Tag: Clean energy

Batteries balance energy loads

Posted on by Linda

Battery-load-balancing

 

One of the biggest problems with the efforts to use renewable energy to produce large amounts of the energy consumed on a daily basis has been its inability to reliably supply power at the times it is most needed. This can and will be addressed with the installation of battery systems that allow households and businesses to store renewable energy for use in peak periods.

This is definitely a market that is set to thrive in 2016 and following years, however not all batteries are the same.  Most battery suppliers won’t tell you the downside of their batteries and will only tell you the things that are most likely to sell their batteries, so you need to ask questions and compare batteries. Continue reading “Batteries balance energy loads” →

A battery’s lifetime depends on how it is used

Posted on by Linda

Energy-Storage-Lifetime

 

Energy storage batteries have a reputation for being difficult to look after and keep running optimally and this was definitely true of the traditional lead acid technology, however things have changed in the field of energy storage batteries. Although some battery technologies still have a number of risk factors that can effect their longevity not all batteries have the same operating restrictions.

 

However, there are a number of things that can still affect a batteries life which is one reason most battery manufacturers are reluctant to give long warranties. If you know what these risk factors are and you keep your energy storage battery working within them then a battery will usually last a lot longer than it’s warranted period.

Continue reading “A battery’s lifetime depends on how it is used” →

Quantum Sodium Nickel battery system – Renew magazine

Posted on by Linda

Quantum-unitMost energy storage systems use lead-based or lithium based batteries, but there are other, lesser known technologies that work as well or better than the popular chemistries.

One of those chemistries is the Sodium Nickel Chloride battery manufactured by FIAMM in Switzerland, which uses sodium and nickel metals with a solid ceramic electrolyte, with the entire battery running at around 270 °C! While this sounds scary, it is a well developed and mature technology with high efficiency and long cycle life, making it idea for domestic and commercial energy storage systems.

The Quantum smart energy storage system from Grid Edge uses a FIAMM Sodium Nickel battery to store energy for load shifting, backup power and self-consumption of solar power generation. The system, designed and made in Australia, is available in 9.6 and 19.2 kWh usable storage capacities (basically the same unit with either one or two battery modules), has a 4.5 kW continuous/9 kW peak inverter and a cycle life of 3000 to 4500 cycles at 80% DOD. Shelf life is rated at greater than 20 years! System operating temperature range is -40 °C to 60 °C, making it ideal for use in extreme climates. Both battery and system are warranted for five years and the battery units are 100% recyclable.

Article by Lance Turner taken from Renew Magazine – Issue 136 Continue reading “Quantum Sodium Nickel battery system – Renew magazine” →