Tag: Sodiumnickelbattery

Quoting for Storage and PV installations

Posted on by Linda

We often get enquiries about our sodium nickel chloride battery with invertor and all wiring and configuration in our plug and play Quantum Quantum-plug and play battery unitunit. It is the ideal battery for anyone looking for energy independence as it is much more reliable than many of the other current battery technologies available.  The SoNick battery does not have any toxic materials, either in its production or use. It does not have any of the safety concerns inherent in many other batteries as it is a sodium and nickel based battery which are both non-toxic, non-flammable and abundantly available. There is no possibility of thermal runaway with the SoNick battery due to its components being basically molten salt. This is particularly important in any areas that may be prone to bushfire risk.

 

We have several brochures that have some information about the sodium nickel chloride battery and the Quantum plug and play unit as well as a document showing some of the safety tests that have been performed on the battery. These are available in the download section from our website at http://quantum.gridedge.com.au. Continue reading “Quoting for Storage and PV installations” →

CSIRO says Australia can get to 100 per cent renewable energy

Posted on by Linda

The Australian government’s chief scientific body says there is no apparent technical impediment to reaching 100 per cent renewables for the national electricity grid, and levels of up to 30 per cent renewable energy should be considered as just “trivial” in current energy systems.

Renewables could benefit from more energy storage capacity in the electricity network. reupa/flickr, CC BY-NC

The CSIRO estimate was made in the Senate select committee into the “Resilience of electricity infrastructure in a warming world,” which is providing some fascinating insight that we will be reporting on (because mainstream media won’t). Continue reading “CSIRO says Australia can get to 100 per cent renewable energy” →

Why use a SoNick or heated salt Battery?

Posted on by Linda

Safety – No fire or explosion risk  FIAMM SoNick battery

There is no possibility of thermal runaway because of the SoNick battery characteristics and its chemistry is basically a non-flammable common salt.  Lithium ion batteries can catch fire if they get too hot. They must be kept air conditioned at all times (which adds to running costs). You can’t put water on a lithium ion fire or the battery will explode. Fire brigade currently have no means to extinguish a lithium ion battery fire.

No gas emissions

Lead acid batteries, in particular give off hydrogen and must be kept in a fireproof enclosure that will prevent any sparks from igniting the batteries. This also applies to lithium ion to a lesser extent. Redflow has the risk of a chemical spill (toxic bromine) although this is low. Continue reading “Why use a SoNick or heated salt Battery?” →

Lithium-ion battery storage may be banned inside Australian homes

Posted on by Linda

Lithium-ion battery storage devices – including Tesla Powerwalls and other products – may be effectively banned from being installed inside homes and garages in Australia under new guidelines being drafted by Standards Australia.tesla powerwall 2

The move, if upheld, is likely to send shockwaves through the industry, with thousands of Australian households, including prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, already installing lithium ion battery storage devices and millions more predicted to do so in coming years.

Standards Australia, a voluntary body that draws on expertise from the industries involved and key stakeholders, is expected to release the draft guidelines in the next week or so. But news of its proposals has already leaked, causing concern that the decision could bring the industry to a halt. Continue reading “Lithium-ion battery storage may be banned inside Australian homes” →

CSIRO sees $100bn savings in zero carbon grid by 2050

Posted on by Linda

csriro oz 2050A major new study by the CSIRO and the main networks lobby says a decarbonised energy grid by 2050, with half of generation produced and stored locally, will save billions in upfront capital costs and consumer bills, and deliver a secure electricity system.

(See also out story CSIRO, networks put lie to conservative campaign against wind and solar).

In a direct rebuff to the renewable energy scare campaign and myth-making being played out in the political arena, the premier scientific body and Energy Networks Australia say that wind and solar will provide nearly all our electricity needs by 2050, and the system will be cheaper for all customers. Continue reading “CSIRO sees $100bn savings in zero carbon grid by 2050” →

Battle royale brews over battery storage and control of energy markets

Posted on by Linda

Large energy users, battery storage developers and some small energy retailers are pushing for a change in energy market rules that could have dramatic consequences for the industry – levelling the playing field for battery storage, lowering prices for consumers, and wresting control of the energy markets from the big generators.

Soaring wholesale prices have become a major issue in Australia in recent months, defying logic (analyst David Leitch has described them as absurd), and raising concerns among many energy consumers.

The finger has been pointed at the bidding patterns of some major generators, which is one of the main reasons why the South Australian government wants to build a new cable to the eastern states, because it says it has “lost control” of energy pricing. (Although some media chooses to blame renewables).

The proposal to change a relatively obscure rule in the running of the energy markets is seen as an opportunity to wrest control from big, bulky, slow-response generators and encourage smarter, smaller, fast-response distributed generation, particularly battery storage and software for energy management systems.

The proposal comes from zinc smelter operator Sun Metals, which has asked the Australian Energy Market Commission to change the rule. Currently, pricing is set every five minutes, but financial settlement is made only every 30 minutes. Even the AEMC admits that this can distort the market, and push up prices unnecessarily.

An example is illustrated in the graph below, which explains why operators of big generators, particularly gas or diesel-fired peaking plants, may object to the rule change.

peaking plant prices

Continue reading “Battle royale brews over battery storage and control of energy markets” →

Tips to building an energy efficient house

Posted on by Linda
 The Best Form of Energy Efficiency is to Use the Free Energy of the Sun.garage_on_west

There are lots of pieces in the puzzle of combating climate change and every little bit helps and most of the actions taken are by people taking a stand and taking action.

It goes beyond building environmentally friendly buildings with renewable energy, including storage to all aspects of your life including your diet.

There are many features that can be included when designing and building a home to be sustainable or environmentally friendly. The following list gives many features that when incorporated can greatly increase star ratings and make a house much friendlier to live in. As an added bonus, heating and cooling costs are reduced which also reduces the impact on the greater environment.

Different climates will need an emphasis on different areas like window size and insulation so make sure you understand your area when designing your house. The list below works well in the cooler southern states of Australia. Continue reading “Tips to building an energy efficient house” →

Are batteries guilty as charged?

Posted on by Linda
Very interesting article from Ecogeneration based on CSIRO report that raises many of the questions about the lack of standards in the battery storage industry that we have been talking about. The lack of standards, particularly around fire risks of lithium ion batteries means safety can become a serious issue. It is definitely an issue that needs to be addressed as soon as possible.

 

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Worldwide, the use of energy storage from renewable sources is rising, as more countries commit to renewable energy targets and attempt to reduce costs. As an example, Australia has experienced remarkable growth in installations of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels in recent years. Energy storage technologies are the next logical step; once they are sufficiently available at the right price point, they are likely to have a similar market penetration to solar PV.

The present lag in scientific understanding of battery energy storage systems at the domestic and small commercial level is contributing to a clear gap in policy development for battery storage best practices. The difference in pace between the development of standards versus the technology is likely to be a significant policy issue on a global scale. Continue reading “Are batteries guilty as charged?” →

SoNick batteries, applications and advantages of environmentally-friendly and efficient technology

Posted on by Linda

Overview of the battery versions with sodium-nickel technology in sustainable mobility in backup and FIAMM SoNick batteryenergy storage systems.

FIAMM‘s sodium-nickel technology battery (salt batteries), are proving to be the most flexible ecological solution for numerous applications which range from electric mobility to energy storage in support of renewable sources and even backup systems to guarantee uninterrupted power in data centres or telephone switchboards.

There are more and more projects in Italy and around the world using this technology that provides significant advantages in terms of being environmentally-friendly (extremely low environmental impact, no emissions, entirely recyclable parts) and being efficient (extremely long life, high number of cycles, maximum resistance to thermal stress, high specific energy, low cost of raw materials).
Continue reading “SoNick batteries, applications and advantages of environmentally-friendly and efficient technology” →

Unforseen consequences of Cheap batteies

Posted on by Linda

Cheaper-batteries-will-lead-to-safety-issues

 

Are you aware of all of the safety requirements of your solar battery installation and the consequences of not making sure they are followed?

Lead acid and lithium ion batteries, in particular have the potential of serious problems if things go wrong. Any battery where you have to keep the surrounding area ventilated to maintain a stable battery temperature or allow for gassing runs the possible risk of explosion. Continue reading “Unforseen consequences of Cheap batteies” →