SunPower to sell energy storage, potentially lithium ion batteries

Solar company SunPower plans to roll out its first energy storage product, possibly lithium-ion batteries, in a bid to expand its share of the rooftop solar market, company executives said on Wednesday during the company's analyst day. CEO Tom Werner told analysts that selling energy increasingly will require more comprehensive solutions, including energy storage technologies, and explained "this is a fundamental change in how solar companies compete."

Adding energy storage reflects the evolution of the company, which started off as a solar cell and panel maker before it entered the power plant development business. SunPower has carried out pilot energy storage projects in recent years and worked with different energy storage technologies, including advanced lead acid and zinc bromide batteries.

But lithium-ion batteries "will likely be the first technology to have an impact," said Jack Peurach, executive vice president of products. The emergence of electric cars plays a role in making lithium-ion battery the front runner for being paired with solar, he added.

SunPower & Flextronics Factory in Milpitas, CA

SunPower executives didn't provide details, such as the timing and battery suppliers, for its energy storage plans. But the discussion puts SunPower on a growing roster of solar energy companies that are offering or plan to offer energy storage.

SolarCity, for example, has been bundling lithium-ion batteries from Tesla Motors with its solar energy systems and applying for a California program that subsidizes energy storage installations. One Roof Energy is working with battery maker Silent Power to roll out products. Korean conglomerate Hanwha Group, which runs a solar panel manufacturing subsidiary, is an investor in both OneRoof and Silent Power. SunEdison has done a pilot project with a battery system from startup Seeo.

Energy storage will be part of SunPower's plan to expand its reach in the commercial and residential market, where it sells power purchase agreements or leases via its dealers or its own project development business. The company designs the power purchase agreements for its commercial and government customers and leases for homeowners. Power purchase agreements and leases work in similar ways: business or home owners sign a long-term contract of up to 20 years and pay a monthly fee for the solar electricity from the SunPower solar energy systems on their rooftops.

SunPower's foray into the energy storage business will prompt more comparison with SolarCity, which started in 2006 as purely a solar installer. SolarCity is most active in the residential and commercial markets, but it scored the first utility project last year. As a result, the two companies have been competing more intensely in recent years.

In fact, a lawsuit filed by SunPower against SolarCity and five people last year highlighted that rivalry. The lawsuit accused five former SunPower employees of stealing confidential data and brought the data with them when they went to work for SolarCity. The two companies settled on Dec. 31, 2012, and a judge dismissed the lawsuit in January, SolarCity said in its 2012 annual report. It didn't disclose the amount of the settlement.

SunPower executives didn't say whether they will sell energy storage in the United States first or in other regions. Werner said that, for now, energy storage makes financial sense only in markets that offers government incentives. That would include California, Germany and Japan.

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A123 Systems and NSTAR to Launch Advanced Energy Storage Pilot Project

Project to Showcase System and Customer Benefits of Innovative Energy Storage Solutions

BOSTON and WALTHAM, Mass., Dec. 19, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A123 Systems (Nasdaq:AONE), a developer and manufacturer of advanced Nanophosphate® lithium ion batteries and systems, today announced that it is launching a pilot project with NSTAR to study and showcase the performance and reliability benefits of implementing A123's Grid Storage Battery (GBS) within a suburban electric grid. The system, NSTAR's first battery energy storage project, is proposed for installation at a substation in Medway, Mass. and is expected to be operational in 2012.

"We're very interested in learning more about how advanced energy storage can help continue to improve electric service reliability for our customers," said Lawrence Gelbien, vice president of engineering at NSTAR. "Launching this pilot project with A123 will allow us to gain invaluable hands-on experience with clean, efficient energy storage technology and, ultimately, it will help determine how we can utilize larger-scale energy storage projects on our system."

Under the terms of the agreement, one of A123's two-megawatt (2MW) GBS solutions is proposed to be interconnected to the power grid at NSTAR's substation in Medway. It will be owned and operated by A123, and will be designed to provide area regulation services, which are used to address momentary differences between electric power supply and demand. A123 expects to earn revenue from these area regulation services from ISO-New England (ISO-NE) as part of the Alternative Technology Regulation (ATR) Pilot Program, which allows "non-generating resources" such as advanced energy storage systems to receive compensation for area regulation and other ancillary services. In addition, the pilot project is expected to allow A123 to learn more about how its GBS performs in real-world applications in order to facilitate further product improvements designed to reduce total cost of ownership.

"Working with leading utilities like NSTAR enables us to showcase the economic and operational viability of our advanced GBS solutions and helps to further validate our position as the leading provider of storage technology for electric grid services," said Robert Johnson, vice president of the Energy Solutions Group at A123 Systems. "We expect that this pilot project will allow us to demonstrate how energy storage can generate revenue for area regulation services. Further, we believe that owning and operating our own real-world storage system will allow us to enhance our product offerings to continue delivering cost-effective, efficient solutions that seamlessly integrate with existing grid infrastructure and technologies."

About A123 Systems 

A123 Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq:AONE) is a leading developer and manufacturer of advanced lithium-ion batteries and energy storage systems for transportation, electric grid and commercial applications. The company's proprietary Nanophosphate® technology is built on novel nanoscale materials initially developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and is designed to deliver high power and energy density, increased safety and extended life. A123 leverages breakthrough technology, high-quality manufacturing and expert systems integration capabilities to deliver innovative solutions that enable customers to bring next-generation products to market. For additional information please visit www.a123systems.com.

About NSTAR

NSTAR is the largest Massachusetts-based, investor-owned electric and gas utility. The company transmits and delivers electricity and natural gas to 1.4 million customers in Eastern and Central Massachusetts, including more than one million electric customers in 81 communities and 300,000 gas customers in 51 communities. For more information, visit www.nstar.com.

Safe Harbor Disclosure

This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors. Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements are: the performance, reliability and expected benefits of A123's products for area regulation services, delays in customer and market demand for area regulation services, delays in NSTAR's area regulation services project, delays in the implementation of A123's  solutions at such project and the project's generation of revenue, delays in the development, production and delivery of A123's  area regulation service products and solutions, the ability of the project to facilitate future product improvements, adverse economic conditions in general and adverse economic conditions specifically affecting the markets and geographies in which A123 and NSTAR operate and other risks detailed in A123 Systems' quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2011 and other publicly available filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements reflect A123's expectations only as of the date of this release and should not be relied upon as reflecting A123's views, expectations or beliefs at any date subsequent to the date of this release.

CONTACT: A123 Systems PR Contact:
         A123 Systems
         Dan Borgasano
         617-972-3471
         dborgasano@a123systems.com
         
         A123 Systems IR Contact:
         ICR, LLC
         Garo Toomajanian
         617-972-3450
         ir@a123systems.com
         
         NSTAR Contacts:
         Caroline Allen
         617-424-2460
         Caroline.Allen@nstar.com
         
         Michael Durand
         508-441-5831
         Michael.Durand@nstar.com

A123 Systems to Supply Advanced Energy Storage Solution to Maui Electric Company to Support Maui Smart Grid Project

WALTHAM, Mass., Dec. 20, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A123 Systems (AONE) (Nasdaq:AONE), a developer and manufacturer of advanced Nanophosphate® lithium ion batteries and systems, today announced that it will supply a Grid Battery System (GBS) to Maui Electric Company (MECO), a utility serving residents and businesses on the islands of Maui, Lanai and Molokai in Hawaii. To be installed at MECO's Wailea Substation on Maui, the advanced energy storage system will be designed to deliver one-megawatt (1MW) of power for a full hour to reduce the peak energy load on one of the substation's transformers, which is expected to increase grid stability and improve power quality to help MECO meet the objectives of the Maui Smart Grid Project .

"A123's advanced energy storage system has demonstrated the ability to shift peak energy loads when demand is high to provide the consistent delivery of quality power, which is an extremely valuable service that supports MECO's ongoing effort to increase the reliability of the grid and maximize the generation resources we have in place," said Ed Reinhardt, Maui Electric president. "The Maui Smart Grid Project will enable us to evaluate new technologies for enhancing our operations, and we look forward to the successful demonstration of A123's versatile energy storage solution in not only meeting our peak load shifting requirements, but also performing a number of additional valuable services."

Led by MECO and the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute, the Maui Smart Grid Project is designed to help MECO demonstrate and evaluate new technologies for operating the electric grid more efficiently. The project also aims to help residents better manage and reduce energy consumption during periods of high demand. Specific objectives include reducing distribution circuit peak load, minimizing emissions, enabling greater utilization of renewable energy sources and improving power quality and grid stability. A123's GBS storage systems are designed to provide a complete, turnkey solution to help MECO meet these objectives by providing a number of services in addition to peak-load shifting, including regulating voltage fluctuation, reactive power (VAR) support and relieving wind curtailment.

"The Maui Smart Grid Project is an excellent opportunity for A123 to showcase the flexibility of our dynamic GBS product, and we look forward to working with MECO to illustrate the value of our technology within the framework of the next-generation electric grid," said Robert Johnson, vice president of the Energy Solutions Group at A123. "We believe that our energy storage system will help MECO meet the ambitions objectives of the Maui Smart Grid Project and further demonstrate the commercial benefits of our solutions."

About A123 Systems 

A123 Systems, Inc. is a leading developer and manufacturer of advanced lithium-ion batteries and energy storage systems for transportation, electric grid and commercial applications. The company's proprietary Nanophosphate® technology is built on novel nanoscale materials initially developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and is designed to deliver high power and energy density, increased safety and extended life. A123 leverages breakthrough technology, high-quality manufacturing and expert systems integration capabilities to deliver innovative solutions that enable customers to bring next-generation products to market. For additional information please visit www.a123systems.com .


Safe Harbor Disclosure

This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors. Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements are: changes or delays in MECO's development and implementation of the Maui Smart Grid Project, delays or inability of the Maui Smart Grid Project to meet its intended goals and objectives, the ability of A123's advanced energy storage solution to address MECO's needs in connection with the Maui Smart Grid Project, delays in customer and market demand for MECO's products and services, delays in the implementation of A123's solutions for the Maui Smart Grid Project, delays in the development, production and delivery of A123's products and solutions, adverse economic conditions in general and adverse economic conditions specifically affecting the markets and geographies in which A123 and MECO operate and other risks detailed in A123 Systems' quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2011 and other publicly available filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements reflect A123's expectations only as of the date of this release and should not be relied upon as reflecting A123's views, expectations or beliefs at any date subsequent to the date of this release.

CONTACT: A123 Systems PR Contact:
         A123 Systems
         Dan Borgasano
         617-972-3471
         dborgasano@a123systems.com

         A123 Systems IR Contact:
         ICR, LLC
         Garo Toomajanian
         617-972-3450
         ir@a123systems.com

         Edelman
         Courtney Kessler
         212-277-3720
         courtney.kessler@edelman.com
  

EnerVault, Flow Batteries, and the need for Energy Storage

Most renewable energy technologies are intermittent. Solar power comes from sunshine, Wind power comes from wind, etc. Some renewable energy technologies are constant though, like the flow of rivers through a dam or the flow of tides. It is Solar and Wind power that has the brightest promise but it's difficult to envision powering a city only when the wind is blowing. What if it's a hot day with no wind and everyone wants to crank up the air conditioners? Thus relying on intermittent wind power doesn't pass the Aunt Millie test. Society has grown to expect electricity to always be there in abundant quantities. Hence for renewable energy technologies to fill that role, there must be affordable energy storage systems.

EnerVault is a stealth mode startup company working on on "Flow Batteries" for large scale energy storage. Unfortunately there is very little information out there so this article has to do some detective work.

First, what the heck is a flow battery? Flow battery (Wikipedia) says:

A flow battery is a form of rechargeable battery in which electrolyte containing one or more dissolved electroactive species flows through a Electrochemical cell that converts chemical energy directly to electricity. Additional electrolyte is stored externally, generally in tanks, and is usually pumped through the cell (or cells) of the reactor, although gravity feed systems are also known.[1] Flow batteries can be rapidly "recharged" by replacing the electrolyte liquid (in a similar way to refilling fuel tanks for internal combustion engines) while simultaneously recovering the spent material for re-energization.

Fuel cells are electrochemical energy conversion devices that convert chemical energy directly to electrical energy in which a fuel and an oxidant undergo electron transfer reactions at the anode and cathode of an operating electrochemical cell respectively, separated by an ion exchange membrane. These devices are not subject to Carnot's limitations and can ideally generate electricity as long as they are supplied with fuel and an oxidant. They differ from batteries in that the active chemical species are stored inside the battery where as they are supplied externally in the case of fuel cells. So, power and energy specifications can be scaled up independently for a fuel cell where as the energy density of a battery is limited by the amount of active material that it can stored inside it.

Flow Batteries: EnerVault Quietly Building Energy Storage for the Grid

Claim: $100 per kWh compared to $500 per kWh for Lithium-ION batteries

EnerVault is in a round of raising capital to build a demonstration unit.

Their CEO gave a presentation at the CleanTech conference at UC Berkeley on May 6, 2009. (http://cleantech.berkeley.edu/panelist.html) unfortunately it seems they don't publish video anywhere. This is the bio given for him:

Craig Horne: Chief Executive Officer, EnerVault

Dr. Craig R. Horne is CEO and Co-Founder of EnerVault Corporation, a start-up company developing next generation energy storage solutions for the grid and renewable energy installations. Craig's long commitment to a better planet has guided his 20 year career in cleantech spanning solid oxide fuel cell, Li-ion battery, Pb-acid battery, and Redox Flow Battery technologies. During his career he has served leadership roles at NanoGram Corporation, NeoPhotonics, Kainos Energy, and World Energy Labs. Craig currently serves on the Technical Advisory Boards of NanoGram and Amprius and previously was an Advisor to NanoGram Devices. Craig has over 15 publications and has been awarded 14 US patents in equipment, processes, and nanomaterials-based components for lithium ion batteries, photonic devices, and fuel cells. Craig earned degrees in Materials Science and Engineering from University of Florida (B.S. with High Honors), UCLA (M.S.), and UC Berkeley (Ph.D.). While at Berkeley, he minored in Energy and Resources and received several awards for his work in Li- ion battery active materials. Craig has twice served as Chair of the San Francisco Section of the Electrochemical Society, currently serves on the Sunnyvale Mayoral Green Ribbon Committee, and is an active volunteer in Sunnyvale community organizations and schools.

Links: 

EnerVault

Links: 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_battery

Links: 

EnerVault (LinkedIn)

General Compression

URL: 

General Compression

Description: 

Dedicated to making wind energy available on demand. Dispatchable wind energy can be sold when prices are high, and stored when prices are low. This vision is powered by our Dispatchable Wind Turbine system, which has three components: a compressed air wind turbine, a pipeline network that collects and stores compressed air, and a power plant of expanders and generators. Our expanders are rated at four times the power output of our compressors, greatly increasing the nameplate capacity of our windplants, and enabling us to offer the lowest installed cost per kW of any wind technology in the world.

Saving wind power for later

Wind power is intermittent. One day the wind blows, the next day it doesn't, and often the days you need power the most, on hot days, are also the ones with the least wind available. Hence it's desirable to find a way to store the power generated by the wind, the question is what's the best way of doing so. Many who oppose wind power use this intermittency as a flaw of wind power, and use that flaw as a weapon against the deployment of wind power.

While this is a flaw of wind power it's not an unsolvable problem. Instead it's just a matter of engineering a way to store power.

General Compression is a company developing one means to store wind power. In their design the tower does not have a generator at the top, but an air compressor. The air compressor sends compressed air down the tower and that compressed air can be stored in tanks, in underground caverns, or piped to remote locations. The compressed air is released as needed to power turbines which generate electricity.

Article Reference: 

Saving wind power for later

General Compression