A U.S. manufacturer and developer of large-format lithium-ion rechargeable batteries, says it will provide energy storage for Princeton Power Systems’ advanced renewable energy system, one that combines large-scale solar generation with lithium-ion battery storage and smart controls.
The $1.5M solar generation system will be installed at Princeton Power Systems’ corporate headquarters and will connect to the Public Service Enterprise Group electric grid. The installation will demonstrate advanced smart-grid functions including microgrid operation, demand response, time shifting, frequency regulation, and power dispatch. The inverter and energy storage equipment will be housed in a mobile shipping container expandable to 1 MWh of storage. The completed system will be operational late 2010.
“More storage is needed to accommodate renewable energy in the electric grid,” says International Battery CEO Ake Almgren. “Large format prismatic battery cells, manufactured using an environmentally friendly water-based process, let our company offer more energy density in an efficient lithium-ion battery.”
Advantages of the company’s design include its large-format batteries and their Battery Management System (BMS). The cells hold up to 10 times more energy than other prismatic cells and 70 times more energy than consumer-oriented cylindrical cells. This results in a less complex system with a more efficient electrical bus, and low thermal-management requirements. The BMS monitors temperature and voltage for each cell and provides continuous active balancing of the system maintaining all cells within a narrow voltage range. Monitoring each cell makes the battery modules inherently more reliable and efficient than traditional battery designs that use wound cylindrical cells without individual cell monitoring. Active cell balancing also contributes to a system efficiency of 85 to 90%.
After commissioning the system, the solar array will produce marketable Solar Renewable Energy Certificates (SRECs) and offset a portion of Princeton Power Systems’ energy use. The project is financed in part by the State of New Jersey’s Clean Energy Manufacturers Fund, which is helping Princeton Power Systems expand its state-of-the-art research and development, and manufacturing facilities for next-generation power electronics.
International Battery’s
www.internationalbattery.com
Princeton Power Systems
www.princetonpower.com
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