Battery Power - Summer 2015 - (Page 28)

Industry News Battery Solutions Partners with Refind Technologies To Become the First US Recycler with Automatic Battery Sorting Battery Solution, LLC and Refind Technologies have entered into an agreement to acquire Refind's state-of-the-art battery sorting technology. Battery Solutions is the first US based company to invest in automated sorting and data collection technology to manage waste batteries. The system from Refind sorts up to 2,500 pounds of batteries per hour and will significantly improve existing sorting capabilities currently used by Battery Solutions. Batteries are recognized by their visual characteristics and are then separated by air ejectors at a speed of more than 10 batteries per second. This technology investment increases efficiency and reduces costs while collecting detailed data about the batteries: information about brand, model, size and age can be retrieved from every single battery. The compiled data will give broader insight and knowledge into the multibillion-dollar US battery market. The two companies have agreed to work closely to further develop the applications for the information collected. Battery Solutions' collection process allows customers to put all battery chemistries into one container. When received by Battery Solutions, the batteries must be sorted by chemistry before being recycled, just like sorting paper from plastic in single stream recycling. This has been a time consuming and expensive, but absolutely necessary step for successful battery recycling since the Michigan based company started in 1991. The new technology is one of many steps Battery Solutions is using to bolster its capabilities. Department of Energy Makes Energy Storage Key Component of Multi-Billion Dollar Grid Infrastructure Improvement Strategy The Energy Storage Association (ESA) commends the Department of Energy for highlighting energy storage as a critical piece of our energy infrastructure. With today's release of the Quadrennial Energy Review (QER), the Administration is laying the foundation for a multi-billion dollar investment in more resilient and dynamic grid assets like energy storage systems. The first-ever quadrennial energy review, initiated by President Obama in 2014, identifies numerous facets of our energy transmission and distribution system in need of immediate improvement, and highlights different solutions to address these challenges and vulnerabilities. "We applaud the DOE and the White House for their focus on addressing critical infrastructure needs in the nation's energy grid," said Matt Roberts, Executive Director of the ESA. "We worked closely with DOE to develop impactful proposals that would leverage energy storage systems and many of these recommendations are reflected in the final report." The first edition of the QER focuses on transmission and delivery systems in our energy infrastructure. Energy storage was integrated into the DOE's review as a critical asset that increases flexibility, allows for greater renewable integration, and creates a more resilient energy grid. 28 Battery Power * Summer 2015 One of the key recommendations in the document is to establish a framework and strategy for storage adoption and flexibility, and developing fair and competitive market structures for new services and technologies like energy storage. Aquion Energy AHI Battery First in the World to be Cradle to Cradle Certified Aquion Energy, Inc., developer and manufacturer of Aqueous Hybrid Ion (AHI) batteries and energy storage systems, has announced that the AHI S20 and S20-P Product Lines are the first batteries to be Cradle to Cradle Certified Bronze, a quality mark recognized across industries to provide a continuous improvement pathway toward the development of quality products. The product lines were evaluated by MBDC, an Accredited Assessment Body and the creators of the Cradle to Cradle Certified Products Program, across five quality categories. The certification was awarded by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute. "Entering the Cradle to Cradle Certified Products Program and earning Bronze level achievement for our battery stack is a tremendous validation of the work started eight years ago at Carnegie Mellon University," said Dr. Jay Whitacre, founder and chief technology officer of Aquion Energy. "We set out to see if we could create a new battery technology that was environmentally sustainable, safe, and cost-effective while meeting the strict performance requirements of off-grid and grid-tied stationary energy storage applications. In thinking about the quantity of batteries that will be deployed globally alongside renewable energy systems, it makes sense to use clean and sustainable batteries." The AHI battery is made using a saltwater electrolyte, carbon composite anode, manganese oxide cathode, and synthetic cotton separator. This unique environmentally-friendly electrochemical design entered into the Cradle to Cradle Certified Products Program is the first battery in the world to qualify under the methodology's comprehensive criteria. The battery contains no heavy metals or toxic chemicals and is non-flammable and non-explosive making it the safest battery in the world, designed for use in pristine environments, island locations, homes and businesses. "Aquion Energy made informed design decisions every step of the way to ultimately come up with a product that embodies the very essence of the Cradle to Cradle design framework, safe materials, perpetually cycled," said Jay Bolus, president, Certification Services, MBDC. "As the first and only batteries to be Cradle to Cradle Certified, the Aqueous Hybrid Ion S-Line products are a testament to the years of work by the Aquion Energy team to develop an innovative new battery for renewable energy storage that is also good for the environment." Cost effective energy storage enables system owners to maximize self-consumption of solar and wind, reduce reliance on diesel, control peak energy costs, manage intermittency, and ensure stability. The Cradle to Cradle Certified Bronze S20 and S20-P batteries are designed to deliver robust performance for years of maintenance-free operation in residential solar, off-grid and microgrid applications. www.BatteryPowerOnline.com http://www.BatteryPowerOnline.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Battery Power - Summer 2015

Battery Power - Summer 2015
Table of Contents
Wearable Medical Devices Embrace Lithium Polymer Cells
Five Building Blocks of Self-Powered Wireless Sensor Nodes
Conference Preview: Battery Power 2015
Protecting Batteries that Protect Your Power System
Batteries
ICs & Semiconductors
Components
Chargers
Industry News
Conference Review: Battery Japan 2015
Calendar of Events
Marketplace

Battery Power - Summer 2015