International Battery Large-Format Li-ion Cells Chosen by S&C Electric for First Community Energy Storage System
03 February 2010
International Battery (IB), a US manufacturer and developer of large-format lithium-ion rechargeable batteries, has been chosen as the battery system provider for the first-of-its-kind Community Energy Storage (CES) systems, developed by S&C Electric Company for American Electric Power (AEP). IB manufactures two types of lithium-ion chemistries: Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) and Lithium Nickel Cobalt Manganese (NCM) in a variety of sizes.
Community Energy Storage is a concept for distributed energy storage initiated by AEP. The intent is to provide the utility and its customers benefits, including load leveling, back-up power, support for plug-in electric car deployment as well as grid regulation and improved distribution line efficiencies. As more renewable energy sources such as wind and solar are integrated into the smart grid, managing and storing energy is essential due to the intermittent nature of these power sources.
AEP Ohio’s gridSMART Demonstration Project, funded in part by $75-million Department of Energy (DOE) stimulus funding, will be deployed to 110,000 AEP Ohio customers in northeast central Ohio. The project will integrate a broad range of advanced technologies in the distribution grid, utility back office, and consumer premises with innovative consumer programs in order to demonstrate the many benefits of a smart grid for consumers and the utility. CES holds the promise of being an integral component of the smart grid.
The requirements for CES are very demanding. After carefully evaluating leading battery manufacturers, we chose International Battery for the next step in this project because of the system advantages offered by large format cells, their system engineering design capabilities and proven reliability. These energy storage systems will need to be very robust and dependable. We believe that together with International Battery we can design and deliver a product that meets CES requirements.
—Jim Sember, vice president of S&C’s Power Quality Products Division
(A hat-tip to Bob!)
Lithium heats/blows up at large scale. Vanadium Redox Batteries are the way to go:
Vanadium Redox Batteries will enable the Green Energy Smart Grid of our kids' future: http://tiny.cc/gdmbO
The Vanadium Battery: The Ultimate Energy Storage Solution - http://tiny.cc/UNo8J
Posted by: Carlton Parfitt | 03 February 2010 at 01:07 PM
I can't see using lithium for stationary applications. Being stationary, the size and weight are not the most important factors, the cost, capacity and longevity are more important.
Save the lithium for mobile applications, where size and weight are more important. Peak shaving can be done using several methods, you don't need to use precious lithium.
Posted by: SJC | 03 February 2010 at 02:10 PM
Lithium isn't precious; the raw lithium carbonate costs a fraction of a cent per kWh. Fabricating batteries is expensive at the moment, so giving traction batteries a second life as stationary storage may help make the economics work out.
Posted by: Engineer-Poet | 03 February 2010 at 08:24 PM
Lithium heats/blows up at large scale.
You should contact International Battery and S&C electric company immediately with this information! You can't expect them to know anything about batteries.
Posted by: Arne | 04 February 2010 at 12:22 AM
Lithium becomes "precious" when you are trying to make millions of batteries for cars and lots of it is being used to stationary applications. Supply and demand comes into play. There may be lots of it in the ground, but if you can not get it and the price goes way up, it becomes less available, which can become a precious commodity to a battery maker.
Posted by: SJC | 04 February 2010 at 11:31 AM
Lithium won't be "precious" until its cost is a substantial part of the price of a finished battery. Currently, the price of lithium carbonate is less than 0.1% of the retail price of a Li-ion battery; therefore, it will be a long, long time before lithium becomes "precious", and given the likelihood of recovering it from seawater at perhaps 10 times today's price, this becomes "never".
Posted by: Engineer-Poet | 05 February 2010 at 04:40 PM