systems AES operates in the PJM market have saved more than $20 million while providing improved operational performance,” says John Zahurancik, chief executive of the firm.

To give an estimate of the size of this potential market for energy storage, the Energy Information Agency estimates that 30,000MW of new combustion turbines will be added in the US over the next decade. Although the US is a leading player in terms of the number of projects, China is snapping at its heels with ambitious state-funded projects envisaged. These new power plants are mainly for system reliability and flexible capacity, not for energy production. “Energy storage can provide an effective alternative to building these critical, but low utilization plants,” says Zahurancik. Like many firms at the coalface of the fast-growing energy storage industry, AES does not make the lithium ion batteries used in its storage systems but focuses on the software controls and system architecture side of things, in the form of the company’s Advancion platform. Zahurancik says the company is continuing to see a growing need for fast, flexible, and reliable power capacity, which, in some cases, is focused on critical operating reserves that ensure the power system remains in balance and can manage any type of rapid change, such as a transmission line loss or a fast change in generation output. In other cases, storage is needed for local reliability, to assist in peaking and over-generation mitigation. “In each case utilities and system operators are focusing on core requirements for procuring energy storage, but are then also benefiting from additional performance capabilities,” says Zahurancik. AES Energy Storage has a clearly defined market opportunity that it is attacking and is also expanding across the Atlantic, showing that natural gas is an expensive way to manage the grid’s supply and demand in Europe where prices for this type of fuel are higher. A gas fired peaker costs, on average, $1 million for each MW. AES Energy Storage claims it is competitive and can provide an installed system for the same, with a 4MWh discharge capability. In addition battery systems can

California has been instrumental, however, in creating a market for energy storage with policies on the retail side of energy storage procurement as well as the utility side 60 • Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015

be installed and operational in much less time than it takes to build a new gas turbine peaking plant. AES Energy Storage has the advantage of having a parent that owns power generation assets, a strong balance sheet, and a substantial project pipeline to confer it with the clout to drive down costs of its system’s hardware components, including batteries. The company has spoken in favourable terms of lithium ion technology and is more likely to prioritize sourcing these types of batteries for its storage systems, with EV brand Tesla investing in their manufacture. Zahurancik says: “AES and Tesla have similar convictions about the prominent role lithium ion batteries will play on the grid now and well into the future.”

Energy storage proliferation Aside from building MW capacities of batteries as substitutes for new investment in peaking plants, the market is looking even more dynamic where various energy storage players are supplying smaller individual storage installations that benefit commercial end-users but also can be called upon to provide grid services. Solar Grid Storage was set up by a team of solar industry veterans, who have worked at companies that include Sunpower, Sun Edison and Solarcity. Tom Leyden, chief executive of the company, says: “Like solar plants, storage assets can be amortized over time using the PPA — power purchasing agreement — financing model that was adapted for solar over a decade ago.” Solar Grid Storage’s initial projects are all earning revenues from bidding into the PJM Interconnection’s frequency regulation services market. The company’s core product is an energy storage system, called Powerfactor, which includes racks of batteries and all of the other typical hardware components, arranged in a container. The owner of the PV system benefits by paying less for the overall cost of the solar installation, since the cost of the inverter, transformer and other balance of system components is part of Powerfactor. The system is available in two sizes, either as Powerfactor250 or Powerfactor500. The inverter supplies AC power to the building but its excess capacity is used by Solar Grid Storage, via the connection to the battery, to provide grid balancing services.

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COVER STORY: ENERGY STORAGE IN THE GRID

Old and new: AES 40MW batteries next to a traditional power plant

“Like solar plants, storage assets can be amortized over time using the PPA — power purchasing agreement — ﬁnancing model that was adapted for solar over a decade ago” — Tom Leyden, Solar Grid Storage The company is beginning to see different business propositions emerge, though the various benefits have to be identified and added up almost on an individual project basis. “Like the solar industry 12 years ago, storage is a new asset class so there is some embedded friction among potential customers as well as developers and investors. But with each project we are expanding on the potential and showing how it can work,” says Leyden. Solar Grid Storage works with project partners that develop solar installations, knowing these companies have to differentiate themselves to remain competitive. “Storage is a new piece of the jigsaw puzzle and it is important to have first mover advantage,” he says.

Life beyond the grid The storms that swept the US east coast in 2013 have put storage in the

mind of business and industry, because if the electricity grid is down, solar PV installations can’t work either. “This is something that many end-users were not aware of. Solar and storage does insure them against being without grid electricity by providing backup as a type of service,” says Leyden. The company sources components and hardware that are best priced, available and are high quality. However, lithium ion is the technology of choice for batteries. The legwork has been on the integration side, ensuring that each individual component is optimized to work as part of a system. PJM Interconnection pays well for frequency regulation, compared to payments for the similar service under other grid operators. The company’s goal is to create a platform that is flexible enough for different services or business cases to be stacked up so that the asset maximizes revenue streams. The systems can be retroactively adjusted, because as installations of Powerfactor increase in number more services can be provided through aggregating these different assets. “We see the market as analogous to solar several years ago in terms of how to monetize an asset by looking at all the possible ways money can be made or saved through the Powerfactor’s installation, to then get to the return on investment. “But with solar and storage, what makes it so promising and exciting

“Distributed generation has created the challenges that are besetting the grid today, but it is storage functioning as a tool to balance supply and demand which is where the real value proposition is.” 62 • Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015

is that there are potentially so many more things to monetize with this type of system,” says Leyden, referring to energy market arbitrage further down the line as just one example. Because the US has lacked a true topdown federal approach to overseeing the country’s electricity grid network, Leyden sees this as an opportunity. It fosters creativity in a way that plays to the strengths of energy storage. The company has been talking with utilities in terms of how it might be beneficial for them in future to own some of these assets outright or to buy into services from them. While Solar Grid Storage is focused on the US now, Leyden likes Australia, China and India as potential markets where the combination of high solar irradiation, grids that underserve customers and high energy costs could make Powerfactor a compelling proposition. Leyden is further encouraged by the solar industry. “We’re seeing many of the vertically integrated manufacturers focused on storage now and how it can fit with their businesses.”

Challenging the status quo Shah says: “Traditionally only utilities supplied electricity. There was no one else who could address issues affecting or relating to the supply of this resource, so when utilities spoke everyone listened. But distributed generation has made such fools out of utilities.” Stacey Reineccius has spent the last few years contributing to policy meetings concerning energy storage in the state of California has his company Powertree Services, in San Francisco, which is rolling out EV charging infrastructure for multiple tenant resi-

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COVER STORY: ENERGY STORAGE IN THE GRID dences, targeting building owners that want to add value to these types of properties.

Planning cycles The systems are also connected with solar PV and storage, providing tenants with lower electricity bills. “Utilities tend to work on a three to five year planning cycle so quite often it can take one, or two of these for storage to be completely digested,” says Reineccius. “Because energy storage tends to cut across different areas, you are often contending with more than one department in these organizations, so there is a silo mentality on the part of utilities towards energy storage that has to be overcome. “From their perspective utilities are charged with building and maintaining very expensive assets and are the gatekeepers of our energy supply. They are heavily regulated. Such organizations and institutions do not tend to foster entrepreneurs and those types that are attracted to solving problems. At best utilities are conservative. At worst they

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A microgrid using Solar Grid Storage’s Powerfactor inverter/battery system for PV: “Storage is a new piece of the jigsaw puzzle and it is important to have ﬁrst mover advantage”

are an impediment to progress. “It has taken a long time to get where the industry is today,” says Leyden. “This industry favours those brave enough to devise a service or a business model that uses storage and you keep pushing your project because the utilities you are dealing with have to work within pre-existing rules,” says Reineccius. California has been instrumental,

however, in creating a market for energy storage with policies on the retail side of energy storage procurement as well as the utility side with the mandate and in other areas, he acknowledges. The shutdown of the San Onofre reactors in the state by Southern California Edison has also forced the issue as storage is one of several resources that will fill the demand gap left by the closure of 2.2GW of nuclear generation.

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COVER STORY: ENERGY STORAGE IN THE GRID

Battery manufacturers have become de facto the key players in the technology behind the integration of renewable energy supplied into the grid. It’s not necessarily a job that they’re cut out for — or always that adept.

Batteryman becomes middleman as next generation of grid storage rolls on

64 • Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015

new category of business has emerged in the world of energy storage. The integrator. It’s a broad term — sometimes meaning different things to different parts of the industry. But typically an integrator is involved in three capacities in this electrical supply chain that runs from renewable energy source through to the grid and the eventual end user: they work on hardware systems, control systems, and as project managers. Over the last few years, the battery has started to become the central player in this chain. “Battery technology is now, after years of development, finally on the verge of being implemented in a widespread way on the utility grid,” says James Sember, a director of the research group WEMPEC at the University of WisconsinMadison in the US. Given their key position, it would seem logical that battery companies should assume lead integrator roles in energy storage projects. But as the high failure rates of battery makers over recent years has shown they often lack the financial balance sheet to acquire funding. Or, if they do, unfortunate circumstances manage to take them down anyway. “The larger these systems become, the greater the commercial role batteries have to play,” says Pat Hayes, business development manager for ABB Energy Storage. “If 70% of the cost of project is the battery, and the rest is the power conversion system and the controls, it’s tough for that company with the 30% of the cost, to package that battery, mark it up enough to meet your margin requirements, and then report to your management.” As a result, some of the larger battery companies have to assume leadership roles because they represent the largest portion of the cost and investment. Or they’re accepting the lead, even if they’re not used to assuming such roles. “We’ve seen projects led by companies that lack project experience, and run into problems,” he says. “The companies you see consistently rising to the top, surround themselves with partners that they can trust and that can cover the areas that they may not be as strong in. That said more battery suppliers are performing their own integration of their battery systems into containers to create a product that you can see and feel. “The more that these energy storage ‘projects’ can start feeling like a ‘prod-

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COVER STORY: ENERGY STORAGE IN THE GRID

“The more that these energy storage ‘projects’ can start feeling like a ‘product’, the better chance of minimizing risk, which would translate to bankability.” uct’, the better chance of minimizing risk, which would translate to bankability.” Battery makers seem to be falling into two camps. “There are companies that make batteries as commodities,” says Chris Kuhl, a long-standing veteran of energy storage, battery and power systems. “For example, batteries in the UPS area are valued mostly as a commodity by systems integrators. Then you have major battery makers like Johnson Controls that are moving into systems integration functions. “Or they’re putting the cells into packs and modules initially for demonstration purposes, but eventually those translate into commercial value that is very persuasive to both clients and funders.” The cost perspective, arguably the greatest challenge in integrating on any project, looms particularly large for battery companies. “Lining up financing is one of the toughest aspects of integration,” says Dave Roberts, former CEO of Enerdel, “particularly since no single project partner — neither the battery nor the inverter maker — wants to shoulder a responsibility they don’t understand. Most companies start by focusing on a particular competitive advantage they have or can cultivate, not necessarily how to put other vendors’ products together with their own.” For those banking on the concept that a great technology is going be enough, one cautionary tale is the case of Xtreme Power, the Texas-based grid battery startup bought in April 2014 by Younicos, the German energy management firm. Good funding and a good product are great start, but when those falter, an ability to pivot in a new direction can save the day. At the time of its bankruptcy filing, Xtreme had a various projects in the ground, including the US’s largest, a 36MW, 24MW-hour system sited at a Texas wind farm owned by Duke Energy. However, it no longer had its original signature “PowerCell” advanced lead-acid battery chemistry upon which it had built its brand and initial success.

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After encountering problems in manufacturing, the firm halted its battery operation and with the battery’s viability uncertain, Xtreme’s battery management system — the hardware, software and related services that keep grid-scale battery units running smoothly — became its primary marketable asset, and ultimately a valuable one. The real world experience of completing projects is worth a lot it turns out, as was the case of A123 Energy Storage, which NEC bought from Wanxiang (buyer of A123 Systems in 2012) in 2014. A significant portion of the company’s value in the bankruptcy auction was its controls, regardless of the battery or the inverter. Xtreme opted not to commit themselves to a particular battery or inverter technology. Instead it concentrated on managing integrative functions better than its competition. “The philosophy of not being wedded to any one battery or technology explains why you see several companies migrating to this space,” says Roberts. “Providing an integration service involves low overhead, but if done right, high margin because of the point in the value chain directly touching the end customer. Anytime you see the potential for profit, you’ll see a number of players into that particular area of the market. “For example solar panel makers stand to gain a lot if they determine to provide integration, since they know how to do such projects, and they usually have the financial relationships in place to finance them. Typically they’ve established those relationships that can make the projects happen over the past two decades, so you’ll see more and more solar panel people coming in.” But too many battery companies are trying to do this, and lacking adequate knowledge and experience, struggle to succeed. “Usually they end up spending too much of their time finding their way, instead of actually doing the work,” he says. “Enerdel’s strategy, during my time as CEO there, was the opposite. Rather than merely evaporate, we were one of the first battery companies to go through a Chapter 11,

“A lot of battery companies started off doing batteries for consumer electronics. When you think about rechargeable batteries in your laptop, longevity was never a consideration for what they made” — Andy Tang, Greensmith

“Sometimes we’ll come up with our own algorithms for state-of-charge management, and these are internal procedures or algorithms for housekeeping that preserve the life of the battery” — Jim McDowall, Saft Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015 • 65

COVER STORY: ENERGY STORAGE IN THE GRID Ability to pivot

“If 70% of the cost of project is the battery, and the rest is the power conversion system and the controls, it’s tough for that company with the 30% of the cost, to package that battery, mark it up enough to meet your margin requirements, and then report to your management” — Pat Hayes, ABB Energy Storage

Sember: battery storage part of the grid’s new momentum

and we were determined not to fail. Thereafter we saw A123 go through it, then Valance, and others, some of them going through restructuring out of court.” “What we learned through that experience was that we should not try to be the integrator,” says Roberts. “We found much better reception when we would walk into a room with a customer and tell them we had consciously determined to partner with players that complemented our strength and various weaknesses. I’d say most companies would do well to ally themselves with partners that can do the same.”

66 • Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015

NEC Energy Solutions (formerly A123), has been able to pivot from one market (power tool batteries) to another (electric vehicle batteries), and another (storage systems). “They’ve probably done the best job, in terms of a battery systems integrator, in containers, in management systems — though they did not make their own inverters,” says Kuhl. “To some degree they created a project integrator role when it didn’t really exist as a standard format in the first projects they worked on with AES. “In a way, the two companies grew together. A123 threw resources at integration capabilities and quickly became one of the best, if not the best, in the industry. Their integration skills added value to their systems integration technology and the company. They’d mastered how to make that repeatable at cost.” But while A123/NEC stands out for its ability to reinvent itself, other battery makers have been working in this market successfully, if with less fanfare. Notable among them has been Saft. Jim McDowall, business development manager at Saft’s facility in Jacksonville, Florida in the US, says the company has been working in integrative capacities in energy storage for years. “Though not necessarily in a general contractor role,” he says. “Saft has also worked as the commercial integrator, but only occasionally as a technical integrator. For example, with a technical system we’ve put together, we’re using a site controller that has been developed by someone like ABB or some other company, and they have certain standard algorithms that we can use. “Sometimes we’ll come up with our own algorithms for state-of-charge management, and these are internal procedures or algorithms for housekeeping that preserve the life of the battery, so it won’t continually run out of energy, or cycle too hard, or whatever. So we’ll have those control algorithms added into the power electronics company’s controller.” One of the big reasons they need the controller, he says, is that they’re the outward interface to the rest of the world, whether it’s the system operator, the utility, or a customer who might be an end user with a behindthe-meter storage system. He cites Xtreme Power’s misstep in its first incarnation as a lead acid

battery manufacturer, when they invested a lot of resources in what was ultimately an inadequate battery design, when their real expertise was in their energy management system — a controller — and their 24 hours call/ dispatch center. “In any given project, the weak link is rarely the battery cells themselves,” says Hayes. “It’s usually whoever is providing the integration of the system — that’s where the protection and the control break down. It’s also why experienced integrators advise people to look under the hood when they consider various systems and make sure they’re comfortable with prospective partners and their subassemblies.” Andy Tang, senior vice president for business management for Greensmith Energy, the grid energy storage service firm, says that battery companies are experts on their products but that the markets and applications are too broad to be experts in all of them. “While they understand the chemistry and can explain their technology, they rely on partners like Greensmith to provide expertise in applications like frequency regulations and how they relate to the duty cycle of their batteries,” he says. “A lot of battery companies started off doing batteries for consumer electronics. When you think about rechargeable batteries in your laptop, longevity was never a consideration for what they made.” The point at which automobile manufacturers wanted five and 10 year warranties opened new territory for battery makers — they could no longer think in terms of degradation being the consumer’s problem. “Now they’re entering into the energy/utility industry, where customers want a 20 or 25 year warranty. This is all very far from their origins – but it is something we, in our industry, understand because we come out of it. We understand the utility requirements and why they exist, so we can convert the battery performance into a kind of financial model for the customers. “We find battery companies that have been the most successful are the ones who are able to identify the integrators that have the right level of market experience. Those open to being collaborative, as opposed to those that assume they have all the answers, will succeed; those resistant, will struggle and even fail — for lack of full understanding beyond their core technology.”

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COVER STORY: ENERGY STORAGE IN THE GRID Roger Lin, NEC Energy Solutions’ director of product marketing, spoke to Batteries International about how the former A123 Energy Solutions was facing up to the challenges of grid storage.

Finding the sweet spot for business After focusing our early efforts on producing lithium ion batteries to serve the power tool market, we built an integration team for the purpose of exploring other areas where their chemistry would best fit. As we began looking at what other areas the A123 Li-ion chemistry might serve, certain key segments became apparent. Certainly the automotive segment ranked high on that list. Another was the ancillary services market where you didn’t need the battery to have a lot of energy storage to get the job done; what you needed was something high power that was durable — and that was where our sweet spot was. One of the reasons we developed that team was that the type of lithium ion battery we were making didn’t necessarily have a lot of applications for it. So we had to find customers to take a chance on a battery that was unlike the other products available in that class.

Roger Lin, NEC Energy Solutions’ director of product marketing

Lithium ion was then seen as a high energy long run time product for portable electronic devices, and what we were making was more of a high pow-

er and high cycle life product, with good safety characteristics. Traditional lithium ion battery integrators didn’t have experience — or didn’t see the value in taking a risk on these new cells — back then, and so we had to do it ourselves. The traditional markets didn’t appreciate the value of the characteristics our battery offered. As vehicle electrification in the transportation sector began to grow, so did the batteries and packs — we developed what was then one of the largest automotive lithium ion batteries in existence, a 200kW pack for a hybrid-electric bus. Certainly the grid space had considered energy storage in grid applications by the time the lithium-ion industry began to look at that market more closely, but lithium ion had never reached what was necessary for grid-scale before. A123 saw a huge opportunity if it could achieve a price/performance ra-

IT’S STILL ALL ABOUT THE PRICE PER KW/HOUR For all the excitement and potential, says Dean Frankel, energy storage analyst with Lux Research, the market for integration technologies is still uneven and fragmented—because the ovedrall costs, particularly those of the battery, are still too high. “Growth is strong, yes, but due to the cost conundrum, growth has been coming in spurts, most often from top down mandates or policy kick-ins,” he says. “We still have a massive disparity between what it costs to buy a Nissan Leaf battery pack and what it costs to buy a 24kW hour energy storage system. Until we hit $500 per kW hour, energy storage is still a tough sell. We’re currently at least double that in most cases.”

68 • Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015

Price point aside, utilities represent perhaps the most immediate client base, along with industrial/commercial customers. For them energy storage offers solutions to several of their most pressing issues, chieﬂy additional power supply, time-shifting, better integration of energy generation assets (renewables particularly), transmission congestion and voltage support, and resiliency. But utilities are not investing great amounts of money yet, says Frankel. “How do you get utilities to buy these systems when the price point still isn’t there? They’re

interested but not willing to spend the money because the price point still isn’t attractive enough to them. That’s why policy is driving so much of the activity in the large scale space right now.” Despite very concerns for its long term future, the modern day grid in most of the world is quite reliable, and most of the enhancement options on offer are less expensive than any of the coming advanced batteries and systems. Another fundamental disconnect in the cost-beneﬁt equation is that the costs of outages are paid by the customers, not the utility — so

“Until we hit $500 per kW hour, energy storage is still a tough sell. We’re currently at least double that in most cases.”

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COVER STORY: ENERGY STORAGE IN THE GRID tio to justify the owners’ investment in grid energy storage. When we looked at the grid space we found that grid operators had not contemplated using advanced lithium ion batteries in their infrastructure and systems at all. Once we understood the opportunity in energy storage, we tried to make our product as modular as possible, designing them for flexibility to accommodate different sizes and shapes for multiple applications. Having worked in integrative capacities in grid storage for some years now, I don’t think categories of roles and functions can be precisely defined — roles and functions can vary from project to project. For example, I can see three different categories of hardware alone: the energy storage itself, the power conversion systems, and the controls that provide the AC power to the grid at the right time and rate. There are companies that can do one or two, or even all of those things; and then there are the equipment makers. Outside of that there is the task of getting the project into the ground: designing the energy storage installation, getting the permits, doing the system impact studies. A lot of that is typically done by EPC — engineering, procurement and construction — companies, but they’re still learning about storage. Then there are various project structures where the lead company, such as an equipment vendor for instance, might handle some of those functions, and delegate others.

the utilities don’t have an incentive to increase reliability. And generally, they do not yet have the ability to financially analyze the cost/benefits in order to take different actions. Until the technologies produce the right price point, the projected dollar amounts being churned out by analysts will miss the mark, says Larry Dickerman, vice president of T&D integration for KEMA. “Achieve $1200/kw per device, and there is no question that will become something very destructive to the industry. Deemphasize the cost point, and you’re not being serious about realistic analysis. Utilities can’t move forward until costs come down sufficiently to warrant any significant investment.”

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“The more that these energy storage ‘projects’ can start feeling like a ‘product’, the better chance of minimizing risk, which would translate to bankability.” In some cases we’ve done everything ourselves; selecting the type of power conversion equipment that interfaces well with the DC energy storage equipment that we design and manufacture. We’ve developed controls that can manage the storage and the power conversion and in some cases even other components, on-site at the substation. We’ve also been responsible for the EPC-type work in addition to manufacturing and sourcing all the hardware. That’s where the integration piece has all the value — we not only manufacture the major component, the energy storage, we also can put it all together and hand it over ready to run. Similarly, clients want a turnkey type of service, and aren’t finding it. Battery companies provide batteries but these don’t provide an AC output — and most battery makers don’t want to do it because they want to focus on their systems. So there’s gap there, because so many companies don’t do all of it. Key to A123’s success in this area has been recognizing the importance of client education. We enabled the possibilities that higher performance batteries could bring to their products and services, in power tools to

be both lighter and more powerful, in automotive to drastically increase fuel efficiency, and in the electric grid to provide more effective and valuable grid stabilization services. It wasn’t easy to establish the expertise required to deploy all those successful grid energy storage installations; there are complexities in doing business in the grid space as well as technical difficulties getting all the parts working together safely and with high reliability. Today, education continues to play a role in the discourse with utilities and other grid stakeholders, but we’re seeing a tremendous driving force towards greater adoption of energy storage. It can enhance renewable generation and prepare the grid to accept more of it, support more efficient use of transmission and distribution equipment, and lower the cost of ensuring grid reliability. Hurricane Sandy and similar events have sparked the discussion as to how energy storage can be used to support reliability and decrease the impact of outages. Having a grid that’s hard to break, hard to kill, but at the same time more sustainable – offers many benefits and storage is clearly going to be a big component of that.

Dean Frankel, energy storage analyst with Lux Research

Larry Dickerman, vice president of T&D integration for KEMA

Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015 • 69

COVER STORY: ENERGY STORAGE IN THE GRID

From function to functionality, paths to follow Grid energy storage applications by function: a primer explaining the basic terminology and principles. Remote power This happens in locations where it is not practical to provide power from the grid. Power may be generated from generators, fuel cells or renewable sources. Quite often it’s useful to provide batteries to reduce the need for generator time.

Spinning reserve

The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) has identified 10 storage applications that can offer benefits at all points in the electrical system — from generation support to transmission and distribution support to end-customer uses. The basic principles behind the table on the next page are to be found in the concepts outlined below.

Load management Load levelling is the ability to store energy from the grid at night during low-usage periods and use that energy during peak periods in the day. This saves money — on the basis of the difference between peak and offpeak rates — but also provides a more uniform load factor for the generation, transmission and distribution systems. Other load management functions are ramping and load-following. All these load functions enable electric utilities to defer building new or upgrading stressed infrastructure.

72 • Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015

To ensure reliable electricity, utilities aim to keep generation capacity on a so-called “reserve basis”, so it can be accessed quickly in the event of a disruption to the power supply. For example, should a base load generator or transmission line carrying imported power go down, the utility would be able to compensate by accessing its reserve capacity. Typically, this reserve is created by generators that are synchronized with the power grid but not operating at full capacity. When backup power is needed, the output of these generators is boosted by increasing the rotation of the turbine — hence the term “spinning reserve”. (Non-spinning reserve is the extra generating capacity that, not currently connected, can nonetheless be brought online after a brief delay.) A 10-minute response time is generally the minimum requirement to qualify as spinning reserve. But drawing from traditional generation assets to create reserve capacity is inefficient. By operating generators below their rated value, the utility fails to maximize power output that could be used for base load supply; and ramping the generators up in the event or reserve need requires additional fuel. By contrast, energy storage can be implemented as spinning reserve assets directly and more efficiently into the power grid.

Transmission and distribution enhancement Translation: line stability, voltage regulation, and frequency regulation. Historically, frequency regulation has been provided by traditional generation — sets such as gas turbines and coal plants — which can take as much as 10 minutes to respond to a regulation control signal. Since bulk grid level generation is managed on a second-by-second basis, assets are continually ramped up and down, resulting in equipment wear and higher operating costs. Energy markets, typically managed on an hour-by-hour basis, can benefit greatly from the better management capabilities an advanced energy storage system could offer with as little as 15 minutes of energy stored. Battery technologies, able to ramp aggressively with short duration storage and cycle hundreds of times each day while sustaining low round-trip energy loss, are well suited. Typically, the amount of energy injected is small, but at relatively high power. The return on investment based on revenue generated from such regulation services can often be recouped in as little as three years.

Distributed resources Because distribution systems are subject to dramatic day-time peaks, utilities find it more cost-effective to add extra generation in critical locations than to upgrade distribution wires. Energy storage can be ideal for this because recharging takes place during off-peak hours. Advanced energy storage shows promise in helping defer investment in costly transmission and distribution upgrades, especially where the rightof-way is limited or accessibility is reduced. Sized to meet peak demand, transmission and distribution assets are rarely used at those levels. However as demand increases, transmission and distribution assets need to be upgraded to serve peak demand without any slackening of performance. The cost of adding transmission and distribution assets — the capital cost of equipment, an annual financial carrying charge, and assorted operation and maintenance fees — can be high. In most cases, however, utilities do not need the total capacity of the transmission and distribution asset increase immediately — the upgrades are generally planned to support pro-

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COVER STORY: ENERGY STORAGE IN THE GRID sion and distribution deferral can increase asset utilization by eliminating the need for capital upgrades to meet brief duration peak system loads. The ability to “peak shave” at the circuit, substation and even system level through aggregation allows utilities a reliable and effective new alternative to increasing total system asset capacity factor. Over time, transmission and distribution upgrades — new transformer banks, additional transmission lines and distribution circuit capacity — will ultimately need to be done to meet the demand increase. In the meantime, better asset utilization ultimately means delivering maximum value for utilities’ rate-payer investment in transmission and distribution delivery assets.

Renewable integration

The challenge for the renewable sector will be combining multiple functions to achieve multiple revenue streams that can make the economic beneﬁts of advanced energy storage for renewable integration more viable. jected demand several years ahead of time and typically come in large incremental blocks of added capacity. Because they can be added to the grid incrementally, grid storage technologies can greatly defer the considerable cost associated with adding transmission and distribution capacity. This kind of storage, easily permitted and placed close to load, can also relieve the complete delivery chain from the original source of generation, through the transmission and distribution delivery chain and on to the point of use. For example, a utility determines that it needs to add 2MW of transmission and distribution assets to an

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8MW distribution system to meet projected demand. In the US, demand typically increases by a few percentages points per year, so the utility will likely only need to increase capacity by about 240kW per year. Instead of implementing the entire 2MW transmission and distribution upgrade, the utility can opt to deploy 240kW advanced energy storage systems to keep up with demand, the cost of which is comparable to the annual carrying charge associated with the full asset deployment. In addition to mitigating the costs associated with transmission and distribution asset investment, deploying advanced energy storage fortransmis-

The uncertainty and volatility endemic to the renewable energy now penetrating the grid network, is presenting unprecedented challenges to a utility industry geared to managing predictable dispatchable energy generation. Geographically concentrated and isolated, renewable energy is difficult to transmit, and its ever-changing nature generational rate creates imbalances and volatility in a system managed on a second-by-second basis. Current options available to grid and renewable operators offer solutions of marginal value. Additional gas turbines can compensate for renewable variability but their deficits cancel any benefit derived from deploying renewables. Battery storage technologies — being considerably advanced in grid integration — can now address most issues associated with intermittent generation. Short-term, fast-response storage has proven a viable, cost effective means of managing grid imbalances and volatility through the regulation service. Long term, storage can help shift sufficient energy to smooth the output of renewable generation or reduce the peak load on constrained transmission assets. However, while short-duration storage produce measurable return on investment, longer duration of storage costs more. Thus renewable energy and power grid operators will need to find multiple functions for storage assets, such as performing both shifting and regulation functions, or taking advantage of price differences during the day, known as inter-temporal arbitrage.

Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015 • 73

COVER STORY: ENERGY STORAGE IN THE GRID ENERGY STORAGE PROJECTS WORLDWIDE ORDERED BY RATED POWER Name

Battery type

Rated power in kW

Duration at Rated Power HH:MM

Status

Country

AES Alamitos Energy Storage Array AES Kilroot Station Battery Storage Array Sendai Substation Lithium Ion Battery Pilot Duke Energy Notrees Wind Storage Demo Rokkasho Village Wind Farm AES Laurel Mountain MID Primus Power Wind Firming EnergyFarm GVEA Battery ESS (BESS) Anchorage Area Battery ESS PREPA BESS 1 AES Angamos Storage Array AES Tait Battery Array Cochrane Thermal Power Station Storage System PREPA BESS 2 Terna Grid Defense Plan Phase II (1) Jake Energy Storage Ctr: RES Americas Elwood Energy Storage Ctr: RES Americas Kahuku Wind Farm Minami Hayakita Substation Van Redox Flow GigaCapacitor Rosh Pinna Test (IL) GigaCapacitor Putrajaya Test (IL) GigaCapacitor Hyperadad Test (IL) AES Los Andes Battery ESS Terna SANC (1) Terna SANC (2) Auwahi Wind Farm Terna SANC (3) Kaheawa Wind Power II STMicroelectronics UBS System Changsha 10MW/20MWh BESS Regionale Regelkraftwerk Feldheim NGK NaS: Hitachi Automotive Plant Southern California Edison Tehachapi Wind Johnson City ADWEA NaS BESS NGK NaS: Morigasaki Water Reclamation Ctr Qingdao XueJiadao Battery Pilot Sodium Sulfur Battery at Ohito Substation Zhangbei Nat Wind Solar EST Demo (I) KIUC Anahola Solar Array and Battery Smarter Network Storage Battelle Memorial Inst Pacific NW Smart Grid Guodian Supply-Side Energy Storage Vernon Battery ESS (BESS) WEMAG Younicos Battery Park GuoDian LongYuan Wind Farm VFB M5BAT (Mod Multi-MW Multi-Tech Med-V) Shiura Wind Park Yuza Wind Farm Battery Bardzour Solar Farm and Storage AEP Presidio NaS ESS Zhangbei Nat Wind Solar EST Demo (Ii) Jeju SmartGrid Jocheon Substation ESS Test PG&E Yerba Buena Battery Energy Storage Pilot Tomamae Wind Farm Endesa STORE: La Palma Frequency Regulation ESS RES Battery Utility of Ohio Miyako Island Mega-Solar Demo: NaS RES Amphora Canadian Solar Solutions for IESO Terna Grid Defense Plan Phase II (2) ADEME Intell Elect Networks - Indust Area Powertree Services San Francisco One Pillar Mountain Wind East Penn Grid-Scale ES Demo (UltraBattery) Zhangbei Nat Wind Solar EST Demo (Iv) Southern Grid Baoqing Plant Phase-1 King Island Renewable Energy Integ (UltraBattery) Sumitomo Densetsu Office Bonaire Wind-Diesel Hybrid Annobon Island Microgrid Tanegashima Island Toshiba Li-Ion Graciosa Younicos Battery Back-up, Guangdong Nuclear Power Corp UC San Diego SGIP Energy Storage Northern Powergrid CLNR EES1 NGK NaS: Kasai Water Reclamation Ctr Woojin/Maxwell Seoul Line 2 - Seocho Stn Woojin/Maxwell Incheon Line 1 - Technopark Stn Woojin/Maxwell Seoul Line 4 - Ssangmun Stn Alameda RDSI CERTS Microgrid Santa Rita Jail NaS Battery Installation at Ibaraki Prefecture Zhangbei Nat Wind Solar EST Demo (v) PG&E Vaca Battery Energy Storage Pilot Enel Puglia ESS Milton NaS Battery ESS AEP Churubusco NaS Battery ESS AEP Bluffton NaS ESS SCE Irvine Smart Grid Demo: Containerized Dist Unt Orkney Storage Park Enel Dirillo Substation BESS Okinawa Battery System Japan Confidential Ind Customer 2 Durathon Japan Confidential Ind Customer 1 Durathon Tibet Ali 2MW/5,32MWh Micro-grid

Electro-chemical Lithium ion Lithium ion Lead acid Sodium based Lithium ion Flow Nickel based Lithium ion Lead acid Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lead acid Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lead acid Flow EC Capacitor ECl Capacitor ECl Capacitor Lithium ion Sodium based Sodium based Lithium ion Sodium based Lead acid Lead acid Lithium ion Lithium ion Sodium based Lithium ion Lithium ion Sodium based Sodium based Lithium ion Sodium based Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion

100000 50000 40000 36000 34000 32000 28000 27000 25000 21000 20000 20000 20000 20000 20000 19800 19800 15000 15000 15000 15000 15000 12000 12000 12000 11000 10800 10000 10000 10000 10000 9600 8000 8000 8000 8000 7020 6000 6000 6000 6000 5000 5000 5000 5000 5000 5000 4500 4500 4500 4000 4000 4000 4000 4000 4000 4000 4000 4000 4000 4000 4000 3300 3264 3000 3000 3000 3000 3000 3000 3000 3000 3000 2700 2500 2500 2500 2400 2340 2340 2340 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000

04:00 00:00 00:30 00:40 07:00 00:15 04:00 00:15 00:34 00:40 00:20 00:00 00:19 00:40 00:00 00:24 00:24 00:15 04:00 10:00 10:00 10:00 00:20 08:00 08:00 00:24 08:00 00:45 00:01 02:00 00:00 06:00 04:00 00:15 06:00 07:15 01:30 08:00 06:00 00:50 01:40 00:15 02:00 00:42 01:00 02:00 01:00 02:20 02:20 02:00 08:00 04:00 02:00 07:00 01:30 0:0.05 00:30 00:39 07:12 00:39 00:42 00:00 00:30 01:05 00:15 00:43 03:00 04:00 00:32 00:16 00:05 02:00 00:23 04:00 01:24 02:00 02:00 06:00 00:00 00:00 00:00 02:00 06:00 04:00 07:00 00:30 06:00 06:00 06:00 00:15 00:15 00:30 00:00 04:00 05:00 02:40

Contracted Announced Under construction Operational Operational Operational Announced Operational Announced Decommissioned Operational Operational Announced Ofﬂine/under repair Announced Contracted Contracted Ofﬂine/under repair Contracted Under construction Under construction Under construction Operational Under construction Under construction Operational Under construction Operational Operational Announced Under construction Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Decommissioned Operational Under construction Operational Operational Contracted Decommissioned Operational Operational Contracted Operational Operational Contracted Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Contracted Announced Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Contracted Operational Under construction Under construction Contracted Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Decommissioned Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Under construction Under construction Under construction Under construction Operational

US UK Japan US Japan US US US US US Chile US Chile US Italy US US US Japan Israel Malaysia India Chile Italy Italy US Italy US US China Germany Japan US US UAE Japan China Japan China US UK US China US Germany China Germany Japan Japan France US China S Korea US Japan Spain S Korea US Japan Canada Canada Italy France US US US China China Australia Japan Netherlands Eql Guinea Japan Portugal China US UK Japan S Korea S Korea S Korea US Japan China US Italy US US US US UK Italy Japan Japan Japan China

74 • Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015

Lithium ion Flow Electro-chemical Lead acid Lithium ion Sodium based Lithium ion Lithium ion Sodium based Flow EC Capacitor Lithium ion Lithium ion Sodium based Lithium ion Lithium ion Sodium based Lithium ion Lithium ion Lead acid Lead acid Lithium ion Lithium ion Lead acid Flow Nickel based Sodium based Lithium ion Electro-chemical Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Sodium based EC Capacitor EC Capacitor EC Capacitor Lithium ion Sodium based Flow Sodium based Lithium ion Sodium based Sodium based Sodium based Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lead acid Sodium based Sodium based Lithium ion

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COVER STORY: ENERGY STORAGE IN THE GRID ENERGY STORAGE PROJECTS WORLDWIDE ORDERED BY RATED POWER Name

Battery type

Rated power in kW

Duration at Rated Power HH:MM

Status

Country

Stafford Hill Solar Farm & Microgrid: Lead Acid Enel Chiaravalle Substation Ray Power Systems Beijing Frequency Reg EPSRC Grid Connected ESRD+WPD, Toshiba Amamioshima Island Toshiba Li-Ion Snohomish PUD - MESA 2 BESS PSE Storage Innovation 2 Bosch Braderup ES Facility: Li-Ion Battery SCE LESTA: 2 MW A123 Test Mifuneholdings Kagoshima Solar Plant San Fermin Solar BESS Stafford Hill Solar Farm & Microgrid: Lithium Ion NGK NaS: Sunamachi Water Reclamation Ctr NGK NaS: Miyagi Water Reclamation Ctr ERDF Venteea Guodian Hefeng Beizhen Wind Farm: VFB Woojin/Maxwell Daejeon Line 1 - Daedong Stn Woojin/Maxwell Seoul Line 7 - Sang-dong Stn Woojin/Maxwell Seoul Line 9 - COEX Stn Tobu Railway Regen GS Yuasa Power Storage Energy Storage Holdings Altair ALTI-ESS EDF EN Guiana, Toucan Kaheawa I Wind KIUC Xtreme Power DPR Xcel SolarTAC S2B Test Kasai Green Energy Park Wakkanai Megasolar EnerDel GRESS - FSK St. Petersburg Invenergy Grand Ridge Wind BESS Mitsubishi UPS at CoreSite Santa Clara Data Ctr EnerDel Sochi BESS Energy Buffer Unit Woojin/Maxwell Daejeon Line 1 - Cityhall Stn Woojin/Maxwell Daejeon Line 1 - Gapcheon Stn Kyushu Electric Power, Ashibe GS Yuasa ESS Gasado Island Renewable & Off-grid Integ Fukuoka Wind Farm ESS AEP Charleston NaS Energy Storage Vestas Lem Kær ESS Demo 1.2 MW Terna Storage Lab 1, Sardinia (2) Terna Storage Lab 1, Sardinia (6) Terna Storage Lab 2, Sicily (5) Woojin/Maxwell Incheon Line 2 - Depot S/S 1 Woojin/Maxwell Incheon Line 2 - Guwol Stn Woojin/Maxwell Incheon Line 2 - Namdong Stn Woojin/Maxwell Incheon Line 2 - Wanggil Stn Woojin/Maxwell Incheon Line 2 - Wanjeong Stn Woojin/Maxwell Incheon Line 2 - Depot S/S 2 Lanai Sustainability Research SOPRA: Food-processing factory sust power City of Painesville Muni Power Van Redox Demo Terna Storage Lab 1, Sardinia (4) Korea Institute of Energy Tech Eval Planng Woojin/Maxwell Daegu Line 2 - Jukjeon Stn XCEL MinnWind Wind-to-Battery Long Island Bus BESS LIRR Malverne WESS: Maxwell Technologies Metlakatla BESS Zhangbei Nat Wind Solar EST Demo (iiI) Giheung Samsung SDI Waiawa High PV Penetration Circuit Altairnano-PJM Li-ion Battery Ancillary Services Demo KPC&L Green Impact Zone SmartGrid CCET Technology Solutions for Wind Integration University of Hawaii Smart Grid Regional. ES Demo Con Edison/Eos Energy Storage Dist ES Pilot UBC Electrochemical Energy Storage SNOPUD MESA 1a EaglePicher HQ PowerPyramid Hampton Wind Park Yokohama Works Japan-US Collaborative Smart Grid BC Hydro Field Battery Energy Storage The Zurich 1 MW BESS Reunion Island Pegase Younicos and Vattenfall : Sodium Sulfur Enel Isernia Smart Grid Acciona Energia Innovative Lithium ion System Fort Hunter Liggett Battery Storage Endesa STORE: Gran Canaria Southern Grid Baoqing Plant Phase-2 BYD Shenzhen Longgang Demo 2 Almacena Lithium Ion Battery BYD Demo 1 MW Battery for State Grid Co 1MW/1MWh For State Grid Co Tetiaroa Brando Resort Northern Isles New Energy Solution Gapado Island, Jeju Smart Grid SCE Catalina Island Energy Storage Wind Energy Institute of Canada Durathon SDGE Julian, GRC ES Program Unit 8 IHI Corporation Long Duration A123 System EDF R&D Concept Grid SDGE Borrego SES, GRC ES Program 5 SDGE C1243 Ortega HWY, GRC ES Prog 6

Lead acid Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Flow Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Sodium based Sodium based Lithium ion Flow EC Capacitor EC Capacitor EC Capacitor Lithium ion Lithium ion Sodium based Lead acid Lead acid Lead acid Lithium ion Sodium based Lithium ion Lithium ion Electro-chemical Lithium ion Electro-chemical EC Capacitor EC Capacitor Lithium ion Lithium ion Sodium based Sodium based Lithium ion Lithium ion Sodium based Sodium based EC Capacitor EC Capacitor EC Capacitor EC Capacitor EC Capacitor EC Capacitor Lead acid Lithium ion Flow Lithium ion Lithium ion EC Capacitor Sodium based Sodium based EC Capacitor Lead acid Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Metal Air Lithium ion Lithium ion Lead acid Lead acid Flow Sodium based Sodium based Lithium ion Sodium based Sodium based Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Flow

2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 1870 1870 1870 1800 1800 1600 1500 1500 1500 1500 1500 1500 1500 1500 1500 1500 1400 1400 1279 1250 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1125 1100 1080 1080 1065 1050 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000

01:12 01:00 00:15 00:30 00:23 02:00 02:12 01:00 00:15 00:30 15:00 01:00 06:00 06:00 00:39 02:00 00:00 00:00 00:00 00:03 00:10 02:48 00:15 00:15 00:40 01:00 07:12 01:40 00:15 00:00 02:00 00:40 00:00 00:00 00:48 02:40 06:00 06:00 00:15 00:46 03:27 03:27 00:00 00:00 00:00 00:00 00:00 00:00 00:15 02:00 08:00 00:30 01:00 00:00 07:12 06:30 00:01 01:24 02:00 01:00 01:00 00:15 01:00 01:00 01:00 06:00 01:00 00:30 02:00 00:30 05:00 06:00 06:30 00:30 07:12 06:00 00:30 00:34 01:00 03:00 04:00 04:00 03:00 04:00 01:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 01:00 07:12 02:00 03:00 02:48 00:30 03:00 03:00

Under construction Operational Operational Contracted Operational Contracted Contracted Operational Operational Announced Under construction Under construction Operational Operational Contracted Under construction Operational Operational Under construction Operational Operational Under construction Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Under construction Under construction Under construction Under construction Under construction Under construction Under construction Under construction Under construction Operational Announced Contracted Under construction Operational Operational Operational Decommissioned Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Announced Operational Contracted Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Decommissioned Under construction Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Under construction Under construction Operational Operational Operational Under construction Under construction Contracted Under construction Contracted

US Italy China UK Japan US US Germany US Japan US US Japan Japan France China S Korea S Korea S Korea Japan US French Guiana US US US Japan Japan Russia US US Russia Germany S Korea S Korea Japan S Korea Japan US Denmark Italy Italy Italy S Korea S Korea S Korea S Korea S Korea S Korea US Nigeria US Italy S Korea S Korea US US US US China S Korea US US US US US US Canada US US Australia Japan US Canada Switzerland France Germany Italy Spain US Spain China China Spain China China China French Polynesia UK S Korea US Canada US Japan France US US

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Lithium ion Sodium based Sodium based Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion

Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015 • 75

COVER STORY: ENERGY STORAGE IN THE GRID ENERGY STORAGE PROJECTS WORLDWIDE ORDERED BY RATED POWER Name

Battery type

Rated power in kW

Duration at Rated Power HH:MM

Status

Country

SDGE Canyon Crest Academy, GRC ES Prog 9 SDGE C75 Mt San Miguel, GRC ES Prog7 SNOPUD MESA 1b CODA Energy: AQMD 13035 - BESS 1+2 Avista UET BESS GRID4EU Demo 4: Enel RCube KTX (Train station #1 and #2) Daegu Smart Grid (Cogeneration plant) Hawi Wind Farm BESS LIRR Malverne WESS: Ioxus Terna Storage Lab 1, Sardinia (1) Terna Storage Lab 1, Sardinia (3) Terna Storage Lab 1, Sardinia (5) Terna Storage Lab 1, Sardinia (7) Terna Storage Lab 1, Sardinia (8) Terna Storage Lab 1, Sardinia (9) Terna Storage Lab 2, Sicily (1) Terna Storage Lab 2, Sicily (3) Terna Storage Lab 2, Sicily (4) ATL-SSL 1MW/2MWh ESS NGK NaS: Kita-Tama Ichigo Water Reclam Ctr HECO Stem 1 MW Oahu NICE GRID in Carros: Primary Substn Battery DongGuan SSL 1 MW/2 MWh ESS NingDe 1 MW/2 MWh ESS FuJian MeiZhou Island 1 MW/2 MWh ESS Terna Storage Lab 2, Sicily (7) SEPTA Wayside ESS - Griscom Lithium ion Terna Storage Lab 2, Sicily (2) Jeju Smart Grid Test-Bed and Wind Farm NEDO New Mexico Smart Grid Demo Viridity SEPTA Recycled Energy and Optimizn Enercon Wind Turbine NaS BESS Xtreme Power Ford Manufacturing Assembly Plant China Elect Power Research Inst 2.6MWh ESS Prudent Energy VRB-ESSGills Onions, Ca Sumitomo EV Battery Yokohama Smart City , SCADA Virtual Battery UET HQ BESS SmartRegion Pellworm (Lithium ion) Woojin/Maxwell Gyeongsan Test Line CODA Energy: AQMD 13035 - BESS 3 National Grid Dist ESS Demo, Everette, MA PNM Prosperity Energy Storage San Nicholas Island Naval Facility DTE Community Energy Storage, Monroe SMUD HQ Premium Power DESS SDG&E Borrego Springs Unit 1, Microgrid Ultralife SUNY Canton Wind Integration Demo Axion PowerCube for PJM National Grid Dist ESS Demo, Worcester, MA eCAMION Toronto Hydro CES 29 Palms Durathon Battery Prudent Energy Corp/CEPRI Van Redox ESS IntelliStore 1000/1MWh Balancing Optimization Konterra Realty HQ ESS PSE Storage Innovation 1 2013 Smart Grid for Peak Shifting DTE CES for Grid Support - Residential SMUD Prem Power DESS, Anatolia Homes SDGE Pala SES, GRC ES Program 1 SMUD Galt Advanced Feeder Demo ESS GridSolar Boothbay Pilot : BESS Bysolar ESS for PJM Frequency Regulation South Pole Telescope BESS Terna Storage Lab 2, Sicily (6) Fullerton State GCN G-station Rankin Substation Energy Storage Hachijo Island NaS Battery Sumba Island Microgrid Alcatraz Island Microgrid Gasﬁnolhu Resort, Maldives ESS Cowessess First Nationn High Wind Storage Vestas Lem Kær ESS Demo 400 kW Grid on Wheels Terra Verde/SolarCity - Burton School Bosch Braderup ES Facility: Flow Battery Seoul Grand Park Zoo: Peak Power Redn GE Wind Durathon Battery Minami Daito Island Frequency Regulation Enel Ventotene Fort Bliss Microgrid JLM Energy: Alabama Solar-tied ATK Launch Systems Microgrid EaglePicher Erigo/US NORTHCOM BESS Win Inertia Ferrolinera WESS: Ultracapacitors Win Inertia Ferrolinera WESS: Li-Ion Batteries EEBatt - Dist stationary battery storage DMG Gildemeister CellCube Ind Smart Grid Fort Sill Microgrid Illinois Inst of Technology RDSI Perfect Power EnerVault Redox Flow Battery Demo Fujian EPRI Mobile Energy Storage Stn I KT GAMACO 1 MWh Burlington 250KW, 500KWH ESS

Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Flow Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion EC Capacitor Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Sodium based Flow EC Capacitor Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Sodium based Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion EC Capacitor Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion

1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 920 900 900 800 800 800 800 750 650 600 600 600 600 560 525 510 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 480 402 400 400 400 400 400 400 360 360 325 310 300 300 300 300 300 300 300 300 300 300 260 250 250 250 250 250 250 250

03:00 03:00 00:30 00:30 03:12 01:00 00:31 01:30 15:00 00:01 00:54 01:01 01:14 02:00 04:00 00:01 00:54 01:01 01:13 02:00 06:00 00:00 00:27 02:00 02:00 02:00 00:01 00:30 00:38 00:15 01:00 00:30 06:00 02:40 04:00 06:00 00:40 00:00 03:00 01:00 00:00 02:00 06:00 04:00 02:00 00:30 06:00 03:00 04:00 00:30 06:00 00:30 02:00 02:00 02:00 00:30 02:00 03:00 02:00 06:00 03:00 00:15 06:00 01:00 00:05 04:00 01:00 00:42 07:12 01:15 04:45 03:00 01:52 00:15 02:30 02:00 03:05 01:00 04:00 00:15 02:00 00:20 01:00 04:00 01:17 00:01 00:14 00:40 02:30 02:00 02:00 04:00 02:00 02:00 04:00 02:00

Contracted Contracted Contracted Under construction Contracted Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Under construction Under construction Under construction Under construction Announced Announced Under construction Under construction Under construction Operational Operational Contracted Operational Operational Operational Operational Announced Under construction Under construction Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Under construction Operational Operational Operational Contracted Operational Under construction Operational Under construction Operational Contracted Operational Contracted Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Under construction Operational Operational Under construction Operational Operational Contracted Under construction Operational Announced Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Under construction Operational Operational Operational Contracted Operational Operational Operational Operational Under construction Operational Operational Operational Under construction Operational Operational Under construction Operational Decommissioned Under construction Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational

US US US US US Italy S Korea S Korea US US Italy Italy Italy Italy Italy Italy Italy Italy Italy China Japan US France China China China Italy US Italy S Korea US US Germany US China US Japan Japan US Germany S Korea US US US US US US US US US US Canada US China Hungary US US S Korea US US US US US US Antarctica Italy US US Japan Indonesia US Maldives Canada Denmark US US Germany S Korea US Japan Italy US US US US Spain Spain Germany Germany US US US China S Korea US Qatar

76 • Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015

Lithium ion Sodium based Lead acid Lithium ion Flow Lithium ion Lithium ion Flow Lithium ion EC Capacitor Lithium ion Flow Lead acid Flow Lithium ion Flow Lithium ion Lithium ion Lead acid Flow Lithium ion Sodium based Flow Lithium ion Lithium ion Flow Lithium ion Lithium ion Flow Lithium ion Lithium ion Lead acid Lead acid Flow Lithium ion Sodium based Sodium based Flow Lead acid Sodium based Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Flow Lithium ion Sodium based Nickel based Lithium ion Lead acid Lithium ion Lead acid Lead acid EC Capacitor Lithium ion Electro-chemical Flow Flow Flow Flow Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion

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COVER STORY: ENERGY STORAGE IN THE GRID ENERGY STORAGE PROJECTS WORLDWIDE ORDERED BY RATED POWER Name

Battery type

Rated power in kW

Duration at Rated Power HH:MM

Status

Country

Marshall Steam Station Energy Storage DOD Marine Corps Air Stn Miramar Microgrid ESS PaciﬁCorp Castle Valley VRB Schooner America 2.0 Electric Populsion WPD Falcon , GE Durathon Solar Grid Storage Hackettstown, NJ Solar Grid Storage Denville, New Jersey PSU GridSTAR Microgrid Test Ctr Battery ESS (BESS) - DC-Linked System HELCO Hawaii Renewable ESS Dangling Rope Marina Hybrid Power System Korea Electrotechnology Research Inst 250 kW MID Primus Power Wind ES Demo (renew) NICE GRID in Carros: Secondary Substn Battery TOA 250 kW/500 kWh ESS TOA 250 kW/750 kWh ESS ZheJiang 250 kW/250 kWh ESS Barclay Tower Rose City Lights Ausgrid SGSC - 40 RedFlow Systems McAlpine ESS ABB & UK Power Networks Energy Storage Inst. BYD Shenzhen Longgang Demo 1 Tesla Grid Services (Freemont Site 1) China Lake SmartRegion Pellworm (Vanadium Redox) Kind Island Renewable Energy Expansion VRB Younicos and Vattenfall : Lithium Ion Gold Wind Smart Micro-grid VFB POSCO Secondary Battery Research FIAMM Green Energy Island Oak Park Unif School Dist Green Charge Netwks Cape Barren Island Hybrid System Adobe Baker and Hamilton Building Stem System SMUD 2500 R St. Housing Development iZEUS (Intell Zero Emission Urban System) S&C CES: Chicago/PJM Frequency Regulation Fujian China EPRI Mobile Energy Storage Stn II Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam (JBPHH) Fujian Electric Institute 125 kW/250 kWh ESS TOA 125 kW/250 kWh ESS Global Change Institute M120 INES National Rural Electric Coop Assn/Coop Research UCSD BMW 2nd Life EV ESS Guadaloupe Li-ion Energy to Grid Test Smart City Malaga (MT) Tres Amigas Ausgrid SGSC - 20 RedFlow Systems Green Charge Networks Li Ion Dist ESS at Avis UC San Diego ZBB/Sunpower Energy Storage CSI 2 Seeo Inc. Solid State Batteries for Grid-Scale Storage SCE Irvine Smart Grid Demo: Solar Charging Stn UEP CCNY Demo Peak Shaving Battery at BMW Technology SkyGrid Energy AEP Ohio gridSMART Demo Green Charge Networks Li-ion Dist ESS at 7-11 San Diego Zoo Solar-to-EV Gigha Wind Farm Battery Carthage Water & Electric Plant Discovery Science Ctr Durathon Battery Arista Durathon Battery KIER/Juju Island Vanadium Redox Battery 100kW/60kWh For Zhongsheng 100kW/400kWh For Zhongdian Purui 100kW/80kWh For Shanghai Electric Jiangsu 100kW/400kWh ESS XinAo (ENN) 100kW/400kWh ESS Zhongdianpurui 100kW/400kWh ESS Southwest Jiaotong Univ 100kW/100kWh ESS China EPRI 100kW/100kWh ESS Shanghai caoxi 100kW/80KWh ESS Zhongsheng 100kW/60kWh ESS CSIRO, ZBB Experimental Zinc-Bromide Flow State Grid Shanghai FIAMM Battery Zerobase Kenya Microgrid Brooklyn Army Terminal Smart Grid Demo Del Lago Academy (IES) RDT&E for AES & Mgt Demo for USAF CERTS Test Bed ESS Exfob (Tricon) Ft. Devens Military Container Scripps Ranch Community Ctr BESS Zerobase Ocean Vodka PV Microgrid TransGrid iDemand GS Yuasa Gunma Solar Plant Northern Powergrid CLNR ESS2-1 Northern Powergrid CLNR ESS2-2 Miyako Island Mega-Solar Demo: Li-Ion Gangneung Low Carbon Green City: Exp Ctr TOA 100 kW/250 kWh ESS JiangSu ChangZhou 100 kW/250 kWh ESS Liaoning EPRI Micro-grid Qinous Demonstrator Site Bosch Fort Bragg Green Charge Networks (43rd Street Site 1)

Lithium ion Flow Flow Lithium ion Sodium based Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lead acid Lithium ion Flow Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lead acid

250 250 250 250 250 250 250 250 250 250 250 250 250 250 250 250 250 225 225 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 198 180 180 163 162 153 150 150 125 125 125 125 120 120 115 108 107 106 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 96

03:00 04:00 08:00 02:30 02:00 00:30 00:30 00:30 00:20 02:00 09:36 01:42 04:00 01:55 02:00 03:00 01:00 08:50 04:00 02:00 02:30 01:00 04:00 01:00 04:00 08:00 04:00 01:00 04:00 00:42 01:16 01:00 01:00 01:07 02:35 01:00 00:00 03:00 03:20 02:00 02:00 02:30 01:10 03:00 01:40 01:32 01:00 02:00 02:00 01:36 03:00 00:15 01:00 02:00 00:20 00:15 01:00 01:00 01:00 12:00 02:16 05:00 02:00 02:00 00:36 04:00 00:48 04:00 04:00 03:12 01:00 01:00 00:48 00:36 05:00 01:42 04:00 04:00 02:00 02:00

Operational Under construction Decommissioned Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Under construction Under construction Operational Operational Under construction Operational Under construction Decommissioned Operational Operational Operational Announced Under construction Operational Ofﬂine/under repair Operational Operational Operational Operational Under construction Operational Contracted Operational Operational Operational Operational Under construction Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Decommissioned Operational Announced Decommissioned Operational Operational Under construction Under construction Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Contracted Operational Under construction Under construction Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Decommissioned Operational Under construction Operational Operational Under construction Under construction Operational Operational Operational Under construction Under construction Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Under construction Operational Under construction Under construction

US US US US UK US US US Germany US US S Korea US France China China China US US Australia US UK China US US Germany Australia Germany China S Korea Italy US Australia US US Germany US China US China China Australia France US US France Spain US Australia US US US US US US US US US US UK US US US S Korea China China China China China China China China China China Australia China Kenya US US US US US US US Australia Japan UK UK Japan S Korea China China China Germany US US

78 • Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015

Flow Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lead acid Flow Flow Lithium ion Flow Sodium based Sodium based Lithium ion Electro-chemical Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Flow Lithium ion Lithium ion Flow Sodium based Lead acid Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lead acid Flow Lithium ion Flow Lithium ion Lithium ion Flow Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Flow Lead acid Sodium based Sodium based Flow Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Flow Sodium based Lead acid Lithium ion Sodium based Lead acid Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Flow Electro-chemical Electro-chemical Lithium ion

00:49 01:00 06:00 04:00 01:00 02:00 02:00 02:00 01:00 02:30 02:30 04:00 01:00 01:00 01:00

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COVER STORY: ENERGY STORAGE IN THE GRID ENERGY STORAGE PROJECTS WORLDWIDE ORDERED BY RATED POWER Name

Battery type

Rated power in kW

Duration at Rated Power HH:MM

Status

Country

Green Charge Networks (43rd Street Site 2) Green Charge Networks (43rd Street Site 3) Green Charge Networks (Yonkers Site 1) Redﬂow, University of Queensland M90 PDE Smart Microgrid System SMUD High Penet. Solar Pilot Anatolia (CES) American Vanadium Corp. MTA CellCube Endesa: V2G Environment Earth/East Japan Rwy Co SCE Home Battery Pilot Flathead Electric ViZn Z20 Landing Mall DR Falköping Substation Smart Grid Amonix-Greensmith Case Study SDG&E Borrego Springs Microgrid : CES Clay Terrace Plug-In Ecosystem SMUD High Penet. Solar Pilot Anatolia (RES) Slough Zero-Carbon Homes CES ShoEi Foods Stem PowerStore System SEPTA Wayside ESS - Griscom Ultracap BlueSky Energy Microgrid ViZn Z20 Smart Polygeneration Microgrid, Genoa Univ Pualani Manor SOPRA HAN University SOPRA WUR Farm SOPRA Zero Watt Isle of Eigg Electriﬁcation Ausgrid SGSC - ZEN 60kW BESS Dalian EV Charging Station VFB RKP R&D Ctr Building VFB SCE Irvine Smart Grid Demo: RESU NRECA/CRN - Dist ESR (Wright-Hennepin) SDG&E-Greensmith Li-ion ESS Demo BYD Li-ion ESS Demo Greensmith-Intl Battery Li-ion ESS Demo Green Charge Networks Li Ion Dist ESS at 7-11 50KW, 60KWH ESS EnStorage Technology Demonstrator McAlpine Circuit CES System CENER VRB Inner Mongolia Hulunbeier Village Micro-grid 50kW/160KWh Shanghai Jiaotong Univ Passivhaus 50kW/130kWh ESS Samyoung Vanadium Redox Flow Battery Shanghai Pujiang 50kW/160kWh ESS Shanghai 50kW/50kWh ESS Quick Charging EV’s (Breukelen) Quick Charging EV’s (Woerden A12) Quick Charging EV’s (Bunnik A12) Quick Charging EV’s (Delft A13) Quick Charging EV’s (Beesd A2) Quick Charging EV’s (Ridderkerk A15) Quick Charging EV’s (Geldermalsen A2) Quick Charging EV’s (Zaandam A8) Quick Charging EV’s (Heemskerk A9) Quick Charging EV’s (Hoogblokland A27) Quick Charging EV’s (Leiden A4) Quick Charging EV’s (Afsluitdijk A7) Quick Charging EV’s (Ketelbrug A6) Quick Charging EV’s (Amstelveel A9) Quick Charging EV’s (Bodegraven A12) SMUD Solar EV Charge Port Northern Powergrid CLNR ESS3-1 Northern Powergrid CLNR EES3-2 Northern Powergrid CLNR ESS3-3 Süwag - Bosch Community ESS Iron Edison - 400Ah 24V Nickel Iron PWP DC/AC Hybrid Control System for Smart Building Endesa: CRAVE Sun-carrier Omega Net Zero Building in Bhopal Isle of Muck Microgrid System Isle of Rum Microgrid System Jeju Smart Grid: Sehwa School Demo AllCell Chicago EV Charging Station Gram Power Khareda Lakshmipura Microgrid Wright-Hennepin Solar Community Austin Utilities Energy Storage Pilot World Journal Stem PowerStore System Aikang 35 kw/37 kWh Micro-Grid Tozzi ESS - TESS NRECA/CRN - Dist ESR (Minnesota Valley) NICE GRID in Carros: Low Voltage Grid Batteries Enel Voltage Regulation ESS at Teramo Enel Voltage Regulation at L’Aquila UC San Diego Panasonic/Sanyo Energy System Discovery at Spring Trails Residential Energy Storage Netlab2 Sonderbuch Xi’an EV Charging, Wind=Solar-Storage Microgrid Clean Energy Storage: Advanced ESRI Ctr Carlsbad 7-Eleven Green Charge Netwks G-station Green Charge Netwks G-station (Norwalk Site 1) Green Charge Netwks G-station (San Diego Site 1) Green Charge Netwks G-station (San Diego Site 2) Lancaster MOAH Green Charge Netwk G-station Green Charge Netwks G-station (Playa Vista 1) Green Charge Netwks G-station (Aliso Viejo 1)

Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Flow Lithium ion Lithium ion Flow Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Flow Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Electro-chemical Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion EC Capacitor Flow Sodium based Flow Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lead acid Lithium ion Flow Flow Lithium ion Lead acid Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Flow Lithium ion Flow Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Flow Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Sodium based Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Nickel based Lithium ion Lithium ion Flow Lead acid Lead acid Lithium ion Lithium ion Lead acid Lead acid Lead acid Lithium ion Lithium ion Sodium based Lead acid Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion

96 96 96 90 90 90 90 80 80 80 80 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 72 70 64 63 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 56 51 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 48 48 47 45 45 45 40 40 40 37 37 36 35 35 33 33 32 32 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30

01:00 01:00 01:00 02:00 00:20 01:08 04:20 01:00 03:00 02:30 02:00 00:32 01:00 02:00 02:00 00:40 01:32 01:00 00:00 00:04 02:50 02:22 02:30 00:50 02:39 00:50 03:40 02:00 10:00 05:00 02:30 02:00 01:40 00:55 01:40 03:00 01:12 02:00 01:00 02:00 02:00 03:12 02:36 02:00 03:10 01:00 02:00 02:00 02:00 02:00 02:00 02:00 02:00 02:00 02:00 02:00 02:00 02:00 02:00 02:00 02:00 02:36 02:00 02:00 02:00 02:41 10:00 01:12 01:00 06:40 03:40 03:40 00:45 00:00 00:00 02:00 02:00 00:00 01:00 03:00 02:30 02:34 01:00 01:00 01:00 14:00 00:56 02:00 12:00 01:00 01:00 01:00 01:00 01:00 01:00 01:00

Under construction Under construction Under construction Decommissioned Operational Decommissioned Under construction Operational Operational Contracted Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Decommissioned Operational Operational Under construction Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Decommissioned Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Under construction Under construction Under construction Under construction Under construction Under construction Under construction Under construction Under construction Under construction Under construction Under construction Under construction Under construction Under construction Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Under construction Operational Operational Operational Contracted Operational Operational Under construction Operational Under construction Under construction Under construction Operational Under construction Under construction

US US US Australia US US US Spain Japan US US US Sweden US US US US UK US US Austria Italy US Netherlands Netherlands Netherlands UK Australia China China US US US US US US Switzerland Israel US Spain China China Switzerland S Korea China China Netherlands Netherlands Netherlands Netherlands Netherlands Netherlands Netherlands Netherlands Netherlands Netherlands Netherlands Netherlands Netherlands Netherlands Netherlands US UK UK UK Germany US Japan Spain India UK UK S Korea US India US US US China Italy US France Italy Italy US US Germany China US US US US US US US US

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Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015 • 79

COVER STORY: ENERGY STORAGE IN THE GRID ENERGY STORAGE PROJECTS WORLDWIDE ORDERED BY RATED POWER Name

Battery type

Rated power in kW

Duration at Rated Power HH:MM

Status

Country

Redwood City Parking Garage GCN G-station Redwood City Public Library GCN G-station Tesla EV Charging Station (Freemont Site 2) Battery ESS (BESS) - AC-Linked System GM E-Motor Charging Station & Microgrid CODA Energy - CORE 40/30 49er Stadium Green Charge Networks G-station Peralta College Green Charge Networks G-station Laney College Green Charge Networks G-station Merritt College Green Charge Networks G-station Shore Hotel Green Charge Networks G-station Butte College Green Charge Networks G-station Santo Antão Solar Micro Grid UC San Diego CPV Firming - Maxwell Ultracap SDG&E Borrego Springs Microgrid: Home Storage Intelligentes Netz Energie Speicher System (INESS) Port Hueneme Naval Facility St. Petersburg Solar Parks NEC Li-ion ESS Demo Beckett Energy Systems Li-ion ESS Demo Greensmith-Boston Power Li-ion ESS SCE Irvine Smart Grid Demo: CES PV and EV Charging Systems at Sporting Venue VISA (Data Processing Ctr) BPC Energy UTS (University of Technology) Sydney Xcel SolarTAC CES Test Magellan GPSS - SWR SDGE Skills CES, GRC ES Program 2 SDGE Clairmont CES, GRC ES Program 3 SDGE Poway CES, GRC ES Program 4 Allegheny Power RDSI Demo West Va Super Circuit Clean Energy Storage: Dibene IREC B2G Thabakgolo Iron Edison - 400Ah 48V Nickel Iron w/ Trace Endesa HQ B2G (Barcelona) EDF EN Gabardone NREL American Vanad CellCube Test Site Geli EOS enabled CODA Core System (Benicial) Enel Livorno Test Facility: 20 kW ZEBRA Cox Enterprises Stem PowerStore System Iron Edison - 700Ah 24V Nickel Iron PWP Foula Community Electricity Scheme DC Naval Yard Zero Energy Building Aquion Energy Sodium-Ion Battery for Grid Apps InterContinental Hotels Stem Energy Optimization Pecan Street Inc. Energy Internet Demo RISO Syslab Redox Flow Battery China Tianjin EcoCity China EPRI 15 kW/19kWh Micro-grid Enel Livorno Test Facility: 15 kW Lithium Ion Tozzi Green - Madagascar Bi-directional EV Charging Stations, LA Aquion AHI at Redwood Gate Ranch EnerDel Mobile Hybrid Power System Eco House BAI Broadcast Tower, Muswellbrook, Australia Horse Island Microgrid Clean Energy Storage: Berkes Benton PUD Battery Energy Storage Enel Livorno Test: 10 kW Vanadium Redox Rustenburg VRLA Fotonenboer ‘t Spieker Dairy Farm Swiss Dual-Circuit Redox Flow Battery TimberRock De-MAP Test ACEA Rafﬁneria Substation Smart Grid Snake Island Ind Power Supply System VFB UNLV RDSI Demo Shakopee Public Utilities- Environmental Learning Ctr Long Island Pwr Auth LI Smart Energy Corridor Duke Energy- Residential HECO/Greensmith Battery ESS Web2Energy Smart Grid PVCROPS Evora Demo Flow Battery NRECA/CRN - Dist, ESR (Federated) NRECA/CRN - Dist ESR (Meeker) Brainerd Public Utilities Battery Pilot Nevada Energy Battery Storage (Villa Trieste) Powerco’s Lead Acid Battery System (Hunterville) Flat Holm Microgrid Clean Energy Storage: Steel Clean Energy Storage: Devinenini Clean Energy Storage: Centralia College Clean Energy Storage: Nagasawa Clean Energy Storage: Golden Bridge Devt Clean Energy Storage: Sun Buzz Powerco’s Redﬂow Battery Demo IHEM - Intelligent HomeEnergyManagement 5kWh LiFePO4 DIY ESS Tunghai Green Transportation Mgt Dvt/Low C Demo Palmdale Micro Grid Energy Storage Demo Micro-Grid I-Sare (Battery)

Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lead acid EC Capacitor Lithium ion Lithium ion Flow Flow Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Flow Flow Flow Flow Sodium based Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Nickel based Lithium ion Sodium based Flow Lithium ion Sodium based Lithium ion Nickel based Lead acid Lead acid Sodium based Lithium ion Lithium ion Flow Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion

30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 28 28 27 27 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 24 24 23 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 18 17 16 16 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 14 14 12 11 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 9 9 8 6 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 3 3 2 2 0 0

01:00 01:00 01:00 00:50 01:00 01:20 01:00 01:00 01:00 01:00 01:00 01:00 15:25 00:05 01:28 02:20 02:00 02:00 01:55 00:30 00:30 02:00 02:00 02:00 02:00 02:00 02:00 04:00 02:00 02:00 02:00 02:00 08:00 01:00 24:00 10:00 01:00 03:30 04:00 02:00 01:00 01:00 10:00 05:00 03:00 04:00 01:00 02:30 08:00 04:00 01:16 01:00 03:45 01:00 04:00 05:20 02:00 15:40 05:00 07:00 04:00 10:00 05:00 08:00 06:00 01:00 04:30 20:00 00:57 02:00 00:00 01:50 04:00 00:48 12:00 02:00 02:00 02:00 02:00 05:00 05:00 04:00 04:00 08:00 05:00 03:00 05:00 02:40 02:00 02:00 03:36 00:00 00:00

Operational Operational Announced Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Under construction Contracted Operational Under construction Under construction Operational Operational Operational Operational Under construction Operational Under construction Under construction Operational Operational Under construction Under construction Under construction Under construction Contracted Operational Under construction Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Decommissioned Operational Under construction Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Under construction Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Contracted Operational Operational Operational Operational Under construction Operational Operational Operational Under construction Operational Under construction Under construction Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Decommissioned Operational Operational Operational Under construction Operational Operational Under construction Contracted Operational Operational Under construction Operational Operational Ofﬂine/under repair Under construction

US US US Germany US US US US US US US US Cape Verde US US Germany US US US US US US US US Russia Australia US Australia US US US US US Spain South Africa US Spain France US US Italy US US UK US US US US Denmark China China Italy Madagascar US US US Japan Australia UK US US Italy South Africa Netherlands Switzerland US Italy China US US US US US Germany Portugal US US US US New Zealand UK US US US US US US New Zealand Germany France Taiwan US Spain

80 • Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015

Lithium ion Sodium based Lithium ion Electro-chemical Electro-chemical Lead acid Lithium ion Flow Lead acid Flow Flow Lithium ion Lithium ion Flow Lithium ion Lead acid Lead acid Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Flow Lead acid Lead acid Lead acid Lithium ion Lead acid Lead acid Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Flow Lithium ion Lithium ion Lead acid EC Capacitor Electro-chemical

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DAVID DIGIACINTO, AXION POWER The untimely death of David DiGiacinto, chief executive of Axion Power International, early this year has cast a shadow over the firm. But interim head, Donald Farley and long-time friend of DiGiacinto, says his strategy for the firm’s survival would continue. Batteries International reviews the direction DiGiacinto set the firm.

Ready for ﬂight but trying to build a longer runway David DiGiacinto — who took over as chairman of Axion Power barely a year ago — will be remembered as a gifted and inspired chief executive whose strategy to succeed at all costs may well prove to be a winning formula. Sadly, his sudden and unexpected death in January, means that he will never see if his bold and imaginative moves will come to fruition. Although he and most others agreed that much of the repositioning of the company and its strategy had been accomplished by the end of 2014, DiGiacinto was acutely aware of the company’s need for strategic partners in 2015. DiGiacinto, a veteran operating and financial executive with a wide experience in a number of sectors, was appointed to the company’s board of directors in February 2014. He took over as chief executive and chairman last July after Tom Granville, the company’s long time CEO, stepped down due to health problems. Axion Power, primarily a developer of advanced lead-carbon batteries and energy storage systems, raised $6 million and listed on the Nasdaq within months of his appointment as chief executive. This was around half what it had sought, however, and the company has been tightening the purse strings since. DiGiacinto changed the company’s focus and strategy reckoning that emergency measures needed to be made ahead of an imminent cash crunch. Axion’s long-term proposition has always been based around the commercialization of specialized energy storage

systems made using its patented design using a lead-free carbon negative electrode. While developing this product, however, the company had also been making standard lead-acid batteries as a specialized contract manufacturer. Several large contracts ended in the latter part of 2014 and DiGiacinto took the opportunity to move away from this work and reposition the company. DiGiacinto always said he was aware that the latest phase the company has entered had come about after more than a decade of research and development and many rounds of funding and believed that the commercialization of its energy storage solution was ripe to be exploited. That said outside observers reckoned that the arrival of the PowerCube — some three years ago — had given it the product needed. “It was maybe a year and a half before I joined that they started marketing the product properly after some 10 years of R&D,” DiGiacinto later told Batteries International. “A lot of money has been raised historically and most of it has been used developing the product. I have seen how startups can fail during this period but this is the time to move forward.” DiGiacinto took over as CEO in the middle of the new fund raising. He later confessed to be disappointed by the amount raised. Early on in the fund-raising process, things had been more promising. Sentiment among investors to clean

“We are being creative and trying to ﬁnd ways of creating a longer runway. The technology has legs; I would not have taken this role if I did not believe that. We just need to give it that chance to take off now.”

84 • Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015

tech stocks had been strong and the $12 million, the firm had sought, had looked possible. DiGiacinto believed that losing some of its contract manufacturing work — its main revenue stream — had been the main problem in the fundraising and some investors had missed the point mistaking the end of the cashflow from the existing contracts on the firm’s specialist lead acid battery side for the potential of the future technology. Partly on the basis of the poor fundraising took charge of the company’s finances balancing its survival with cash resources that were more limited than he had anticipated with fast-forwarding its commercialization aimed at converting a decade of R&D into real revenue streams. DiGiacinto dropped a bombshell in a mid-November investor call admitting that inclusive of the net proceeds of the public offering the company would not have sufficient funds for its operations beyond September 30, 2015. Rather than seeing this as the early ringing of any death knell, with characteristic energy DiGiacinto set about a three-pronged strategy with an overall approach that has narrowed the firm’s target markets to transportation, renewable energy and frequency regulation.

Axion’s PowerCube in operation

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DAVID DIGIACINTO, AXION POWER His first priority was getting a handle on the company’s cash burn rate and deciding where its priorities should lay. His decision to refocus the company with its energy storage solution as its priority fell into this category. “We have had to take a long hard look at the money we have and how long it will last,” he later told Batteries International. “The reality is that we can’t do everything for everyone. We decided to focus on the energy storage and frequency regulation management markets.” His second priority was on expense control. He has already made some drastic changes — including a number of senior executives taking substantial pay cuts — and he was forced to reduce the headcount as well. DiGiacinto later said that between himself and Charles Trego, the chief financial officer, they had a handle on the expense side and each knew what had to be done. Finally, in an attempt to further rationalize its operations, he set about seeking strategic partners which would allow Axion to outsource certain functions. “We will be communicating with potential out-sourcing partners who are capable of handling battery manufacturing using our proprietary activated carbon electrode material, and with large companies interested in helping to cost-reduce the activated carbon materials for our patented electrodes,” DiGiacinto said in his last interview. “The challenge is how we can pick up orders and develop those into revenues. We are looking at forming new relationships with potential clients as well as examining old ones where the company had started moving forward but not followed through. That can be tough but we need to rekindle those now.” He said these partners could be either manufacturers capable of making its products or channel partners able to sell and distribute it. He also said he would be open to a more general partner able to help take the business forward in a number of ways. The ideal scenario was that contracts to supply the product start to be signed. The company is targeting primarily mid-market private companies looking at investing in their own renewables solutions and which need an efficient energy storage solution to match. DiGiacinto said that while the company is on the radar of some of the bigger utility players, it was hard for a company of Axion’s size to compete in what is an increasingly crowded energy storage market — no matter how good the technology it is offering.

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Nevertheless at the start of the year a number of deals were in the pipeline. Perhaps the most imn portant is that Axion rPower’s PbC PowerCube has been named as the designated supplierr of quenenergy storage and frequency regulation for a solar ffarm that, when finished, will be the largest in Pennsylvania. Known as the Coatesville Solar Initiative this is a 48-acre project that will comprise of two 2.4MW solar facilities, generating approximately 6.3 million kWh which CSI has contractually agreed to sell Coatesville Area School District through a 25-year solar power purchase agreement. The configuration could amount to

Axion’s PbC battery

s several thousand P PbC batteries over th life of the project, the as well as the lights, elec electronics and cube housing Axion Power inhousing. tw years of time and vested some two ff i hi project. effort into this DiGiacinto said at the close of his last interview that he believed Axion would survive the cash deadline but, in the meantime, he needed to buy the company more time. “We are being creative and trying to find ways of creating a longer runway. The technology has legs; I would not have taken this role if I did not believe that. We just need to give it that chance to take off now.”

The reconﬁgured Class 8 truck contains 56 of Axion’s PbC batteries

The PowerCube packs a 500kW-1MW punch and was designed to ﬁt into a smart grid distributed network where renewable energy could be stored in an electrical distribution system Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015 • 85

DAVID DIGIACINTO, AXION POWER A BRIEF HISTORY OF AXION Combine Russian technology with North American commercial knowhow. That was the thinking in 1999 when a consortium of Russian scientists, led by Igor Filipenko, decided to create a Canadian startup R&D firm named C&T Technology. C&T had been working to develop a new energy storage technology that combined the energy properties of a lead acid battery with the power of a carbon-based supercapacitor. Unfortunately they chose to partner with another Canadian start-up (Mega-C) that had engaged in illegal stock sale transactions. In 2003, an Ontario Securities Commission investigation blocked Mega-C from access to new financing. A rescue operation called the Investor Watchdog Group (IWG) — eventually to be the core of Axion — agreed to invest another $500,000 into Mega-C while looking to keep the company afloat. It was the start of a long and often desperate struggle to make a success of the company and its technology. The IWG quickly formed a new company. Led by Tom Granville — a shareholder and eventual chief executive — they formulated a plan to forge a new agreement with C&T to keep control of the technology and a strategy to raise the cash to keep going. Axion first raised seed money in October 2003; then negotiated a new licence agreement with C&T, later a trust agreement between Axion and the shareholders of Mega-C; and finally negotiated a reverse merger with Tamboril Cigar Company, a clean public shell, that closed on New Year’s Eve — just 90 minutes before the shelf life of the shell expired. In January 2004, John Petersen, a securities attorney with vast experience with small public companies, bought the C&T patents for the lead carbon technology and then the outright ownership of C&T for Axion. This resulted in litigation that lasted for almost five years before being resolved in Axion’s favour. The sales to Axion were concluded with money, shares and options as part of the arrangement. Through this entire period, Axion continued to raise much-needed capital. Tom Granville took over as

86 • Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015

chief executive in 2005. One key need he identified was that of chief technology officer. While the technology won rave reviews from the scientific community it became clear, relatively early, that it was not as far along as Axion had been led to believe. Some major challenges would have to be overcome. The key hire was Ed Buiel — whose doctoral thesis was “The Development of Disordered Carbon Materials as Anode Materials for Li-ion Battery Applications” — had the academic background needed. Although then only in his early 30s he also had the relevant practical handson experience in working on projects for 3M, Maxwell, Molley and Nesscap. In late 2005, Axion bought a Pennsylvania firm called New Castle Battery Company in an fire sale/ internet auction for a tiny fraction of its $5.4 million bank assessed value as collateral on the loan. The New Castle Battery plant had three battery lines with a capacity of making 3,000 batteries per day. The purchase brought it the possibility of a much-needed breather in terms of cashflow. It also allowed Axion to put its new negative electrode into a traditional lead acid battery case and the possibility of expanding its business model to embrace automotive batteries in a different fashion. “In terms of our business model, we did not want to be in the position of being strictly a battery manufacturer. Rather we saw ourselves as a supplier to lead acid battery manufacturers,” Granville, later told Batteries International. In 2007, the factory began to again make high profit margin specialty 16 volt racing car and collector car batteries on its AGM line. In 2007 the firm was awarded the Frost & Sullivan Technology Innovation Award for North America in the field of lead acid batteries. Axion’s new PbC batteries have “the potential to revitalize the lead-acid battery industry by breathing new life into an established technology,” said F&S. Existing lead acid batteries were unsuitable for regenerative braking and the potential of Axion’s battery was explored by automobile manufacturers who were investing in finding better ways of introducing

stop-start technology. Axion batteries could successfully be used for hybrid and micro-hybrid cars given their ability to recycle rapidly at partial state of charge. Although Axion continued to nurture its PbC business, its cashflow for the next couple of years was largely dependent on: its lead acid battery business; venture capital — in June 2008 Quercus Trust completed its $18 million of financing into the firm; and, grants such as $1.2 million from the state of Pennsylvania and another for the same amount from the office of Naval Research. Two milestones happened in 2009 — a three phase contract with Exide Technologies meant to end in 2012 which appeared to fizzle out. Nondisclosure agreements made it hard to find out what happened. However, Granville was pushing ahead in other directions — a partnership with BMW was announced at ELBC in Turkey in 2010 with the rare site of a car maker and a battery manufacturer jointly sharing the presentation. 2010 and 2011 were important years in terms of R&D as Granville moved to look at adapting the PbC chemistry to the challenges of grid storage. The result was the PowerCube which started trials towards the end of 2011. What the firm thought would signal the end of its development phase was a large injection of funds — just over $26 million — through a private placement of some 46 million shares. Unfortunately, the money was still never enough as the firm tried to switch from development to manufacturing and selling a product. The PowerCube packs a 500kW1MW punch and was designed to fit into a smart grid distributed network where renewable energy could be stored in an electrical distribution system. Frequency regulation — the ability to fine-tune the transmission load on a grid — looked set to be the next area for the energy storage world to explore. The PowerCube could manage power quality, power smoothing, back up power and power arbitrage. In November 2011, Axion set an industry first by providing frequency regulation, demand response and

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DAVID DIGIACINTO, AXION POWER

David DiGiacinto 1954-2015 the mechanism for other services to PJM Interconnect, the largest of the nine regional grid systems operators in the US. The design allowed Axion to act as a bi-directional energy asset and earn itself revenue in the process. For example, when the PowerCube received a so-called “curtailment signal” from PJM, Axion’s factory reduces power intake from the grid and switches to PowerCube power to run the plant. Since then the firm has consolidated existing supply projects — it has continued developing a battery management system with Norfolk Southern Corporation, a major US railway firm. This allows railroads to develop clean energy hybrid locomotives that would operate on battery power and recharge their batteries through regenerative braking and charging stations. Last May it sold four PowerCubes in a follow-on contract. Last year Axion was named as the designated supplier of energy storage with its PowerCube and frequency regulation for a solar farm that, when finished, will be the largest in Pennsylvania. A still potentially huge source of business could come from the linking of Axion with trucking development firm ePower Energy Systems. ePower working with Axion has designed a retrofit that converts a heavy-duty truck tractor — a so-called Class 8 truck — to a hybrid electric truck that uses regen power stored in Axion PbC batteries to provide extra power when needed and has the potential to save between 40% to 60% of fuel cost. Test to date by ePower indicate that a first goal raising average miles per gallon to 9 mpg from 6 mpg is achievable with current technology. ePower believes it can go beyond 9 mpg. These trucks recharge on-thefly and do not need to be plugged in. The fuel savings could be immense, if the US trucking industry accepts, the technology — there are 2.4 million Class 8 trucks on the road and log over 139 billion miles a year. But the average miles per gallon for those trucks is about 6 mpg. Those trucks in aggregate are using something like 23 billion US gallons of diesel fuel. To raise consumption to 9mpg would generate some 7 billion gallons of savings.

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David DiGiacinto, chief executive and chairman of Axion Power, died suddenly early on the morning of January 25. The cause of his death was unclear at the time of Batteries International going to press. David DiGiacinto was respected as much for his proven business acumen — fostered in over 30 years of commercial experience — as a kind-hearted and fair employer, known for his ability to see all sides of the management situation: the workforce, the customer and the need for a company to thrive. “Companies are about people,” he said recently. “How you employ and lead them with structure, flexibility, and process. The other side of the people equation is the customer. Customers will buy and appreciate if they gain the confidence of their suppliers and they see a product, operational organization, and management team that can execute consistently and successfully.” He was born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania — a town that despite his travels he was attached to all his life — in 1954. He graduated from the US Military Academy at West Point with a BS in Engineering and the Humanities in 1975. While at the academy he lettered in varsity football and baseball. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the US Air Force and became a pilot in command before he eventually resigned his commission as a captain. He flew one year commercially for a private charter before he started his business career with Pfizer in 1982. He worked at Pfizer for two major operating groups (specialty chemical/ food science and consumer health care) until 2000 in ever-increasing positions of responsibility working in sales, marketing, business development and general management where he was in charge of businesses both, domestic and international. From 2000 onwards, armed with his years of experience at Pfizer, he joined Spencer Trask Ventures a New York private equity investment firm with a strong history in discovering and developing firms with potential. Within 18 months of joining he became senior managing director of the Spencer Trask Specialty Group (and eventually VP for business development). Once a company or technology was identified, it was up to Dave DiGiacinto to sponsor the investment candidate through the review process, and finalize the business proposition between Spencer Trask and the company. This meant he worked closely with company management on activities such as the accomplishment of their

performance milestones, recruiting, financing, marketing and defining their manufacturing capabilities. The ultimate goal was to progress the company to become a leader in a particular technical or market segment and then move it towards a potential liquidity event (acquisition, merger, or share offering). As part of this he served on the board of directors of several client companies, both public and private. He also held roles as audit and compensation committee chair on many of those boards. This large experience was brought to bear when he was brought into help Minrad, a troubled general anaesthesia and medical device company. He was involved in raising a $40 million debt financing and became president and chief operating officer of the company. DiGiacinto refocused and restructured the company to one primarily producing and generating cash from three inhaled anaesthesia products. It was later successfully sold to an Piramal Healthcare. After this he took on the P&L responsibility of a $200 million private label pretzel and snack food company, managing the day to day operations. This business was successfully sold to ConAgra Foods., after two years of organizational redesign, and operational improvements which led to very strong earnings. He has also worked on various other boards of directors in helping companies to achieve their full potential. He was brought into help Axion Power in February 2014. In his private life, he held various civic responsibilities for his hometown, Bethlehem and also for local non-profit organizations. A local paper reported that friends and family members of David DiGiacinto recalled him as a fiscal watchdog — he was the city’s financial controller — dedicated to his city and his family. “He was a great public servant with a great love for the city and an even greater love for his family,” said Robert Donchez, the mayor of Bethlehem. “He was one of the smartest people I ever met and certainly one of the most passionate,” said Bethlehem council president William Reynolds. A local paper said that despite a divorce in 2000, his ex-wife described him as her best friend and how they still talked daily. “Dave was a devoted family man,” a friend said. He was just 61.

Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015 • 87

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CONFERENCE IN PRINT

Welcome to a special section of our magazine, called Conference in Print. Our aim is a simple one. We want to offer you the readers a section where you can highlight your products, technology and skills to our broader audience — rather like going to a conference or an exhibition without the inconvenience of all the travel! We’re putting no restrictions on what you’d like to showcase — this is your section not ours — but hope that this will prove an invaluable and cost-effective way to reach our audience of subscribers and readers.

CONFERENCE IN PRINT Testing conclusions Six separators were tested from two suppliers, Dreamweaver International and each at 40, 30 and 25 microns, in supercapacitors assembled of commercial electrodes in a pouch cell. Separator properties, scanning electron micrographs, and capacitor performance were all measured for each material. These were the conclusions. SEMS: Scanning electron micrographs (SEMs) revealed that the competitor separators are composed primarily of fibrillated cellulose microfibers with diameters in the range from 1-4 microns. DWI separators have similar composition, with a much higher population of fibers with diameters in the range of 0.2 – 0.4 microns. Separator properties: The separators from the different companies had, on average, similar basis weights, thickness, and porosity. The pore size and bubble point for DWI separators was slightly higher, but with the following advantages: • Gurley: a much lower (63%) Gurley air resistance. • Strength: 21% higher tensile strength • Modulus: 129% higher modulus • Moisture: 25% lower moisture content Capacitor performance: All of the materials showed a similar 24 hour self-discharge. On average, the DWI materials showed 9% higher capacitance, and 27% lower ESR. In the most dramatic comparison, at 30 microns, the DWI Silver AR30 had 13% higher capacitance and 61% lower ESR, as shown in the graph.

High energy applications using ELDCs can experience signiﬁcant ohmic losses when power levels are high. A better separator — with a lower internal resistance — is part of the solution, writes Brian Morin, president of DreamWeaver International.

A comparison of non-woven separators for supercapacitors Electric double layer capacitors (EDLCs) are energy storage devices capable of providing very high power, up to 100 times that of even high rate lithium-ion batteries. This allows applications that otherwise could not be done, such as high power signal conditioning in the electric grid, regenerative braking in busses and other large transport, and energy recovery in construction where heavy lifting is involved.

EDLCs are finding applications in portable electronics, helping to extend battery life, improve burst communications, and provide rapid charging. Because the power can be so high, especially in high energy applications of EDLCs such as regenerative braking for large vehicles, the ohmic losses due to internal resistance of the EDLC can cause considerable heating and loss of efficiency. One driver of the energy loss is the

Competitor’s 40 Micron

Competitor’s 30 Micron

Supercapacitor comparison

Capacity (F/g) or ESR (Ohm)

35 30 25

Competitor’s 25 Micron

20 15 10 5 0 Capacity

ESR

■ Leading competitor 30 micron ■ Dreamweaver Silver AR30

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Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015 • 91

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CONFERENCE IN PRINT Table 1: Separator properties for each of the six separators tested, along with the average for each supplier. Units

Competitor 40 Micron

Competitor 30 Micron

Competitor 25 Micron

Average Competitor

DWI Silver AR40

DWI Silver AR30

DWI Silver AR25

Average DWI

Basis weight

g/m2

Thickness (7.3 psi)

microns

Thickness (12.6 psi)

microns

Thickness (25 psi)

microns

Porosity

55%

57%

72%

61%

60%

61%

54%

58%

Pore size

microns

0.44

0.6

0.55

0.96

1.4

1.0

1.1

Bubble point

microns

1.5

1.7

3.4

2.2

2.9

4.3

3.2

3.4

Gurley

seconds

171

104

118

MD strength

kg/cm2

250

174.5

210

185

240

212

MD modulus

kg/cm2

9400

6200

7800

17500

16000

20000

17833

Moisture content

separator. If a separator could be provided with significantly lower internal resistance, it could improve the performance of the EDLC, lowering ohmic losses, reducing operating temperature and increasing energy efficiency. In this study, commercially available separators from two manufacturers are compared. The first manufacturer is Dreamweaver International (DWI) DWI Silver AR40

and the second is a leading competitor. All of the testing was done by outside test labs, which are also listed along with the test procedure where there is a standard available. Other procedures are described below.

Visual results The six images below show high magnification scanning electron micro-

scopic images of the various materials. All of the materials were made primarily from fibrillated cellulose, made into a nonwoven sheet that looks and feels like paper. In addition, all of the materials appeared uniform and homogeneous, especially at low magnification (images not shown). At high magnification, it can be seen that the competitorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s materials are constituted primarily of fibers that range in diameter from 1-4 microns, with many fibers in the range of 1-2 microns, and very few fibers less than 1 micron in diameter. The DWI separators, in contrast, have a much higher population of fibers below 1 micron, and a large population of fibers in the 200-500 nanometer diameter range.

Separator properties DWI Silver AR30

DWI Silver AR25

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Separator properties are reported in table 1, above, along with the average for each supplier. For the competitor 30 micron test, there was not enough material available for tensile tests. However, there are several significant results: Compressibility: All of the materials are compressible, changing thickness by 3-8 microns over the pressure range tested. The competitor materials were slightly more compressible, compressing an additional 6 microns compared to 3 for the DWI materials. Porosity: For 30 and 40 micron materials, the DWI porosity was higher, at ~60% compared to ~56%. However, at 25 microns, the competitor material had significantly higher porosity. Pore size: Both the bubble point and pore size were higher for the DWI materials, with the bubble points for the DWI materials all very similar to the Batteries International â&#x20AC;˘ Winter 2014/2015 â&#x20AC;˘ 93

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CONFERENCE IN PRINT Table 2: Performance in supercapacitors for each of the six separators tested, along with the average for each supplier. Units

Competitor 40 Micron

Competitor 30 Micron

Competitor 25 Micron

Average Competitor

DWI Silver AR40

DWI Silver AR30

DWI Silver AR25

Average DWI

24 hr Self Discharge

53%

57%

56%

52%

56%

52%

53%

Capacity

Ah/g

0.024

0.023

0.027

0.025

0.026

0.029

0.027

Capacity

F/g

30.4

29.4

34.5

31.4

32.4

33.2

36.8

34.1

ESR

Ohm

9.5

17.6

8.6

11.9

11.2

6.8

8.1

8.7

Table 3: Separator properties for two commercial one farad supercapacitors tested, to protocols of table 2 Units

Maxwell BCAP0001P270T(0))

Nichicon (1F, 2.7V UM(M) 1205 PET)

24 hr Self Discharge

29%

32%

31%

56%

53%

Capacity

Ah/g

0.006

0.005

0.006

0.025

0.027

Capacity

F/g

7.6

6.6

7.1

31.4

34.1

ESR

Ohm

1.65

6.81

4.2

11.9

8.7

competitor 25 micron. Gurley: The DWI materials had much lower Gurley air resistance than the competitor materials. Normally, this would correspond to lower internal resistance as well. See capacitance testing below. MD strength & modulus: All of the materials except the competitor 25 micron had MD strength near 200 kg/cm2. The competitor 25 micron was significantly lighter weight and higher porosity than the rest of the field, which resulted in a lower tensile strength and modulus. Moisture content: The DWI materials has 25% lower moisture content, likely due to the inclusion of PVA microfibers rather than solely cellulosic materials.

Supercapacitor testing The results of the testing of supercapacitors is shown above in table 2. There are several results: Self-discharge: Very little difference was seen between the materials in 24 hour self-discharge of the cells. That the self-discharge is higher than productions cells is likely due to cell construction. Capacitance trends: On average the capacitance was higher for thinner materials, with the only exception being the competitor 30 micron separator. Capacitance comparison: On average, the capacitors made with DWI www.batteriesinternational.com

separators had higher capacitance, a total of 9% across the three separator types by each manufacturer, and higher at each thickness. ESR: As a whole, the ESR was 27% lower for the DWI separators than the competitor materials. Most notably was the difference at 30 microns, with the competitor 30 micron material having more than 150% higher ESR than DWI Silver AR30. Lowest ESR: The lowest ESR by far was the DWI Silver AR30, with an ESR of 6.8 Ohm. The closest competitor’s material was the 25 micron, with an ESR of 8.6 Ohm-cm.

Commercial supercapacitor tests Two commercial one farad supercapacitors were also tested under the same protocol as above, and then disassembled to determine electrode weight and area. Both commercial parts show lower ESR and lower capacitance per gram, indicating that a higher surface area, lower electrode thickness strategy was taken in order to reduce ESR to the lowest possible. The Maxwell part shows much lower ESR than that Nichicon part. This compares to the parts made with the competitor’s separators and DWI separators, where the capacitance is near the practical limit for carbon electrodes (these were double sided electrodes, but only a single

Average Commercial

Average Competitor

Average DWI

side was measured, which would effectively double the capacitance if a bulk supercapacitors were made using both sides. The practical maximum is around 70 F/g.) From this comparison with commercial supercapacitors, the following conclusions can be supported (see table 3 above): • The capacity compares well, considering a high energy design. • The ESR compares as would be expected given the relative capacitances. • The self-discharge is lower for the commercial supercapacitors, which likely has to do with cell design and formation processes, neither of which were optimized for the DWI and competitor cells.

Procedures All of the testing was done at outside labs, using standard test procedures. A full list of test procedures, testing laboratories and contacts are available on www.dreamweaverintl.com/ downloads/ Scanning electron microscope: Images were taken at 500x, 1000x, 2000x, 5000x and 10,000x magnification using a Hitachi Analytical Variable Pressure Scanning Electron Microscope SU6600. Eight sets were taken with each material, for a total of 40 images. Separator properties: Separator properties were measured at the Herty Advanced Materials Development Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015 • 95

CONFERENCE IN PRINT Center, and at Porous Materials. Capacitance tests: PolyStor built cells using the separator materials specified below and production EDLC electrodes. The cells were around 5cm x 5cm square single cells, but used double sided electrodes (most produc-

tion electrodes are double sided). The separator materials and electrodes were dried under vacuum at 120°C overnight prior to cell assembly. All cells were dried at 80°C under vacuum overnight after assembly, but prior to electrolyte fill.

Background and context Two separator companies have designed non-woven separators specifically for electrolytic double layer capacitors (EDLC), including supercapacitors, ultracapacitors, and EDLC capacitor — battery hybrids. The leading competitor uses cellulose fibrillated to 1-4 micron fibers in a uniform nonwoven web, and is the leader in the industry. Dreamweaver International (DWI) uses cellulose fibrillated to approximately 250 nanometer diameter fibers, combined with microfibers of approximately 5 microns diameter, also in a uniform non-woven web. In this paper, three separators are compared from each company. They are measured for thickness, moisture content, porosity, mean flow pore size, bubble point, tensile strength, and tensile modulus and Gurley air resistance. Images were taken under a scanning electron microscope. In addition, EDLCs were made using production electrodes and measured for selfdischarge, capacitance and internal resistance. These measurements are compared to commercial capacitors from two manufacturers. While both companies make materials that are very suitable for use in a wide variety of EDLCs, on average the DWI materials showed 9% higher capacitance, and 27% lower ESR. They are also 21% stronger on average, and have 25% lower moisture content.

Brian Morin Brian Morin is co-founder, president and chief operating ofﬁcer of Dreamweaver International. He has over 150 international patents and applications on subjects ranging from advanced molecular metals to high performance ﬁbers to plastic additives. He has several hundred million dollars in sales of products based on his inventions, and sees his strength as leading the commercialization of innovative technology.

The cells used acetonitrile with 1M TEATFB salt blended by PolyStor using high purity materials. The cells were slightly overfilled with electrolyte and included extra volume for a gas pocket. They were clamped using plastic plates with binder clips. The weight included the weight of the doublesided electrode and current collector. Because only one side of the electrode is used in the test, the capacitance values are low, approximately half of what would be achieved in a production cell. The capacitors were charged to 2.70V at ~10 mA/F rate and held for 10 minutes at 2.70V. Capacity was measured in Whr/g by immediate discharge from 2.70 to 0.10 V at a discharge current of ~10 mA/F. To measure D.C. ESR (equivalent series resistance), the capacitor was charged to 2.70V, held at 2.70V for 10 minutes and then immediately discharged at ~100 mA/F. The voltage drop at the constant current (Id) was used to calculate the DC ESR:

The reported ESR is normalized for a 1 cm2 square area of capacitor.w The 24 hour self-discharge was measured by charging the capacitors to 2.70V and holding for 10 minutes before removing the charge voltage. The voltage was then recorded continuously for 24 hours. The capacitors were then charged to 2.70V, held for 10 minutes at 2.70V, and capacitance and D.C. ESR was then measured.

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FORTHCOMING EVENTS The 2015 European Advanced Automotive & Stationary Battery Conference Mainz, Germany • January 26-29

design, cells selection, cells evaluation tests, battery prototype, acceptance tests, design and manufacturing techniques, testing, mass production, safety issues, transportation, use and disposal. Topics include military batteries, thermal & reserve batteries, lithium rechargeable cell manufacturing process, grid storage, EV batteries, fuel cells and metal air systems and EV charging infrastructure. Contact Shmuel De-Leon Energy, Ltd shmuel@sdle.co.il Laura Bruce, DreamWeaver Laura.Bruce@Dreamweaverintl.com Tel: +1 864 9683320

ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit Mainz, Germany

Join us at the leading European forum where automakers and energystorage system developers discuss the status and prospects of the latest advanced batteries to meet the needs of the European market. AABC Europe 2015 will offer two technology focused symposia and two applica-

Battery Forum Germany 2015 Berlin, Germany January 21-23 The central element for electric mobility and for the storage of renewable energies are powerful, affordable, and secure energy storage and the expertise and know-how to produce this. In this case, the cross-sectoral or interdisciplinary dialogue between research and industry is of special importance in the value chain. The aim of the battery forum Germany is to offer the dialogue between companies, research and policy a platform. High-level representatives from industry and academia illuminate the topic of batteries from different perspectives and to provide an overview on the status and current research topics. Main topics of Battery Forum Germany 2015 are: • Innovative lithium-ion batteries • Visionary material systems (Allsolid-state and post-lithium-ion systems) • Production and process technology • Applications • Modelling and simulation Contact Organizers Michael Krausa Tel: + 49 3020 1431 32 michael.krausa@klib-org.de Congress organization Carsten Scheele, director event management T: +49 241 88 97 0-18 scheele@tema.de

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tion focused symposia, including AAB’s first exploration of the emerging market for stationary batteries in utility applications Contact info@advancedautobat.com Tel: +1 530 692 0140

Energy Storage Seminar Genk, Belgium January 22-23 The seminar program focuses on present and future needs of portable and stationary electrochemical energy sources and highlights the latest technological developments designed to satisfy application requirements. The seminar program reviews primary, rechargeable, reserve, commercial, industrial and military batteries, fuel cells, ultra capacitors system and their accessories. Contact Shmuel De-Leon Energy, Ltd shmuel@sdle.co.il Trineuron/Jeroen Herman j.herman@trineuron.com Tel: +32(0)3/466.08.86

Batteries, Super Capacitors, Fuel Cells & EVs Seminar Greenville, South Carolina, USA February 9-10 The seminar program focuses on present and future needs of portable and stationary electrochemical energy sources and highlights the latest technological developments designed to satisfy application requirements. Primary, rechargeable, reserve batteries, fuel cells, ultra-capacitors systems and their accessories are covered. The seminar program reviews typical cycle life aspects of designing and manufacturing energy source solutions: from application energy requirements, power source electrical and mechanical

Washington DC February 9-11 The ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit brings together the very best minds in business, academia, and government to advance cutting-edge technologies that could fundamentally change the way we generate, use and store energy. The 2015 summit will be held at the Gaylord Convention Center, just outside Washington, DC. Registration is capped to ensure a quality and productive experience for attendees, so be sure to register early and reserve your spot at the preeminent energy event of the year. Contact www.arpae-summit.com

SAE 2015 Hybrid & Electric Vehicle Technologies Symposium Los Angeles February 10-12 SAE 2015 Hybrid & Electric Vehicle Technologies Symposium addresses critical information on both the technical developments in electronic vehicle technologies as well as the business decisions around technology development and implementation. Additionally, it allows for attendees to meet with those industry experts and technology specialists from the entire supply chain of EV, HEV and EREV to engage in dialogue about the topics of greatest interest. Contact SAE International switchboard Tel: +1 724 776 4841

Batteries International • Winter 2014 / 2015 • 97

FORTHCOMING EVENTS National Alliance for Advanced Technology Batteries, 2015 Annual Meeting & Conference

6th International Rechargeable Battery Expo – Battery Japan

Wigwam Resort, Phoenix, Arizona, USA • February 16-19

Tokyo, Japan February 25-27

The National Alliance for Advanced Technology Batteries (NAATBatt) Meeting & Conference is the premier business development event in North America for professionals working in the electrochemical energy storage supply chain. The meeting & conference will start on February 16 with a special event: the First Annual Advanced Battery Golf & Tennis Tournament. NAATBatt is pleased to offer those working in advanced electrochemical energy storage with the opportunity to participate in what we expect will become a regular social event in our industry. No special skill is required! The 2015 Annual Meeting & Conference will start, on February 17. The two-and-a-half day program is designed to help delegates identify new revenue opportunities in the business of electrochemical energy storage technology and make new connections in the industry. This year’s meeting will see the return of the highly acclaimed M&A panel, discussing merger and acquisition activity in the advanced battery and energy materials industries over the past year. Delegates will hear about nearterm developments in materials that will be making lithium-ion batteries more capable and will open new market opportunities for other types of batteries and ultracapacitors. Delegates will hear about new ap-

98 • Batteries International • Winter 2014 / 2015

plications enabled by emerging thinfilm batteries that will create new business for battery and advanced materials makers and learn about new interests in the Department of Energy and Department of Defense that could drive commercial opportunity in the years ahead. The NAATBatt Annual Meeting & Conference also includes the Energy Storage Innovation Summit. At the summit, 20 emerging companies jury-selected by a committee of NAATBatt member firms make flash presentations to the meeting about new, market-ready technologies that are available to industry for immediate licence or acquisition. The summit is where early stage technology meets the market. Don’t miss this special, once-a-year event. As in past years, the annual meeting and conference includes a special spouses program. NAATBatt is all about building a community and including spouses and significant others in our activities serves to build that bond. The NAATBatt Annual Meeting & Conference is the best opportunity you will have this year to understand where the business of electrochemical energy storage is going and where the best commercial opportunities in the industry will be.

Reed Exhibitions Japan will be holding the 6th edition of BATTERY JAPAN — Int’l Rechargeable Battery Expo at Tokyo Big Sight. As the world’s largest exhibition specialising in rechargeable batteries, BATTERY JAPAN will be the best place to get an insight into the current market conditions and see new products and technologies of key players in the field. The latest and innovative rechargeable battery related exhibits from across Japan, Asia and the world will be showcased allowing industry professionals to negotiate new business, catch up with the latest technology trends and network with one another. With the expanded show profile and impressive line-up of concurrently held Technical Conference sessions and networking events, BATTERY JAPAN 2015 is sure to be another edition not to be missed. A technical conference will be held concurrent to the exhibition offering attendants to catch the latest and innovative technologies, trends and outlook of the industry. BATTERY JAPAN is part of World Smart Energy Week 2015 — the world’s leading comprehensive B2B renewable & smart energy trade show, collectively composed of nine independent, world-class exhibitions covering various energy sectors and every stage of the energy business from power generation to electricity retail. This year, a new exhibition ENERGY LIBERALISATION JAPAN 2015 — 1st Energy Market Liberalisation Expo has been launched as part of World Smart Energy Week to provide a platform for industry players seeking to the new Japanese electricity retail market starting in 2016. Various services and technologies related to electricity retail business will be showcased opening up new windows of opportunities for this particular field of new business. Contact Website: www.batteryjapan.jp/en/ Visiting Enquiries: visitor-eng.bj@reedexpo. co.jp Exhibiting enquiries: bj@reedexpo.co.jp

Contact Rayna Handelman Tel: +1 312 588 0477

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FORTHCOMING EVENTS 8th Annual Storage Week San Diego, California, USA March 2-4 The storage market has been compared by many industry observers as resembling the solar market of 10 years ago, poised for exponential growth. 2015 is expected to see procurement of more energy storage systems and technologies than the past 40 years combined! Attend Infocast’s 8th Annual Storage Week, March 2-4 in San Diego, the global business hub for energy storage solutions. Join policymakers and senior executives at the forefront of a coming wave of storage deployment. The road to bankable revenue flows is opening for both grid connected and behind the meter applications, with billions of dollars of investment expected in the next few years. Attend Storage Week to position your company to move from pilot projects to full-scale deployment! Contact Phone: + 1 818 888-4444 Fax: + 1 818 888-4440 Email: mail@infocastevents.com

International Electric Vehicle Expo (IEVE) Jeju, South Korea March 6-15 ‘Carbon-free island by 2030’ — being a certification site and having the best conditions for an EV test bed, Jeju-do (island) has the potential to provide the best charging infrastructure and services with the aim to replace 100% of vehicles on the island with EVs. IEVE 2015 will be the right place to witness the EV market trend. Worldrenowned companies that manufacture EVs, electric motorcycles, electric bicycles, batteries and charging equipment are participating to introduce and promote their products. IEVE 2015 will establish a foundation that will enable Korean EV manufacturing companies to compete for technologies through exchange and acquisition of new information and to prepare to strengthen international competitiveness and to enter into the Asian and world EV markets by establishing networks with the Asian and world companies and related institutions. At the same time, industry experts will discuss over topics regarding EV, including technology, supply and batteries. Contact Main tel: +82 64 702 1580 Organizing Committee Secretariat Exhibition Team: Lee Wang-geon — Tel: +82-64-702-1580 Fax: +82-64-702-1576 E-mail: ieve@ ievexpo.org

100 • Batteries International • Winter 2014 / 2015

7th International Battery Expo & Recycling Conference, IBRX India Goa, India • March 3-5

Inspired by the success of International Battery Fair — IBF India 2008, IBRX India 2009, IBRX India 2010, IBRX India 2011, IBRX India 2012, IBRX India 2013, Battery and Recycling Foundation International, New Delhi, these new meetings will feature: • an exhibition by battery manufacturers, equipment for battery manufacturing, equipment for battery recycling. • a one day conference that will in particular address, recent technological advances in battery manufacturing as well as waste management and environmentally sound technologies for recycling used batteries. We expect leading battery manufacturers to showcase their products and take advantage of India as base

for business promotions — selling, buying, technology cooperation and JV opportunities. Today the talk is about Asia which continues to be a major user of batteries. With this arises the need for a defined focus towards waste management of used batteries. We expect exhibitor and delegate participation from battery manufacturers, importer and exporters of batteries, researchers, lead recyclers, battery breakers, furnace, pollution control equipment manufacturers. Contact Tel/fax: +91 11 4240 3200 info@bﬁ .org.in info@ewm.org.in Organizer: Ajoy Raychaudhuri +91 98 1102 1630

Jeju Island: hot spot as EV test bed

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FORTHCOMING EVENTS Energy Storage, Europe/9th International Renewable Energy Storage Conference (IRES 2015) Dusseldorf, Germany • March 9-11

Messe Düsseldorf

In 2015 the International Renewable Energy Storage Conference (IRES) will take place for the first time in cooperation with Messe Düsseldorf and OTTI. Running in Düsseldorf for the first time, IRES 2015 is being held as a concurrent event with ENERGY STORAGE EUROPE (Conference & Expo) and the 4th Power-to-Gas Conference (OTTI). A related trade show will feature some 100 exhibitors. Because of the enormous successes of past IRES conferences EUROSOLAR and the World Council for Renewable Energy (WCRE) will continue the IRES series in 2015. The series of IRES conferences has emerged as the leading forum for the discussion of the pressing problems

ICLB 2015: 13th International Conference on Lithium Batteries Miami, USA March 9-10 The ICLB 2015: XIII International Conference on Lithium Batteries aims to bring together leading academic scientists, researchers and research scholars to exchange and share their experiences and research results about all aspects of lithium batteries. It also provides the premier interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary forum for researchers, practitioners and educators to present and discuss the most recent innovations, trends, and concerns, practical challenges encountered and the solutions adopted in the field of Lithium Batteries. Contact www.waset.org/conference/2015/03/miami/ ICLB

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with renewable energy storage by drawing together one of the largest gatherings of scientific and economic experts worldwide. As of 2015 the participants can choose from even more extensive options. The three conferences and the exhibition will take place March 9-11 in the professional surroundings of Messe Düsseldorf (Trade Fair Dusseldorf), Germany. Combining their events, the organizers, thereby, will establish the most important energy storage meeting worldwide. Contact Tel: +49 228 362 373 Fax: +49 228 361 279 info@eurosolar.org

The 32nd International Battery Seminar & Exhibition Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA March 9-12 In its 32nd year, this seminar is the leader in providing key industry speakers to discuss the state of the art of worldwide energy storage technology developments for portable, automotive and stationary power applications. This meeting provides not only broad perspectives, but also informed insights into significant advances in materials, product development and application for all battery systems and enabling technologies. In addition, this meeting is renowned for offering broad networking and exhibiting opportunities to the international battery community. As the longest running battery industry event in the world, this meeting has always been the preferred venue to announce significant new developments

and showcase the most advanced battery technology. Areas of focus include: • In-depth worldwide analysis of battery markets and technologies • Government battery program developments • Battery safety enhancement and regulatory status • Consumer and large format batteries • Thermal and power management systems for consumer and electric, plug-in and hybrid vehicles • Battery development for the grid • Advances in new and improved materials for anode, cathode, electrolyte, separators • Advances in battery packs, charging and testing • Battery recycling for regulatory and resource recovery purposes • Status and future outlook for other energy storage technologies Contact Tel: +1 561 367 0193 Tel: info@powersources.net

NY-BEST Annual Meeting and Conference Troy, New York, USA March 11-12 The two-day event, organized by the New York Battery and Energy Storage Technology (NY-BEST) Consortium, will take place at the Hilton Garden Inn in Troy, New York. NY-BEST was created in 2010 to position the state of New York as a global leader in energy storage technology, including applications in transportation, grid storage, and power electronics. The consortium has more than 130 members. Membership is diverse and includes manufacturers, academic institutions, utilities, technology and materials developers, start-ups, government entities, engineering firms, systems integrators, and end-users. The majority are New York based. Contact www.ny-best.org

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CHARGING THE FUTURE Join us for ees! – Special Exhibition for electrical energy storage at Intersolar North America in San Francisco! Must-attend energy storage event for market leaders in North America. Energy storage is the focal point for new market growth. ees is exciting! Register now to exhibit!

JULY 14–16, 2015 SAN FRANCISCO, USA MOSCONE CENTER Energy Storage Meets North America's Most-Attended Solar Event!

www.ees-northamerica.com

FORTHCOMING EVENTS 8th Developer Forum Accumulator Technologies

Hybrid Energy Innovations 2015

Batteries, Super Capacitors, Fuel Cells & EVs Seminar

Aschaffenburg, Germany March 24-26

New York, USA April 8-9

Borehamwood, UK April 9-10

For the eighth time the expert forum with exhibition will open its doors on March 24-26 in the Stadthalle in Aschaffenburg. The event has successfully established itself as one of the most significant meeting points of the mobile electrical power supply industry. As per 2014 we expect more than 500 visitors, 30 exhibitors as well as 30 speakers with an exhibition area of 2000m?. For our international guests there will be a simultaneous translation of the German expert speeches into English. For the first time we will offer a training seminar around the topic of battery packs development, from conception to serial production. On the following two days the expert forum and the exhibition will take place as usual. The Expert Forum offers participants the rare opportunity, in comparatively short time, to get comprehensive information in direct dialogue with the experts on all major trends and new developments. Main topics: • Battery & charging technology • Power Management & Safety • Progressive battery manufacturing • E-Bikes/EV/Automotive HEV • Raw materials/energy storage systems During the two-day exhibition, you will be able to acquire information at the various exhibitor stands and establish new business

Hybrid Energy Innovations 2015 gives you the big picture on the dramatic transformation sweeping the energy industry. Historically, different segments of the energy market have been warring with each other. Now, a better and more compelling energy model has started to gain favour – hybrid energy, which offers greater benefits by blending together the attributes of many diverse renewable energy sources and fossil fuels, as well as combining energy storage. Essentially, hybrid energy affords a flexibility and versatility in energy production and distribution that is truly needed to propel the industry forward. Hybrid energy is changing the energy equation. Hybrid Energy Innovations 2015 provides a unique platform for participants to: • Gain special insights into the innovative tools, techniques and strategies that are revolutionizing the energy industry • Learn more about successful and farreaching examples of hybrid energy products, projects and technologies • Network with a wide range of key players in hybrid energy • Help shape the future of this dynamic market

The seminar program focuses on present and future needs of portable and stationary electrochemical energy sources and highlights the latest technological developments designed to satisfy application requirements. Primary, rechargeable, reserve batteries, fuel cells, ultra-capacitors systems and their accessories are covered. The seminar program reviews typical cycle life aspects of designing and manufacturing energy source solutions: from application energy requirements, power source electrical and mechanical design, cells selection, cells evaluation tests, battery prototype, acceptance tests, design and manufacturing techniques, testing, mass production, safety issues, transportation, use and disposal. Topics include military batteries, thermal & reserve batteries, lithium rechargeable cell manufacturing process, grid storage, EV batteries, fuel cells and metal air systems and EV charging infrastructure.

Contact www.hybridenergyinnovations.com/attendee-registration/ Michael Mascioni, conference director, Hybrid Energy Innovations, (212) 688-4781, mmascioni@HybridEnergyInnovations.com Bill O’Connor, Sponsor and Exhibit Sales, (203) 262-4670, ext. 235, oconnor@HybridEnergyInnovations.com

Batteries, Super Capacitors, Fuel Cells & EVs Seminar

Contact Register on the site by visiting: www. entwicklerforum-akkutechnologien.de/Home/ index_1000.html

24th International Specialized Fair on Independent Power Sources Moscow, Russia • March 25-27

This conference has been organized by the International Association known as INTERBAT and the National Association of current sources known as RUSBAT since 1992. This provides a unique opportunity to those skilled in the field of chemical power sources to meet annually with the manufacturers, developers

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and consumers of power sources in Russia as well as manufacturers of process equipment, materials and components for production of power sources from different countries. Contact Tel/fax: +7 495 940 1820 interbat@interbat.ru

Contact Shmuel De-Leon Energy, Ltd shmuel@sdle.co.il Jasbir Singh Jsingh@helgroup.com Tel: +44-0-2087360640

Texas, USA April 15-17 Shmuel De-Leon and Doron Aurbach in partnership with XG Sciences invite you to join a unique Batteries, Super Capacitors, Fuel Cells & EVs seminar. The seminar program focuses on present and future needs of portable and stationary electrochemical energy sources and highlights the latest technological developments designed to satisfy application requirements. Primary, rechargeable, reserve batteries, fuel cells, ultra-capacitors systems and their accessories are covered. The seminar program reviews typical cycle life aspects of designing and manufacturing energy source solutions: from application energy requirements, power source electrical and mechanical design, cells selection, cells evaluation tests, battery prototype, acceptance tests, design and manufacturing techniques, testing, mass production, safety issues, transportation, use and disposal. Contact Shmuel De-Leon Energy, Ltd shmuel@sdle.co.il John Butcher, Arbin Instruments john.b@arbin.com Tel: +1-979-690-2751 #129

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FORTHCOMING EVENTS The Commercial Graphene Show Manchester, UK April 16-17 The Commercial Graphene Show is set to cut through the hype and hot air and directly tackle the challenges associated with applying graphene in the commercial environment. This meeting exists to bring those pioneering graphene production and commercial application together to share insight and exchange ideas that will shape the way that graphene impacts industry. The Commercial Graphene Show presents a unique opportunity to network and forge relationships with the largest gathering of industrial application developers. It will introduce exciting new applications of graphene that are revolutionary to many sectors. The Commercial Graphene Show is the definitive meeting place for the entire graphene value chain. Taking you right the way from ground breaking research in the lab all the way to mass industrial adoption. This meeting will bring graphene researchers improving production quality and quantities, and put them at

the same table as large multinational industrial powerhouses looking at industry wide adoption. Working with these large commercial application developers is no smooth process and only by working with all the stakeholders in this space can graphene suppliers truly realise the goal of commercial application. Contact www.terrapinn.com/conference/grapheneapplications-world-europe/about.stm

Next Generation Batteries 2015 San Diego, USA April 21-22 The Knowledge Foundation’s NextGeneration Materials, Chemistries & Technologies conference track showcases several of the more promising chemistries and materials that are hoped to be in production and commercially viable in coming years. We discuss optimal alignment of these technologies with application and address challenges such as cell to system, supply chain and manufacturing that need to be met as we proceed. Choose from three concurrent tracks, or register for all Access and “track

8th Energy Storage World Forum Rome, Italy • April 27-30

hop” between talks: • Next-generation materials, chemistries and technologies • Lithium battery safety • Grid-scale energy storage Contact Jay Mulhern, business development manager Tel: +1 781-972-1359 jmulhern@healthtech.com https://chidb.com/register/KnowledgeFoundation/15/ngb/reg.asp

Battery Conference 2015 in Aachen Aachen, Germany April, 27-29 The 7th Advanced Battery Power Conference with the proceeding Battery day NRW which takes place in the Eurogress in Aachen will be three days packed full of insights into battery competence. Advanced Battery Power has developed into one of the leading events in the battery technology sector. Its significance to the trade extends well beyond just the use of batteries in automobiles, making advanced battery power a must for all engineers, researchers and developers involved in energy storage devices in general, new materials, grid integration or battery recycling. Contact www.battery-power.eu/en/registration.html

Energy Harvesting & Storage 2015 Berlin, Germany April 28-29

Returning to Rome, the 8th Energy Storage World Forum will allow you to meet the industry’s movers and shakers in person and benefit from their extensive connections — an incredible networking experience. This year’s forum will feature speakers from over 25 utilities/TSOs/DSOs from around the world. Our forums are carefully tailored to attract all stakeholders of the industry. You will rub hands with figures from utilities, DSOs, government regulators, manufacturers, operators, EPCs, and many more. The four conference days include the 2nd Residential Energy Storage Forum.

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We believe in dialogue and partnerships, and our precisely manicured program reflects that. Our forum is designed to facilitate communication through coffee breaks, luncheons, visits to exhibitions, drinks reception, and interactive group discussions, resulting in no less than 10 hours of Contact time for attendees to meet and greet. Contact Singapore + 65 6243 0050 London: +44 20 8090 1613 USA: +1 978 263 9931 www.energystorageforum.com/europe/ register-now

This seventh annual IDTechEx event provides insight into energy harvesting technologies, case studies and markets, ranging from consumer electronics and sensors all the way to vehicles, building and industrial automation. Attendees to this event will learn: * Who needs energy harvesting, the ROI and sectors close to adoption. End user and integrators from a diverse range of markets present their needs and experiences • All the technology options — from energy harvester choices, energy storage options, through to the latest in low power electronics and wireless sensors and related technologies such as thin film harvesters and supercapacitors • The current state of the technology at the event tradeshow. More than 2000 people attend this event to aid their critical business and technology development strategy decisions in this emerging, high growth topic. Contact Corinne Jennings, event director Tel: +44 (0)1223 812300 c.jennings@IDTechEx.com

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FORTHCOMING EVENTS

The 19th International Lead Conference (Pb2015) April 22-24, Lisbon, Portugal

The event is organized by the International Lead Association and is the only global conference on lead that is run by the industry, for the industry. The event will be held back-to-back with the International Lead and Zinc Study Group’s Spring Meetings, providing a unique opportunity to interact with governments from many of the world’s major lead producing countries. Building on the success of Pb2013, which attracted almost 150 delegates, next year’s event will provide an authoritative and comprehensive overview of issues affecting the lead industry worldwide, including: • • • •

Analyzing recent trends in the lead market and prospects for the future Reviewing regulatory issues affecting the life cycle of lead Lead’s role in achieving a sustainable society Using communications to create a more favourable environment in which the lead industry can prosper.

ILA is also holding a Lead Occupational Exposure Management Workshop on April 22 and is currently exploring opportunities for industry plant tours. Save the date to avoid missing out on this opportunity to:

• • • •

Network with business colleagues and government representatives from around the world Listen to presentations from expert speakers and industry insiders Find out more about industry trends, regulatory challenges and the positive role lead plays in society Support ILA in its work to create a sustainable global lead industry.

Contact Maura McDermott Email: mcdermott@ila-lead.org

MAY 12-14, 2015

THE 19TH ANNUAL BATTERY CONFERENCE AND TRADESHOW

“Technically oriented for the seasoned battery expert and the novice user.”

Be Empowered ± ± ± ± ±

Presentations and panel discussions relevant to your field Technological advances presented concisely and clearly Trade show vendors offering the products and services you need Interactive breakout workshops and seminars that provide solutions Industry-specific education and networking found nowhere else

“Where the data center, telecom, and utility sectors come together!” T H E H I L T O N O R L A N D O B O N N E T C R E E K | O R L A N D O, F L

BATTCON ALWAYS SELLS OUT. REGISTER EARLY!

To discover the advantages of being a presenter, see the Call for Papers page at www.battcon.com or contact Jennifer.Stryker@alber.com.

954.623.6660 EXT 2380 | WWW.BATTCON.COM

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Batteries International • Winter 2014 / 2015 • 105

FORTHCOMING EVENTS Batteries, Super Capacitors, Fuel Cells & EVs Seminar Wezep, The Netherlands April 30-May 1 The seminar program focuses on present and future needs of portable and stationary electrochemical energy sources and highlights the latest technological developments designed to satisfy application requirements. Primary, rechargeable, reserve batteries, fuel cells, ultra-capacitors systems and their accessories are covered. The seminar program reviews typical cycle life aspects of designing and manufacturing energy source solutions: from application energy requirements, power source electrical and mechanical design, cells selection, cells evaluation tests, battery prototype, acceptance tests, design and manufacturing techniques, testing, mass production, safety issues, transportation, use and disposal. Topics include military batteries, thermal & reserve batteries, lithium rechargeable cell manufacturing process, grid storage, EV batteries, fuel cells and metal air systems and EV charging infrastructure. Contact Shmuel De-Leon Energy, Ltd Email: shmuel@sdle.co.il Marnix Ten Kortenaar Marnix@drten.nl Tel: +31-06-20619140

4th China International Energy Storage Station Congress (ESSC 2015) Shenzhen, China May 10-12 To catch up with the pace of development of the Chinese energy storage industry as well as the opportunities and challenges this entails, the 4th China International Energy Storage Station Congress (ESSC 2015) will be held in Shenzhen. As the most prestigious energy storage conference in the domestic industry, the organiser is inviting experts in the energy storage field including the National Energy Administration, Ministry of Science and Technology, the National Development and Reform Commission Energy Research Institute, State Grid Corporation of China, China Southern Power Grid and other relevant enterprises. The event is expected to gather over 800 professionals of authority in energy storage to attend and share views on relevant policies and standards, market trends and investment advice, technical bottlenecks and solution, project demonstration and experience sharing across hot topics. Join ESSC 2015, you can enjoy the workshop, keynote speech, thematic interactive discussion, case study, cocktail party and one-to-one meetings prepared by organizer. During the site tour visit-

BCI’s 127th Convention and Power Mart Expo Savannah, Georgia, USA • May 3-6

Members of the battery industry are recharging their business energy at Battery Council International’s 127th Convention and Power Mart Expo. Join us on May 3-5 in Savannah, Georgia as we discuss topics in the foreground of energy storage today. At the 127th Convention and Power Mart Expo, you can expect to gather in-depth knowledge on the latest technologies and environmental issues, learn about the impact of global economy on the battery marketplace, network with renowned industry experts, share experiences and challenges with your peers, hear worldwide regulatory and legislative

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issues affecting the manufacturing and distribution of batteries, and so much more. The Power Mart Expo provides a complete display of the battery industry’s newest technologies, products and services. This premier forum is specifically designed so attendees can see product demonstrations and pose questions to company experts, allowing you to get the knowledge you need to stay ahead of your competition. Contact http://batterycouncil.org/?127Convention +1 (312) 644-6610 info@batterycouncil.org

ing after the conference, you will have the opportunity to listen to insights from Chinese domestic and multinational players. We believe that ESSC 2015 will help you stand out in the fierce competition in the Chinese energy storage market and accelerate the development of your company! We are looking forward to meet with you on ESSC 2015! Contact www.cdmc.org.cn Timd@cdmc.org.cn

The Guangzhou International Lithium Battery New Energy Fair 2015 Guangzhou, China May 16-18 With the strong support of domestic and overseas exhibitors, visitors and media, and the collaboration of the organizer, “The Guangzhou International Lithium Battery New Energy Fair ” was successfully held in Guangzhou in June 2014. This exhibition has been highly praised by exhibitors who thought that it was successful in the number of visitors, organization and management. According to the requirements of exhibitors, “The Guangzhou International Lithium Battery New Energy Fair 2015” (BNEF CHINA 2015) will be held at Guangzhou Pazhou Poly World Trade Expo Center in China from between May 16-18. The organizing committee will continue to provide exhibitors with a highquality international trading platform where they can expand business, conduct technology exchange, display new products and find cooperative partners, and will provide more cooperation opportunities for global Lithium Battery New Energy industry, promote China Lithium Battery New Energy products to fully enter the global procurement system, and cooperate with global automobile industries to achieve a winwin situation and enjoy mutual development and progress. The exhibition has an exhibition area of 67,000m2, over 3,000 standard booths, and expected 62,551 visitors, among which there are over 30,000 professional buyers, 25,000 terminal consumers and 7,551 foreign buyers. Contact Miss Li Tel: +86-20-8922 0050 / 8922 0105 E-mail: info@fce.cn

Batteries International • Winter 2014 / 2015 • 107

FORTHCOMING EVENTS 5th Israeli Power Sources Conference Herzelia, Israel May 21 The 5th Israeli conference for Power Sources, Batteries, Fuel Cells and EV will meet to discuss and provide a platform for technological innovations and business opportunities. The conference will discuss the latest advances in the field found in Israel and abroad and support the electrochemical, e-Mobility and the smart grid industry in Israel. All presentations will be in English. The conference will be held once a year and is the leading Israeli Power Sources & EV conference, bringing together worldwide participants from leading private and public companies, start-ups, investors, academics and businesses that are interested in the energy field. Senior keynotes and experts will present the lectures. An exhibition will run alongside the conference. Contact Tel: +972 77 500 1674 Tel/fax: +972 77 501 0792 Cell: +972 52 860 1517 Email: shmuel@sdle.co.il

10th International Lead Battery Fair Beijing, China May 20-22 Thanks for the support from the exhibitors and delegates from over 50+ countries, and thanks for the participants of traders, buyers & visitors concerned worldwide, the previous nine events of the International Lead Battery Fair have been held in Beijing China an have been the great success. The ILBF CHINA has been the largest trade fair in the lead battery industry, and became the regular grand gathering of the manufacturers, suppliers, traders, buyers and all people concerned with business of lead batteries worldwide: • For all buyers & traders of lead batteries worldwide, the ILBF CHINA has been the best place to meet with all lead battery manufacturers in Asia for sourcing qualified automotive, motorcycle, motive power and sealed VRLA batteries; • For all lead battery manufacturers worldwide, the ILBF CHINA has been the best place to meet with all suppliers worldwide for purchasing advanced equipment, materials & components. To provide better services and more business opportunities to our exhibitors & partners, a series of worldwide business promotion will be provided to ILBF CHINA 2015 exhibitors at no

108 • Batteries International • Winter 2014 / 2015

extra cost. The business information of ILBF CHINA 2015 exhibitors will be sent to potential buyers worldwide and the ILBF CHINA 2015 will also be promoted worldwide. The ILBF CHINA 2015 may be your company’s best opportunity in 2015 to increase your business and raise your profit, throughout Asia, and worldwide! Contact Tel: +86 10 6232 6669 Fax: +86 10 6234 0078 bcc@bcc-intl.org

227th ECS Meeting Chicago, USA May 24-28 Thousands of scientific leaders from around the world will gather this spring in Chicago for the 227th ECS Meeting. Every ECS Meeting is a forum for sharing the latest scientific and technical developments in electrochemistry and solid state science and technology. The 227th ECS Meeting will be held downtown at the historic Hilton, Chicago and will include over 50 topical symposia consisting of over 2,000 technical presentations, full-day short courses, professional development workshops, career opportunities, poster sessions, a dynamic technical exhibit and the 3rd annual Free the Science 5K Run. The 227th ECS Meeting is expected to attract over 2,000 scientists and engineers from industry, government, and academic institutions. Scientists, engineers, and industry leaders come from around the world to attend the technical symposia, poster sessions, panel discussions, professional development workshops, special summits, and networking and social events offered throughout the course of each meeting. Contact General Meeting Inquiries: meetings@electrochem.org Abstracts: abstracts@electrochem.org ECS Transactions: ecst@electrochem.org

7th Annual Electric Mobility Canada Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada May 25-27 Electric Mobility Canada welcomes you to the seventh annual national event. The theme for the 2015 conference is EVs Coast to Coast: Innovation & Infrastructure and encourages a focus on the rapid changes in many aspects of electric mobility for all modes of transport. Our conference committees are hard at work designing the conference program to reflect the theme and are organizing plenary sessions and technical tours of interest. EV2015VÉ will be of particular interest to those supplying, operating or planning to market electric vehicle technologies in Canada. The three-day event presents plenary sessions, technical sessions as well as special sessions aimed at academics, new technology developers and vehicle manufacturers. This is your chance to experience some of the latest electric vehicle technologies. We are delighted that Nova Scotia Power, the Halifax Regional Municipality and Nova Scotia Department of Energy are hosts this year. Nova Scotia continues to be a noted centre for battery research, storage technology and support for EV infrastructure. We are pleased with the support of key businesses and organizations in bringing the themes of this conference to Canada’s East Coast. The EV-VÉ Conferences and Trade Shows are the only national events on EVs in Canada. EMC is always seeking to bring new electric-transport related ideas, technologies and business models to our delegates. As a result, our 2015 conference will look at research and academic topics to be announced as planning progresses. Contact http://emc-mec.ca/ev2015ve/en/ contact.html

Chicago will host the 227th ECS Meeting

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FORTHCOMING EVENTS ESA’s 25th Annual Conference and Expo

Battery Expo China

Dallas, Texas, USA May 27-29

Beijing, China • June 3-6

For more than two decades, the ESA has hosted the forum for industry engagement and advancement, and the annual conference has drawn rapidly increasing attendance in recent years. Due to this growing interest, ESA’s 25th Annual Conference and Technology Expo is set to be on May 27-29, in Dallas, TX at the Hyatt Regency — opening up more space for the expanding exhibition hall and even more room for keynote sessions and panels. Oncor Electric Delivery Company will be the host utility for this year’s event, giving attendees the added benefit of visiting sites to see energy storage systems in action and learn about the company’s bold proposal for as much as 5GW of energy storage to be deployed across the state. Contact http://annual-conference.energystorage.org/about

2015 Australian Energy Storage Conference and Exhibition Sydney, Australia June 3-4 Changes in the clean energy industry and the growing importance of NSW to the market have prompted Exhibitions & Trade Fairs (ETF) to bring the event to Sydney. The event will focus on the energy storage industry at all levels — for utilities, energy businesses, building management and the emerging electric vehicle markets. Following the successful 2014 event in Melbourne, Australian Energy Storage Exhibition will continue its to focus on the latest state-of-the-art energy storage technologies, but also expand to incorporate ‘Lighting & Building Automation’ and ‘Emergent Business Technologies’ zones to offer trade visitors the most comprehensive energy solutions for their businesses. We are pleased to confirm our association with the California Energy Storage Alliance (CESA), which is a group committed to advancing the role of energy storage through policy, education, and research. Although Australia shares many traits with California, we are being left behind by technology, so there are many things we can learn from California’s experiences and the progress and knowledge of the CESA. The two day conference will feature over 40 speakers who will discuss the most recent trends and developments in energy storage. This is the only event of its kind in Australia and we invite everyone involved in the energy storage and allied industries to attend. Contact www.australianenergystorage.com.au/conference

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Since 1995, the Chinese Battery Industry Association has held China International Battery, Raw Material, Producing Equipment and Battery Parts Fair (Battery China) for 10 sessions. During the past two decades, Battery China has become one of the top three battery exhibitions in Asia. It is an influential platform and an eye-catching brand name. It helped in the growth of the Chinese battery industry and became a beacon in the battery trade in China as well as in Asia. Since 2014, Battery Expo China has been headed by the Chinese Battery Industry Association, the Electric Power Industry Office of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, Beijing Tiger Exhibition and Messe Düsseldorf (Shanghai). Battery Expo China aims at building brands, improving international interactions in the battery business, and assisting businesses exploring overseas market. As a pillar of the rapidly expanding market of the Chinese battery industry, Battery Expo China not only supplies Chinese brand names with Asian/International market updates and tech support, but also provides policy trending and cooperation support to foreign brand names coming to China/Asia. Over the ups and downs of the past 20 years, Battery Expo China has grown up from a governmental pet project to an industrial leader. Battery Expo China has led the Chinese battery industry in its quest to go global and is the No.1 choice for exhibitors and professional visitors alike. Battery Expo China will promote the continuous progress of the bat-

tery industry, improve the communication and cooperation between China and the rest of the world, publicize the premium brands in the industry, populate the advanced and feasible technological procedures, promote virtuous development of the industry, bring favourable media attentions to the Chinese battery industry, publicize the idea of environmentally-friendly and energysaving manufacturing, and improve the stature of the battery industry in China and the rest of the world. Battery Expo China 2015 will have nearly 600 standard booths with an exhibition space totalling 20,000 m2, showcasing the latest products and technology covering the complete industrial chain of the battery industry. Exhibitors will come from 20 countries and regions including China, South Korea, the United States, Japan, Germany, France, Britain, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, Australia, India, Hong Kong China and Taiwan China. Furthermore, Battery Expo China sincerely invites all relevant corporates to further explore cooperation networks, and to build their brands for the global market, and to improve their global competitiveness. Contact Ted He, Messe Düsseldorf (Shanghai) Tel: +86-10-6590-7101 Mobile: +86-18500-288-499 Email: energystorage@mds.cn/ted.he@ mds.cn www.mds.cn Beijing Tiger Exhibition Co., Ltd. Zhang Yingzhe Tel: +86-10-8460 0665 Fax: +86-10-8460 0892 Email: info@tigerzl.com

Batteries International • Winter 2014 / 2015 • 109

SEPTEMBER 15 – 17, 2015 THE EXPO FOR ADVANCED BATTERIES RETURNS TO NOVI, MI, USA IN 2015

JOIN THE INDUSTRY’S LEADING EXHIBITION AND CONFERENCE!

4 EXH 50+ IB AND ITORS ATT 5000+ E EXP NDEES ECT ED!

“There was constant traffic and bandwidth from both the domestic and international customers at our booth. I found this an excellent platform for networking, evaluating options and gaining a sound insight for future development. And…yes we are committed with a larger booth and additional staff next year!”

Peter J. Gunia, BD & Sales Manager - Americas, Saft Batteries, Vehicle Business Unit

Co-located with

Watch us - TheBatteryShow

WWW.THEBATTERYSHOW.COM

INFO@THEBATTERYSHOW.COM

FORTHCOMING EVENTS EUROBAT AGM & Forum 2015 Brussels, Belgium • June 11-12

Event details to follow at: http://www.eurobat.org/eurobat-agm-forum-2015-brusselsbelgium

4th International Symposium on Enhanced Electrochemical Capacitors (ISEE’Cap15)

EES — International Exhibition for Batteries, Energy Storage Systems and Innovative Production (co-located with Intersolar 2015)

Advanced Automotive & Industrial/Stationary Battery Conference

Montpellier, France June 8-12

Munich, Germany June 10-12

After Nantes in 2009, Poznan in 2011 and Taormina in 2013, the 4th edition of the International Symposium on Enhanced Electrochemical Capacitors, ISEE’Cap15, will be held in Montpellier in the south of France between June 8-12. The main objective of ISEE’Cap15 is to gather the most renowned international experts together with nonspecialist engineers and researchers who share interests in electrochemical capacitors and the related subject matter including:

Electrical Energy Storage, the international exhibition for batteries, energy storage systems and innovative production, is the industry hotspot for suppliers, manufacturers, distributors and users of stationary and mobile electrical energy storage solutions. It takes place annually with Intersolar Europe, the world’s largest exhibition for the solar industry, in Munich, Germany. Covering the entire value chain of innovative battery and energy storage technologies — from components and production to specific user applications — EES is the ideal platform for all kinds of stakeholders in the rapidly growing energy storage market. The focus at EES is on energy storage solutions suited to energy systems with increasing shares of renewable energy sources. A conference track of several days, co-organized with Intersolar Europe Conference, is accompanying EES 2015. The energy storage sessions cover the entire spectrum of energy storage related aspects stretching from global market analysis, to technologies, from small and large-scale applications, to second-hand use concepts and the recycling of batteries. In addition, issues related to safety and battery production technologies are presented.

Join us at the leading international forum where automakers and energystorage system developers discuss the recent progress in advanced battery technology and its implementation in automotive, stationary, and industrial applications. The 2015 Advanced Automotive & Stationary Battery Conference will feature two parallel technology focused symposia and two parallel application focused symposia. Technology focused symposia: Large Lithium Ion Battery Technology & Application (LLIBTA) • Chemistry track: cell materials and chemistry • A thorough examination of material development and advanced high-energy cell chemistries • Engineering track: cell and battery engineering • An inside look at cell, module, and battery design, as well as electrical, mechanical, and thermal components and integration for modules and packs Application focused symposia • Automotive symposium • A review of the expanding xEV and xEV-battery technology and markets and of competing technologies • Industrial/stationary symposium • A focused look at the emerging market for advanced batteries in utility, telecom and industrial applications

• Electrochemical double layer capacitors, electrode materials and mechanisms • Pseudo-capacitors, electrode materials and mechanisms • New concepts, new devices and new fabrication processes in supercapacitors • Asymmetric and hybrid devices • Electrolytes and interfaces • Characterization techniques, insitu and in-operando methods • Modelling of phenomena and systems • Devices, system integration and applications Contact Nathalie Cros Tel:+33(0)467 149 098 ncros@pretexo.com

www.batteriesinternational.com

Contact Sabine Kloos Tel: +49 7231 58598-13 kloos@ees-europe.com

Detroit, Michigan, USA June 15-19

Contact +1 (530) 692-0140 registration@advancedautobat.com

Batteries International • Winter 2014 / 2015 • 111

FORTHCOMING EVENTS International Flow Battery Forum Glasgow, Scotland June 16-17 The meeting place for flow battery developers, suppliers and users. Our next planned IFBF 2015 will be the sixth conference in this series. It always is a great opportunity for all those interested in flow battery research, development, manufacture, operation and commercialisation to meet and discuss almost everything about flow batteries. The 2015 programme and other information will be available soon at: www.ﬂowbatteryforum.com/

Batteries, Super Capacitors, Fuel Cells & EVs Seminar Vimercate, Italy June 22-23 The seminar program focuses on present and future needs of portable and stationary electrochemical energy sources and highlights the latest technological developments designed to satisfy application requirements. Primary, rechargeable, reserve batteries, fuel cells, ultra-capacitors systems and their accessories are covered.

The exhibition focuses on the areas of photovoltaics, PV production technologies, energy storage and solar thermal technologies. It is co-located with SEMICON West and, since its founding, has become the international industry’s meeting point for manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, service providers and partners of the solar industry. In total, 576 exhibitors and 17,881 trade visitors participated in 2013. The conference featured more than 50 sessions with over 200 speakers and catered to about 1,600 conference attendees. This year, Intersolar will be presenting the Intersolar AWARD for the eighth time running in honour of especially innovative solutions in the solar industry. Companies are invited to submit their applications between February 2 and March 27. Contact Dorothea Eisenhardt Tel: +49 7231 58598-174 Fax: +49 7213 58598-28

Battery Power 2015 Denver, Colorado, USA August 5-6 Battery Power 2015 is an international conference highlighting the latest developments impacting mobile and portable battery systems for consumer and commercial products, including the Internet of Everything, power tools, smart phones, tablets, laptops and medical devices. The 13th annual event will be held August 5-6 in Denver, Colorado. Conference topics will include new battery designs, improving power management, predicting battery life, regulations and standards, safety and transportation, battery authentication, charging technology, emerging chemistries and market trends. Join hundreds of OEM design engineers and system engineers involved in battery powered products and systems and discover what is driving innovation, capabilities and features, application trends and performance improvements.

FENIBAT – 2nd National and International Lead Batteries Fair and Conference Londrina, Brazil • August 24-25

Contact Shmuel De-Leon Energy, Ltd shmuel@sdle.co.il

Batteries, Super Capacitors, Fuel Cells & EV`s Seminar Lansing, Michigan, USA July 6-8 Shmuel De-Leon and Doron Aurbach in partnership with XG Sciences invite you to join a unique Batteries, Super Capacitors, Fuel Cells & EV`s seminar. The seminar program focuses on present and future needs of portable and stationary electrochemical energy sources and highlights the latest technological developments designed to satisfy application requirements. Primary, rechargeable, reserve batteries, fuel cells, ultra-capacitors systems and their accessories are covered. Contact Shmuel De-Leon Energy, Ltd shmuel@sdle.co.il

EES – co-located with Intersolar North America San Francisco July 13-16 Intersolar North America takes place annually in San Francisco’s Moscone Center. Since its establishment in 2008, the exhibition and conference have developed into the premier platform for the solar industry in North America.

112 • Batteries International • Winter 2014 / 2015

FENIBAT will gather all managerial and technical personnel of Brazilian and Latin American industry of lead acid batteries and lead recycling. Its goal is to promote new products, services and technologies for national and international battery manufacturers and lead recyclers. For the second time, and already established as one of the largest in the world, the country will have a technical-commercial fair in the sector and your company is invited to participate. If your company is a supplier of the industry, you may participate as an exhibitor and also presenting a lecture on the FENIBAT Commercial Forum about your products and services for this industry. FENIBAT is for people involved with the lead-acid battery and lead re-

cycling industries, involving the entire supply and administrative chain. The aim of the FENIBAT is to strengthen these industries, bringing updated information and stimulating business nationally and internationally. Free admission to all concerned, subject to prior registration though the web site (recommended) or onsite registration. The FENIBAT Expo will feature nearly 100 stands for companies providing products and services to the lead-acid battery and lead recycling industry. Both Brazilian and international manufacturers and distributors will be exhibiting. Contact Jayme Gusmão +55 43 9937 4911 gusmao@FENIBAT.com

www.batteriesinternational.com

FORTHCOMING EVENTS The interactive exhibit hall will feature the latest battery technology and power management capabilities. Network with battery manufacturers, charger manufacturers, IC companies, materials and manufacturing equipment providers, testing services & systems providers, as well as an array of component and sub-system providers. The pre-conference workshops provide an in-depth education experience, providing valuable information for both the new and seasoned engineer.

16th Asian Battery Conference (16ABC) and Exhibition Bangkok, Thailand • September 8-11

Contact www.batterypoweronline.com/conferences/ Contact-us/

Battery Osaka — 2nd International Rechargeable Battery Expo Osaka, Japan September 2-4 BATTERY OSAKA is a specialised exhibition held in Osaka, Japan for manufacturing and R&D of rechargeable battery. All kinds of materials, manufacturing technologies, inspection/ analysis equipment services as well as the battery itself will be gathering. The event is organised by Reed Exhibitions Japan Ltd and will be held at INTEX Osaka. Battery Osaka 2015 will be held along with the following concurrent expos: PV EXPO OSAKA — a specialised exhibition gathering all kinds of technologies, materials/devices, equipment for manufacturing solar cell/module and solar cell/module itself PV SYSTEM EXPO OSAKA — a specialised exhibition gathering all kinds of products/technologies for PV system installation/integration 2nd INTERNATIONAL SMART GRID EXPO OSAKA — all kinds of technologies and services related to smart grid, power generation, transmission and distribution. Contact http://www.battery-kansai.jp/en/

8th edition of the International Conference on Advanced Lithium Batteries for Automobile Applications, ABAA-8 Bilbao, Spain September 30-October 2 We are pleased to welcome you to the 8th edition of the International Conference on Advanced Lithium Batteries for Automobile Applications, ABAA-8. This will take place in Bilbao (Basque Country) hosted by CIC Energigune – Energy Storage Research Center. Starting in 2008, the ABAA conferences were conceived with the mission

114 • Batteries International • Winter 2014 / 2015

Centara Hotel, downtown Bangkok

Over the years, the conference content and its drivers have changed over the years, from a very technical and scientific format to one that now also addresses the commercial and socio economic aspects of a growing, developing industry. At the time of the first ABC, back in 1988, the world lead tonnage consumed was 5.5 million tonnes with 65% entering the battery market, today we consume over 11 million tonnes with 85% being converted to batteries. The range and types of batteries we now produce have also changed during this period with VRLA a standard product and designs for stop–start vehicles becoming commonplace. It’s a far cry from 2ABC when the market was dominated by the use of antimonial alloys and when many Asian producers were only starting to think about converting the negative into a calcium alloy and producing their first ‘hybrid’ battery. So it is with this history and background that we have great pleasure in welcoming all delegates to the 16ABC in Bangkok, which aims to deliver an enhanced knowledge and a greater appreciation of our wonderful and growing industry. What’s new The EXPO of 16ABC will be sparked up with fresh show features and a

dynamic booth layout plan with a variety of different exhibition booths along with floor space only exhibition options. An interactive themed cafe in the centre of the EXPO. Sponsors and exhibitors will be able to conduct meetings and host clients in this space. The cafe will also house our barista’s making perfect coffees all day long and serving on demand snack items. Take a break in our fun Side Show Alley area within the EXPO Hall. The area will include arcade style games. Start practising your Atari skills and your muscle man swings! — great prizes to be won… 16ABC will see the introduction of scheduled appointments. Buyers will be able to review exhibitors profiles on line and request appointments through the Exhibitor Online Diary prior to the event. Stay tuned for heaps more program enhancements. Contact General/registration Lucy Cote e. events@conferenceworks.com.au Tel: +61 3 9870 2611 Sponsorship/exhibition Mark Richardson Cell: + 61 412 160 133 e. mark@conferenceworks.com.au

www.batteriesinternational.com

FORTHCOMING EVENTS The Battery Show Novi, Michigan, USA • September 15-17

Taking place September 15-17, in Novi, Detroit, Michigan, The Battery Show 2015 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 2015 is the key to unlocking your future business opportunities. The Battery Show is attended by technical leaders, scientists, engiof enhancing global R&D of advanced lithium batteries for vehicles, accelerating the discussion and communication of R&D progress, as well as strengthening global collaboration in this field. Here, academia and battery and automotive industry will showcase the latest research and development in advanced lithium batteries focused on automotive applications, which are critical to achieve fuel-efficient automobiles. This event will feature talks and posters on materials research, electrochemistry and battery engineering delivered by international experts. Topics will include: • Development of novel materials: cathodes, anodes, electrolytes and electrolyte additives • Safety and degradation mechanisms of lithium ion batteries • System design including the latest market trends affecting the automotive industry • New chemistries for energy storage Contact Tel: +34 945 297 108 Email: abaa8@cicenergigune.com

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neers, project leaders, buyers and senior executives concerned with advanced energy storage and will host the very latest advanced battery solutions for electric and hybrid vehicles, utility and renewable energy support, portable electronics, medical technology, military and telecommunications. Contact steve.bryan@smartershows.com mindy.emsley@smartershows.com Europe tel: +44 1273 916300 US toll free: +1 855 436 8683 Fax: +44 1273 774341

66th Annual Meeting of the International Society of Electrochemistry Taipei, Taiwan 4-9 October The 66th Annual Meeting of the International Society of Electrochemistry to be held in Taipei will address batteries in Symposium 3 at this year’s event: Batteries for Tomorrow’s World — sponsored by: Division 3, Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage The performance of current electrical energy storage systems falls well short of requirements for using electrical energy efficiently in transportation, smart grid, commercial, and residential applications. Fundamental knowledge is needed to uncover the underlying principles that control the basic processes that determine and govern their function, operation, performance limitations and failure. With this underpinning knowledge, wholly new concepts in cell design and operation can be developed for a new class of electrical energy storage systems.

A new paradigm is required to design new stable anodes, cathodes and electrolytes to provide electrochemical cells with high energy density, high power, long lifetime and adequate safety at a competitive manufacturing cost. The goal of this symposium is to review recent R&D efforts in this field to elucidate fundamental chemical, transport, electrical, and physical processes that can help improve the existing state-of-the-art Li-ion batteries and stimulate development of next generation rechargeable batteries e.g., Li-S, Me-air batteries, Na-ion, redox flow and multi-valent systems etc. Topics will include: • Advanced materials, electrodes and electrolytes for rechargeable batteries • Novel rechargeable battery systems • Interfacial phenomena • Cell testing, performance evaluation, failure mechanisms • New computational and characterization tools • Safety Contact Robert Kostecki (coordinator), Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, E-mail: r_kostecki@lbl.gov) She-Huang Wu (co-coordinator), Tatung University E-mail: shwu@ttu.edu.tw http://annual66.ise-online.org/index.html

Batteries Event – International Energy and Power Supply Conference and Exhibition Nice, France October 7-9 For 17 years, the Batteries event remains today one of the world’s most attractive event and the meeting place of technologies (lead acid, NiMH, Liion and more), applications (from micro batteries to large format batteries) and the value chain (chemists OEMs and end users). During three days, the conference will gather 70 speakers and internationally known experts. Contact Christophe Pillot, chairman c.pillot@avicenne.com Sonia Jouneau, congress director sjouneau@lepublicsysteme.fr Tel : +33 1 41 34 21 75

Batteries International • Winter 2014 / 2015 • 115

We are delighted to announce that the 16th Asian Battery Conference and Exhibition (16ABC) will be held from 8 to 11 September 2015 in Bangkok, Thailand.

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Participate in a sparked-up show with an interactive and lively Exhibition, a program that showcases presentations from experts in battery technology, science and business and ramped-up social events. As both a forum and an expo, the Asian Battery Conference (ABC) continue s to be the premier lead battery event in Asia. It will appeal to everyone with a serious interest in the interaction between energy usage, storage and the environment. 4TH INTERNATIONAL

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FORTHCOMING EVENTS World of Energy Solutions Stuttgart, Germany October 12-14 The World of Energy Solutions is an international trade fair and conference – and thus an important platform for speeding up the change to alternative energy sources. It addresses all players involved in the manufacturing of battery and energy storage systems for mobile and stationary implementation. All areas are dealt with, from raw materials to turnkey battery systems. Be a part of our network and use our innovative platform to promote your research approaches, products, technologies and applications. The three exhibition areas are: • BATTERY+STORAGE: Battery and energy-storage technologies • f-cell: Fuel cell and hydrogen technology • Future mobility solutions: Mobility technologies, applications and concepts The World of Energy Solutions conference, which takes place parallel to the trade fair, is not only a basic component of the overall event, but also a who’s who from research and industry. In over 100 presentations German and international experts will report about current developments in hydrogen and fuel cells, battery and energy storage technology, as well as about future mobility solutions. Both conferences also place a strong emphasis on successful case studies and specific issues of a practical nature. Contact www.messe-stuttgart.de/en/wes/

Interbattery, The Battery Conference Seoul, South Korea October 20-22

The biggest international conference in Korea, The Battery Conference, will be held as a concurrent event alongside InterBattery. The Battery Conference will present optimal opportunity for sharing information and technology with global opinion leaders from all over the world. Get a unique insight into the latest global corporate trends and policies relating to the cell industry, and experience in-depth analysis of technologies, policies and market trends home and abroad. The battery conference attracts top industry players from countries around the world. Hear from and mingle with secondary cell industry leaders from corporations like Samsung SDI, and international energy policymakers. Achieve multiple goals at one event – expand business opportunity at InterBattery 2014 while grasping worldwide market trends at The Battery Conference. Contact InterBattery Secretariat Ofﬁce Tel: 82-2-6000-1087/8241 Fax: 82-2-6944-8309 interbattery@coex.co.kr

Energy Storage North America San Diego, California • October 13-15

Energy Storage Summit Japan Tokyo, Japan November 12

The Energy Storage Summit Japan 2014 brought together leading international researchers from Europe and the US with experts from India, China and Japan to discuss energy market deregulation and the opportunities this presents for Japan. Additional topics covered included energy storage applications and solutions for renewable energy integration, power transmission and distribution, smart grid, micro grid, off grid and decentralized energy supply, as well as the cost efficiency and bankability of energy storage solutions. Details about the event will be published at: http://www.worldenergystorage.com/

3rd Dresden conference ‘Energy in the Future’ Dresden, Germany November 10-11 Innovations in energy research become more and more important to secure the future of economy and society. Energy resources have to be used in a most efficient and cost-saving way. The 3rd Dresden conference ‘Energy in Future’ will present the latest research results in the field of energy storage and energy efficiency. We are happy to invite you to participate in this conference, to meet renowned scientists and economic experts and to take part in the accompanying exhibition. Contact www.zukunftenergie-dresden.de/en.html

3rd Annual Energy Storage India Conference and Expo December 2015

This is the largest grid energy storage event in North America. It will provide” • Critical insights into market developments and technology integration • 1500+ leading customers, technology providers, and partners • 40+ conference sessions, hands-on workshops, and site tours in the Silicon Valley

www.batteriesinternational.com

Our 2014 programme focused on the convergence of transportation, distributed, and utility-scale applications. Contact Daniela Knoll – director, Messe Düsseldorf North America E-mail: dknoll@mdna.com Tel: +1 312 621-5838

The 2nd annual Energy Storage India Conference and Expo, hosted by the India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA) from December 3-5, 2014, in New Delhi, was a successful event that brought together 532 industry professionals and 65 speakers from 15+ countries. It was the largest such gathering ever held in India, and highlighted the many opportunities available in a fast-growing market. The 3rd such conference and expo should be held again in December. Visit www.worldenergystorage.com/ for more information about the 2015 event.

Batteries International • Winter 2014 / 2015 • 117

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BATTERY HEROES: JOHN PIERSON Improvements in the mechanization of battery making have led to huge strides in productivity. And one individual, John Pierson, has spent most of his career involved in these advances. Batteries historian Kevin Desmond reports.

Transforming productivity by challenging the logic of the manufacturing line Innovation means different things to different people. Often it’s less about the creation of something entirely new rather it’s seizing an existing idea and making it work in new or unexpected ways. Such has been the legacy of John Ronald Pierson who has arguably been involved — in various guises and forms — behind the development of manufacturing techniques that have transformed the lead acid battery industry in the last decades of the last century. Pierson, born in Racine in the US state of Wisconsin in 1936, was the youngest of three children and from an early age showed an interest in chemistry and science. (Oddly enough his first contact with the metal that would dominate his life occurred at a very young age — one of his earliest hobbies was casting lead soldiers using steel moulds.) Moving on from Washington Park High School in 1954 — the school was to induct him into its Hall of Fame in 2003 — he later took a degree in chemical engineering at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. That year was a fateful one in many ways. He married his sweetheart Celine Schallhorn, he took up his first job moving to East Chicago in Indiana working as a management trainee with Youngstown Sheet and Tube Company and crucially for his future career deciding late in the year to return with his now-expectant wife to their home state of Wisconsin. Fate intervened at this juncture. The battery world was calling! While visiting home for Christmas of 1959, Celine noted a wanted ad in the Milwaukee Journal’s Sunday edition by a company named Globe-

120 • Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015

High school yearbook photo — most recently used as a nametag at his 60th class reunion

Union looking for chemical engineers. Pierson recalls: “Without knowing a thing about the company, its products or history, I applied, was interviewed and received a job offer. I didn’t earn any more but we had a better place to work and live in — and most importantly a happy wife. “Oddly enough, the night before my interview at Globe Union I saw an interesting piece of news on the TV. A

large local company, Allis Chalmers, was demonstrating an all-electric tractor powered by a recently developed fuel-cell. The following day I asked my interviewer, chief engineer Tony Sabatino, about fuel cells and the future of leadacid batteries. I remember his answer to this day, ‘don’t worry, lead-acid batteries will be around for at least five years’ – and that was half a century ago.” Pierson started as a battery process engineer on March 1, 1960 just a week after the couple’s first daughter was born. Globe-Union, a company founded in 1920 through the merger of two battery manufacturers Globe Battery of Milwaukee and Union Battery of Chicago was headquartered at 900 E Keefe Ave in an industrial area of Milwaukee. The products manufactured extended beyond batteries and included roller skates, golf clubs, spark plugs, ignition parts, radio components (capacitors, resistors) as well as automotive batteries. Globe-Union’s major customer by far was Sears, Roebuck and Co. He had a speedy introduction to the world of energy storage. Pierson showed up for his first day of work equipped as a typical engineer with a briefcase, pocket protector and a slide rule, only to be handed

“I asked my interviewer, chief engineer Tony Sabatino, about fuel cells and the future of lead-acid batteries. I remember his answer to this day, ‘don’t worry, leadacid batteries will be around for at least ﬁve years’ — and that was half a century ago” www.batteriesinternational.com

BATTERY HEROES: JOHN PIERSON “When I started, automotive batteries were strictly housed in hard rubber and primarily 6-volt, which was the electrical system of the day. Batteries had relied on individual rubber covers and terminals on each cell, and they had asphalt tops” a copy of the 1955 classic Storage Batteries by George Wood Vinal and instructed to dress down the following day. “I was told it was going to be messy,” he says. “We were to do experimental paste mixing to establish mixing curves for a new oxide source. And yes, it was messy! “When I started, automotive batteries were strictly housed in hard rubber and primarily 6-volt, which was the electrical system of the day. Batteries had relied on individual rubber covers and terminals on each cell, and they had asphalt tops. At that time, there were only about 10 to 12 group sizes offered.”

COS machines and beyond Pierson became part of a small, talented engineering team that was already working behind closed doors on what would become a major breakthrough in battery assembly technology — the first cast on strap (COS) machine. A good deal of development effort on the four station automation device was required before rolling it out to the 15 small branch plants. A second major development in battery assembly technology, thrupartition welding (HV) followed. HV stood for the high voltage of the product due to its low electrical resistance. This technology was also rolled out to the branch plants. A third major development by the engineering team was made possible by the arrival of copolymers of propylene and ethylene. This material development plus German injection molding equipment and complex molds made possible the first successful thin walled polypropylene battery container and cover. The resulting product was translucent allowing for the viewing of electrolyte levels, it was heat-sealable but

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Top: Daughters, Beth Ratway, Carrie Benitez, Leslie Dahl. Middle: JCI’s 125th anniversary dinner 2010. Bottom: Hawaii in the 1970s, John and Celine

Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015 • 121

BATTERY HEROES: JOHN PIERSON INTELLECTUAL HERITAGE A good deal of the process and material development that Pierson has been involved in was considered conﬁdential trade secrets and therefore not patented much of the ﬁndings were published in four papers. That said his name is on a couple of handfuls of patents. Two of the more recent ones are: 5,204,610 Long Lived Dual Battery, and 6,265,091 B1 Modular Electric Storage Battery issued in 1993 and 2001. Pierson has authored or co-

authored 29 technical papers on subjects ranging from crystallography of battery-active material and the impact of impurities on battery performance to design of batteries for modern internal combustion engine, hybrid and electric vehicles. His technical ﬁndings have been presented at conferences around the world. Pierson has also chaired the battery division of the Electrochemical Society, the SAE Storage Battery Committee and BCI’s Technical Committee.

I applied microscopy and X-ray diffraction technology to the reaction studies. I noted that plate curing was a particularly uncontrolled process yielding a variety of chemical compounds and crystalline structures most importantly the strong thin walls allowed product designers to increase the number and size of electrodes in a given cube enhancing product performance. A large, modern injection molding facility was constructed and equipped in Kentucky to provide containers and covers to meet the growing demand. The combination of these three technical developments — COS, HV, and PP — allowed Globe Union to offer a

differentiated product to its best customer — Sears, Roebuck. At the time, Sears was opening free-standing auto centres and needed a marque product to heavily advertise. In 1967 the DieHard was born. It is rare indeed in a strictly commodity business such as automotive batteries that a truly differentiated product is developed. However, the Sears Diehard looked and performed different than any of its competitors. At roughly the same time American Motors, now part of Chrysler Corporation, became the first vehicle manufacturer to accept polypropylene as containers for original equipment batteries.

Lead oxide

Sear’s Diehard battery

Until 1962 all Globe Union factories were supplied with lead oxide in 600lb (270kg) drums supplied by companies such as National Lead, Eagle Picher, Bunker Hill and Western Lead. A decision was made to begin vertical integration including oxide manufacturing on site. A newly commissioned plant in Il-

A third major development by the engineering team was made possible by the arrival of copolymers of propylene and ethylene. This material development plus German injection molding equipment and complex molds made possible the ﬁrst successful thin walled polypropylene battery container and cover 122 • Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015

linois was selected as the guinea pig and two process engineers — John Pierson and Bob Wiethaup were given the task of getting the facility going. “After many months of equipment installation, start-up, operator training and learning our new Barton oxide system was up and running,” says Pierson. “During the learning period we made frequent calls to consultant Tom Blair for advice and counselling. Barton oxide systems were subsequently installed in three additional plants.” Globe Union was successful in protecting its inventions through US and foreign patents and in 1967 was successful in a patent infringement suit of its thin-walled polypropylene container patents against Joseph Lucas in Birmingham, England. As a result of the litigation, Lucas was required to provide full technology in three areas to Globe Union — plate-curing chemistry, fast-setting epoxy resin and ball mill oxide manufacturing. The first two were straightforward and paralleled work already underway at Globe Union. The third however, ball mill oxide, provided an opportunity to directly compare a world class ball mill system and the oxide it produced to that of Globe’s Barton Systems. “I visited the Lucas plant on Foreman’s Road in Birmingham in the fall of 1967 to begin the ball mill oxide technology transfer. The large array of Hardinge conical mills fed with shot cast by TBS made casters with temperature-sensing kiels riding on the load was impressive,” recalls Pierson. “ I ordered a shipment of oxide to be delivered to the Keefe Avenue facility for evaluation. The battery test results were sufficiently encouraging to warrant that I purchased a small obsolete Lucas mill for a more thorough evaluation. “Subtle enhancements in plate strength formation efficiency and product performance were attributed to the oxide. Full scale Hardinge mills were subsequently installed in most Globe Union facilitates. Modern smaller mills provided by Sovema have more recently become the oxide system of choice.” As a result of being active in the introduction of oxide manufacturing to Globe Union, Pierson became interested in the chemical and crystallographic characteristics of oxides and the reactions encountered in process of battery plates. “In addition to his chemical process

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BATTERY HEROES: JOHN PIERSON

Lucas Type Hardinge Conical Ball Mill

Early Fixed Oriﬁce Paster

Globe Barton Pot Oxide Reactor

Cast on strap machine

HV Welder

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Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015 • 123

BATTERY HEROES: JOHN PIERSON “We decided to charge the mechanical engineering team with designing a high speed horizontal flow fixed orifice paster. Progress was slow due to variations in cast grid thickness and the initial attempt to roll it out to the plants was unsuccessful due to low productivity.” training and natural curiosity I applied microscopy and X-ray diffraction technology to the reaction studies. I noted that plate curing was a particularly uncontrolled process yielding a variety of chemical compounds and crystalline structures. So I built the first controlled curing chamber using wooden 2x4s and plastic sheeting and supplied it with heated humidified air. “Then I revised the plate stacking procedures leaving spaces between plate stacks. The results were plates of consistent chemistry and crystallography optimized for life and initial performance.” Similar studies of chemical crystallographic changes encountered in battery electrode process have led to optimization of the oxide making, paste

John and Celine

124 • Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015

mixing, curing and formation process. This included a high rate one shot formation system using cooling water for temperature control In the late 1960s and early 1970s Ford Motor Company decided to embark on a vertical integration mission and purchased a large old battery factory in Owosso, Michigan from Auto Lite. Ford then broke ground on a second state-of-the-art battery factory in Shreveport, Louisiana. However, the US courts ruled that the acquisition violated the anti-trust laws and forced Ford to divest itself of the two facilitates and discontinue battery manufacturing. Pierson with product engineering manager, Chuck Wright, were commissioned to explore the potential of

the Owosso facility. The plant was acquired by Globe Union, substantially upgraded and eventually closed several decades later. The Shreveport plant was bought by Gould National Battery where several of the pieces of novel equipment had to be replaced with tried and tested technologies. This plant was also ultimately closed. The Owosso plant acquisition propelled Globe Union into the original equipment battery business and allowed the firm to access to Ford’s substantial research reports on calcium alloy maintenance free batteries. In 1967 Globe Union’s headquarters were relocated from the old Keefe Ave facility to a newly constructed campus of buildings in suburban Glendale, Wisconsin. These ultramodern facilities were eventually adapted by Johnson Controls as headquarters for its corporate and power solutions (battery) division and have been significantly expanded and upgraded over the past decades. The Keefe Ave facilities and the specialty battery businesses were eventually sold to C and D Battery Co and are still in operation. In the 1970s Globe Union bought a vacant facility near its corporate headquarters on Teutonia Avenue in Milwaukee and equipped it as an engineering pilot facility. This facility with its single casting, pasting, assembly and formation lines along with a mechanical engineering and process engineering lab was the site for major process and product development programmes for several decades. The engineering facility under the banner “Home of the Unfair Competitive Advantage” was the original manufacturing site for Ford maintenance free batteries as well as the new high powered Group 65 and 33 batteries for Ford’s diesel powered automobiles. All new concepts were piloted at the facility including new grid designs and alloys, plastic/lead combination girds, paste additives and continuous (expanded metal) negative and positive (wrought punched) grids. The near-by facility allowed its engineers to conduct complex projects without the expense of travel or the interruption of productions lines at branch plants. “In conducting experiments aimed at enhancing initial performance and life of batteries it became apparent to us that many potential improvements were masked by the lack of control of paste weights and density of belt pasted plates,” says Pierson.

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BATTERY HEROES: JOHN PIERSON BATTERYMEN AND MUSIC What is there about batterymen and music? Growing up, Pierson became an accomplished musician, participating with bands, orchestras, and as a French horn bugler with several renowned drum and bugle corps. It was with the latter that he met his future wife Celine Schallhorn who marched with a colour guard in many of the same parades and contests around the country.

In the first decades of the battery business there was little concern about global competition. Batteries were heavy and full of sulphuric acid and difficult to transport. Also specifications and product sizes differed for different continents. A pasting machine capable of producing consistent plates with the grid centred in the paste became Pierson’s priority. Winkel belt pasters were the standard of the industry and a search of machine vendors came up blank. One device, the Lund fixed orifice paster was in use but was exclusively available in the US to the Gould National Battery Co. A Lund paster was located in Australia bought and installed in the Keefe Ave plant.

The ﬁxed oriﬁce paster “I was charged with commissioning the machine and evaluating the quality of plates it produced,” says Pierson. “The grids supplied to the vertical orifice plate paster were milled to reasonably consistent thickness and sample quantities of plates were produced. The machine was slow and very selective relative to grid uniformity but the resulting plates performed uniformly and well. “We decided to charge the mechanical engineering team with designing a high speed horizontal flow fixed orifice paster (FOP). Progress was slow due to variations in cast grid thickness and the initial attempt to roll it out to the plants was unsuccessful due to low productivity.” The devices were recalled and after significant re-design of the orifice plates and a focus on enhanced grid quality the FOP, renamed the JCI paster — in 1978 Globe-Union was acquired by Johnson Controls — was successfully re-launched. The uni-

126 • Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015

formity and quality of the resulting plates was exceptional. In the meantime JCI product engineers under the direction of Vince Halsall, Chuck Wright and Pierson developed a continuous stream of enhanced product features to offer an ever growing customer base. Developments included: safety vent systems, side and dual termination, computer modelled grids with central lugs and tapered radial wires, and climatized batteries. The overriding objective was to enhance product performance, extend life and lower cost and weight of the product.

JCI and globalization In the early decades of the battery business there was little concern about global competition. Batteries were heavy and full of sulphuric acid and difficult to transport. Also specifications and product sizes differed for different continents. “As a result sharing of technologies know-how and equipment became common,” says Pierson. “Globe Union had an international division which marketed equipment and know-how worldwide. I participated with this team as a technical advisor including assignments such as equipping two factories in the former Yugoslavia with up-to-date battery-making technology. “I also worked with FEMSA in Spain on updating their technology as well as facilitating gelled electrolyte technology transfer from Sonn-

enschein in Germany to Globe Union. Two extensive technology exchanges based on relationships established by Pierson proved beneficial to all parties. The first was in 1980 with Matsushita through Terry Kawase and the second with Varta and through Robert Friedrich. The Matsushita exchange resulted in JCI gaining access to many automation advances used by Matsushita at its vast Hamanako, Japan plant. The Varta exchange culminated with acquisition of the German auto battery business by JCI. Pierson spent many weeks during the 1980s negotiating battery specifications in Japan with engineers representing car companies interested in starting assembly expansions in the US. The relationships built assisted JCI in becoming a source of original equipment batteries to each manufacturer. Pierson’s travelling was extensive — and he was part of the team that opened up South America to JCI. For example, Pierson with other JCI executives, visited battery plants in Brazil and Argentina to determine the viability of jointly or solely acquiring the facilities. (In the event the São Paulo Brazil plant was chosen.)

Yet more travel Sometimes seeds of coincidence combined with endeavour were to lead to business opportunities. In 1989 his eldest daughter married Francisco Benitez, a Colombian-born US citizen in a ceremony in Milwaukee. But in 1995 couple decided to renew their vows in a Catholic church in Colombia. “Celine and I, with our youngest daughter Beth flew to Medellín to participate,” says Pierson. “Before the visit, I’d contacted Diego Mejía Castro, vice president of MAC Battery and an old friend to see if a plant visit would make sense. Diego invited me to visit their plant in Cali and comment on their manufacturing processes and products. “Diego and his brother Louis picked me up at the Medellín airport in their single engine plane with Louis as pilot and Diego in the rear, leaving me as co-pilot. After taxiing to the runway Louis said ‘Ok John you’re the copilot read me the checklist.’ I looked down at the large laminated checklist with panic — it was entirely in Spanish. “Diego saved the day by turning the

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BATTERY HEROES: JOHN PIERSON

“I’m grateful that I had the opportunity to work as part of a talented, supportive team during my 38 years with the company and beyond. I’ve also been blessed with longstanding relationships established with friends throughout the battery industry — including suppliers, customers, and competitors.” document over to the English side but it felt like a close shave. The plant visit went well with some perhaps useful suggestions by me but the highlight of the day was meeting Diego’s father the company’s founder for an outdoor lunch at his club.” Pierson visited MAC again as a consultant to comment on plans for a new battery factory. The majority of MAC was acquired by JCI in 2014. In the mid-1990s, Pierson was one of three board members — working with chairman Art Nenning (finance) and Jerry O’Karma (legal) — to work on improving a joint venture with the Chinese in Shanghai. Many modifications were made to enhance pro-

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ductivity and quality and the overall experience of quarterly meetings was excellent. Pierson recalls the convivial way that business was — and is — conducted on the fringes of the main battery industry events. “I remember we were at the opening reception of 5ELBC at Sitges just south of Barcelona in Spain, I was approached as the sole JCI representative by two principals of Amara Raja Battery Company of India — Ram Galla and his son Jay were interested in obtaining technical and financial support for their business. “So I invited them to Milwaukee which they accepted and he subsequently visited their facilities in India.

The rest is history. JCI agreed to support the company providing technical support and taking an equity position in this now thriving venture.”

Retirement (almost) Since his retirement, Pierson has worked as a consultant in countries such as Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil and Mexico, in addition to the US. He remains an avid fan of the University of Wisconsin Madison basketball and football teams and the Milwaukee Brewers baseball and Green Bay Packer football teams. He also follows the Interstate Battery sponsored NASCAR racing team. His still expanding family consists of three married daughters, six grandchildren and four great grandchildren. Looking back, Pierson says: “I’m grateful I had the opportunity to work as part of a talented, supportive team during my 38 years with the company and beyond. I’ve also been blessed with longstanding relationships established with friends throughout the battery industry — including suppliers, customers, and competitors.”

Batteries International • Winter 2014/2015 • 127

Supercaps take the high road As a magazine we’ve always abhorred drugs of any kind — we’ve got no use for anything you can’t pour into a glass and add tonic. But now we discover that hemp — that source of marijuana for drug fiends across the planet —is now a valued product for supercap developers.

Battery historian gets Trouvé blue plaque

North American academic David Mitlin, in a recent paper, claims that hemp can hold as much energy as graphene. Last we heard hundreds of engineering students were booking flights to the US to conduct field studies and essential R&D work.

Ain’t no mountain high enough

Battery genius Gustave Trouvé’s house has been given a commemorative plaque by the Historic Commission of Paris. In no small measure this has been due to our very own battery historian Kevin Desmond’s publicity of the man. So, for the serious connoisseur of battery history pop down to N° 14 rue Vivienne, in the centre of the capital where ‘Monsieur Eureka’ developed nearly all of his 75 inventions The announcement was good timing for our Kevin — it coincides with the publication of his English biography “Gustave Trouvé: French Electrical Genius” printed by US publishing house McFarland to appear this spring.

The editorial team at Batteries International love supporting those readers who do great things for charities. So when we learnt that Hammond’s Steve Barnes was doing a sponsored cycle ride we were more than glad to contribute. Given the extraordinary hill climbs that were part of the route, our generosity knew no bounds. The office book was more hard-headed: 5/2 for a course completion, 20/1 for failure and 50/1 ambulance intervention. Cheers and sighs in the office when he completed in style!

Hmm… John? Seems like a good name to me! 128

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Congratulations to the Wirtz family on the arrival of John Ogden Wirtz II — born on October 18 last year to John and Laura Wirtz, pictured.

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