An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) or uninterruptible power source is a type of continual power system that provides automated backup electric power to a load when the input power source or mains power fails. A UPS differs from a traditional auxiliary/emergency power system or standby generator in that it will provide near-instantaneous protection from input power interruptions by switching to energy stored in battery packs, supercapacitors or flywheels. The on-battery run-times of most UPSs are relatively short but sufficient to "buy time" for initiating a standby power source or properly shutting down the protected equipment. Almost all UPSs also contain integrated surge protection to shield the output appliances from voltage spikes.
Grid energy storage is a collection of methods used for energy storage on a large scale within an electrical power grid. Electrical energy is stored during times when electricity is plentiful and inexpensive or when demand is low, and later returned to the grid when demand is high, and electricity prices tend to be higher.
The vanadium redox battery (VRB), also known as the vanadium flow battery (VFB) or vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB), is a type of rechargeable flow battery. It employs vanadium ions as charge carriers. The battery uses vanadium's ability to exist in a solution in four different oxidation states to make a battery with a single electroactive element instead of two. For several reasons, including their relative bulkiness, vanadium batteries are typically used for grid energy storage, i.e., attached to power plants/electrical grids.
A zinc–bromine battery is a rechargeable battery system that uses the reaction between zinc metal and bromine to produce electric current, with an electrolyte composed of an aqueous solution of zinc bromide. Zinc has long been used as the negative electrode of primary cells. It is a widely available, relatively inexpensive metal. It is rather stable in contact with neutral and alkaline aqueous solutions. For this reason it is used today in zinc–carbon and alkaline primaries.
The AES Corporation is an American utility and power generation company. It owns and operates power plants, which it uses to generate and sell electricity to end users and intermediaries like utilities and industrial facilities. AES is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, and is one of the world's leading power companies, generating and distributing electric power in 15 countries and employing 10,500 people worldwide. AES Corporation is a global Fortune 500 power company. AES Ranks in the Top Ten of Fast Company's 2022 Best Workplaces for Innovators.
A backup battery provides power to a system when the primary source of power is unavailable. Backup batteries range from small single cells to retain clock time and date in computers, up to large battery room facilities that power uninterruptible power supply systems for large data centers. Small backup batteries may be primary cells; rechargeable backup batteries are kept charged by the prime power supply.
Valence Technology, Inc. was a company that developed and manufactured lithium iron phosphate cathode material as well as lithium ion battery modules and packs. The modules come in 12 V, 18 V, 24 V, and 36 V configurations. Valence's products are used in electric vehicle and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) such as cars, scooters, motorbikes, and commercial vehicles such as buses, delivery vans and trucks. Valence batteries are also used in wheelchairs, medical carts, robotics, marine, rail, as well as stationary applications such as remote power, uninterruptible power supply (UPS), energy storage systems, frequency regulation and switching gear.
Techtronic Industries Company Limited is a Hong Kong China–based multinational company that designs, produces, and markets power tools, outdoor power equipment, hand tools, and floor care appliances. It pioneered cordless power tools powered by lithium-ion rechargeable batteries.
The lithium-titanate or lithium-titanium-oxide (LTO) battery is a type of rechargeable battery which has the advantage of being faster to charge than other lithium-ion batteries but the disadvantage is a much lower energy density.
The lithium–sulfur battery is a type of rechargeable battery. It is notable for its high specific energy. The low atomic weight of lithium and moderate atomic weight of sulfur means that Li–S batteries are relatively light. They were used on the longest and highest-altitude unmanned solar-powered aeroplane flight by Zephyr 6 in August 2008.
Wallbox is a smart electric vehicle charging and energy management provider which designs, manufactures and distributes electric vehicle charging technologies.
Fluidic Energy is a corporation based in Scottsdale, Arizona that develops metal–air rechargeable batteries. The company sells systems for energy storage applications from rural electrification to critical backup power and has strong ties throughout the US, Latin America, Asia, and Africa. In March 2015 the Company signed a deal with Caterpillar, which included an equity investment in Fluidic Energy as well as a commercial agreement to collaborate in the microgrid and telecommunications markets. Over the following year, the company announced two separate MOUs for some of the largest renewable-energy rural electrification projects of their kind. The Company is dedicating its operations to “paving the path for the smart, sustainable grid of the future.”
Maria Christina Lampe-Önnerud is a Swedish inorganic chemist, battery-inventor, and entrepreneur. She has founded the companies Boston-Power Inc. (2005–2012) and Cadenza Innovation. She is developing batteries for use in computers, electric vehicles, and grid storage. She has received a number of awards, including the World Economic Forum's Technology Pioneer Award in 2010 and again in 2018, and is an elected member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences. Lampe-Önnerud has many interests, including opera singing, jazz dancing, playing the cello, and choir directing.
A battery storage power station, or battery energy storage system (BESS), is a type of energy storage power station that uses a group of batteries to store electrical energy. Battery storage is the fastest responding dispatchable source of power on electric grids, and it is used to stabilise those grids, as battery storage can transition from standby to full power in under a second to deal with grid contingencies.
Home energy storage devices store electricity locally, for later consumption. Electrochemical energy storage products, also known as "Battery Energy Storage System", at their heart are rechargeable batteries, typically based on lithium-ion or lead-acid controlled by computer with intelligent software to handle charging and discharging cycles. Companies are also developing smaller flow battery technology for home use. As a local energy storage technologies for home use, they are smaller relatives of battery-based grid energy storage and support the concept of distributed generation. When paired with on-site generation, they can virtually eliminate blackouts in an off-the-grid lifestyle.
The Hornsdale Wind Farm is an electricity generator in the locality of Hornsdale in the south-west of the Narien Range, north of Jamestown, South Australia. It consists of 99 wind turbines with a generation capacity of 315 megawatts (422,000 hp). The plant is owned and operated by Neoen, a French renewable energy company.
Hornsdale Power Reserve is a 150 MW grid-connected energy storage system owned by Neoen co-located with the Hornsdale Wind Farm in the Mid North region of South Australia, also owned by Neoen.
Khalil Amine is a materials scientist at Argonne National Laboratory, an Argonne distinguished fellow, and group leader of the Battery Technology group. His research team is focused on the development of advanced battery systems for transportation applications. In addition to his Argonne appointment, he is an adjunct professor at Stanford University, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, King Abdulaziz University, Hanyang University, and Peking University.
The Tehachapi Energy Storage Project (TSP) is a 8MW/32MWh lithium-ion battery-based grid energy storage system at the Monolith Substation of Southern California Edison (SCE) in Tehachapi, California, sufficient to power between 1,600 and 2,400 homes for four hours. At the time of commissioning in 2014, it was the largest lithium-ion battery system operating in North America and one of the largest in the world. TSP is considered to be a modern-day energy storage pioneer with significant accomplishments that have proven the viability of utility-scale energy storage using lithium-ion technology. While originally envisioned as a research and development project, TSP operated as a distribution-level resource for SCE and for calendar year 2020, SCE reported that TSP operated in the wholesale energy market with revenue exceeding operating and maintenance costs. In 2021, SCE began the decommissioning of TSP, which was followed by formal decommissioning by state regulators in 2022. The physical dismantlement of TSP is expected to be completed by the end of 2022.
EcoFlow portable power stations are a line of rechargeable portable batteries that charge via solar energy or power outlets and produce AC and DC power which would last several hours.
