International Battery has received an $800,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority (PEDA) to design, manufacture and test an 800 kilowatt-hour bulk energy storage system (BESS), expandable to one megawatt. This grant is part of PEDA's mission to promote the development and use of Pennsylvania's clean, indigenous energy resources and to stimulate economic development and job creation for Pennsylvania's growing energy sector in an environmentally beneficial manner.
Marking International Battery's largest battery system to date, the completed energy storage system will demonstrate the advantages of using large-format lithium batteries for renewable energy integration and Smart Grid support.
The storage system, which will accommodate International Battery's large-format lithium batteries and battery management system (BMS), an inverter, as well as a control/communications system, will be housed in a 40-foot mobile container. International Battery will join forces with an inverter company for this ambitious project.
The preliminary design work on the 800-kilowatt-hour system (expandable to one megawatt) has begun and is expected to be ready for initial testing by the second quarter of 2011. The company plans to install the BESS unit to a selected site where it will be integrated with on-site renewable energy sources and the grid.
A unique factor in the company's development of its energy storage systems is its unique aqueous manufacturing process that is inherently green. The battery cells are fabricated using a water-based process instead of the common use of large quantities of organic solvent chemicals.
