Tag: grid edge

What is the Cycle Life of Your Battery?

Posted on by Linda

When you see information about batteries one thing you will often see is the number of cycles Battery_Cycle_Life_vs_Depth_of_Discharge2they will claim to be able to provide in their lifetime. This figure can be anywhere from 2,000 cycles to 5,000 or even 6,000 cycles.

At first glance it might seem that the higher the number of cycles, the better the battery will be but in fact there are many factors that can affect the true number of cycles you will get out of your battery over its lifetime. Generally the more you take a battery below its recommended depth of discharge the fewer cycles you will get out of the battery.

One cycle is taking a battery from fully charged down to its recommended depth of discharge before charging it up again.
Continue reading “What is the Cycle Life of Your Battery?” →

Is your battery toxic to you or your environment?

Posted on by Linda

Non-toxic battery

One of the things that you should consider when putting battery storage on your home is whether or not the battery chemistry is toxic either in its manufacture or disposal or in its day to day use.

Often, one of the reasons that people put solar panels on their house and put in battery storage to collect the excess usage is to protect the environment and reduce the need for coal powered power stations.

This can be counterproductive if you choose a battery that is made from toxic materials or has components that can’t be recycled. Continue reading “Is your battery toxic to you or your environment?” →

What does Depth of Discharge or DOD mean?

Posted on by Linda

When you see information on batteries you often see their performanceDOD-vs-cycles-for-batteries talked about as their Depth of Discharge or DOD. This is the percentage of battery capacity that can be used.  For some batteries you can use 80 or 90% of their capacity but others only allow you to use 30%. It is very important to understand this when you are looking at the output of any battery.

You can have a range of batteries, all having 10 KW capacity but if one battery has a DOD of 80% where you would actually have 8KW of available storage another one might have a DOD of only 30% which means you would in fact only be able to use 3KW of storage. This means the lower the depth of discharge the more batteries you would need to achieve the same storage capacity. Continue reading “What does Depth of Discharge or DOD mean?” →

What is the best operating temperature for your battery?

Posted on by Linda

4-seasons-battery-temperature

Most batteries will operate, with varying degrees of effectiveness in the 5 – 35 °C range so are fine for the autumn and spring operating months, however if you want a battery that will also operate efficiently in winter and summer you need to understand how temperature has an effect on a batteries operating capabilities.

The ambient weather temperatures have a large impact on the performance and on the life of most batteries and unfortunately, it’s a characteristic that isn’t often talked about.

The optimum temperature for most batteries to operate at is around 25°C and this is the temperature all battery testing is performed at. When temperatures vary, either up or down there is an effect on the performance and life of most batteries.

Depending on the chemistry of the battery different batteries will only operate optimally within a limited temperature range, so it’s important to understand this when purchasing or upgrading your battery for energy storage.

When the temperature starts to fall  below about 15°C, depending on the battery chemistry, the electro-chemistry of the battery becomes sluggish and doesn’t perform as well. In fact, very few batteries operate below 0°C. This is relevant in many countries in Europe, the USA or Canada but not as relevant in most of Australia.

Continue reading “What is the best operating temperature for your battery?” →

What is your Battery Size?

Posted on by Linda

Energy storage batteries come in a variety of different sizes and weights and each have Battery-sizedifferent characteristics. If you have a lot of suitable space to store your battery this may not be relevant but if you are limited in space you may want to consider one of the smaller batteries.

Here is a comparison of some of the most common batteries currently available in Australia with comparisons of size for a similar sized 22kWh system.

If there is a possibility of moving house you will need take into account the battery size as well as its weight if you want to move it with you. Continue reading “What is your Battery Size?” →

Energy Storage Growth Predictions

Posted on by Linda

Photovoltaic (PV) electricity generation’s biggest weakness up until now has been its inability to supply power at the times it is most needed.Energy Storage-Growth

 

This can be addressed with the installation of battery systems that allow households and businesses to store renewable energy for use in peak periods.

The use of both photovoltaics and wind energy is increasing but it is the intermittent supply of both these sources of energy production that will drive the take up of battery storage.

As the price of electricity increases and the price of batteries decrease the use of batteries will become a better financial option for many people, particularly those that recognise the benefits to storing current electricity supply options and reducing the strain on the coal powered electricity generation supply at peak usage times.

However, although many people are saying they will wait until the price of batteries has come down, similar to the massive decrease in solar panels, there have been a number of studies done that prove that this will actually cost you money. When you work out the amount of money you will save on electricity costs over the next few years this will, in fact, be more than the expected decrease in the price of batteries.

  Continue reading “Energy Storage Growth Predictions” →

The FIAMM SoNick battery on display at Ian Southall’s Renewable Energy Demonstration trailer

Posted on by Linda

One of the places you can sometimes see the FIAMM SoNick battery on display is at Ian Southall’s Renewable Energy SoNick-battery-displayDemonstration trailer.

The  REDT travels around Gippsland in Victoria to various festivals and other venues, including schools, to educate people about renewable energies,  including school  children, with specially designed school programs.

The Renewable Energy Demonstration trailer (REDT) is integrated with up-to-date technology which allows combinations of stand- alone, off-grid and energy storage options to drive a computer modelling system. This then promotes programs and teachings on sustainability and energy efficiencies to be displayed on the interactive screens installed in the trailer. You can “Boil the Billy” from solar PV, “Fan yourself” with power from the wind turbine, or “Light your Life” with LEDs using a bicycle to provide power. The Renewable Energy Demonstration trailer can store enough energy in the deep cell batteries “ON BOARD” – enough to power a house over night or even operate an event site during the day.

The Renewable Energy Demonstration trailer (REDT) is now promoting the FIAMM SoNick battery technology as the premium battery now available on the Australian market and when possible has an actual battery on display to encourage community engagement with this battery technology. Continue reading “The FIAMM SoNick battery on display at Ian Southall’s Renewable Energy Demonstration trailer” →

Energy storage forecast to grow tenfold within five years

Posted on by Linda

The global market for grid-connected, photovoltaic (PV) solar installations, coupled with energy storage is predictEnergy Storage Usageed to grow tenfold to reach more than 900 megawatts (MW) in 2018, up from just 90 MW in 2014. Australia can, and should, be a key player in the global storage market.

Forecasts by leading analysts Bloomberg New Energy Finance, predicts that Australia will have more than 50GW (50,000MW) of solar capacity by 2040, and more than half of all generation capacity will be “behind the meter” and located in households and businesses.

Photovoltaic (PV) electricity generation’s biggest weakness has been its inability to supply power at the times it is most needed. This can be addressed with the installation of battery systems that allow households and businesses to store renewable energy for use in peak periods.

Continue reading “Energy storage forecast to grow tenfold within five years” →

Who is GridEdge?

Posted on by Linda

GridEdge battery storage

GridEdge is a boutique renewable energy supplier that uses the FIAMM SoNick battery.

GridEdge delivers both off grid and on  grid energy supply to all levels of consumer demand. We have the FIAMM SoNick battery and the GridEdge Quantum unit for residential and small business needs that can operate as a hybrid solution or a completely off grid installation. GridEdge also has container solutions, in various sizes,  which can replace the need for expensive and noisy diesel generators or can provide power for a micro-grid or remote installation.

GridEdge is the Australian distributor for the FIAMM SoNick battery. FIAMM are the market leader for the Sodium Nickel Chloride technology (SoNick) and offers batteries and storage solutions, that are scalable for all sizes, ranging from residential FIAMM SoNick batteryor industrial through to national utility applications.

The SoNick technology is not a new untried technology and has been in use in many countries of the world for over 10 years and is just now becoming available in Australia. Continue reading “Who is GridEdge?” →