“The Sunverge SIS will provide improvements in power quality and economy while the system will benefit from peak load reduction, demand response participation and a decline in greenhouse gas emissions.”
The Energy Innovation Hub will include a live demonstration of a microgrid with a 2700 square foot net-zero energy home. International Battery will provide Sunverge with an 8.2 kilowatt-hour Lithium Iron Phosphate battery pack for use in the residential SIS system. Lithium Iron Phosphate provides excellent cycle life across a wide temperature range and is inherently one of the safest lithium chemistries.
Sunverge’s efficiently designed, integrated system includes an inverter, gateway interoperability and storage technology, making it a unique and comprehensive solution. This project will showcase the next-generation zero-energy home and the importance of managing, distributing and storing energy within the smart grid.
“We’re pleased to work with Sunverge on this very important project,” said Vice President, Business Development and Sales for International Battery, John Battaglini. “Our advanced battery technology, both in terms of the large format prismatic battery cells and the dedicated battery management and control system, will help to take energy storage to a much higher level of integration in smart grid applications.”
Sunverge Energy has developed a turn-key distributed energy solution that captures solar energy at its most plentiful and stores it for use during peak demand hours, when cost to produce and deliver electricity is at its highest. “From multiple small Sunverge units, energy can be managed independently and in aggregate to produce significant grid-scale benefits, resulting in faster, cleaner and more reliable energy than conventional grid resources,” said Sunverge Energy President Ken Munson. “The Sunverge SIS will provide improvements in power quality and economy while the system will benefit from peak load reduction, demand response participation and a decline in greenhouse gas emissions.”
“Energy storage is the key to renewable energy deployment within the Smart grid,” said Don Bradley, president of Solar Strategies Development Corp., the designer and building contractor of the net-zero energy home. “Renewables are instrumental to the success of the smart grid and the way we manage, monitor, distribute and store that energy is vital.”
The Navy Yard’s Energy Innovation Hub, a national center for research, education and the commercialization of energy-related technologies, is combining efforts of researchers from academia, the private sector and national research laboratories to save energy, reduce carbon emissions and position the U.S. as a leader in renewable energy resources. The Navy Yard Campus in Philadelphia encompasses 1,200 acres, over seven miles of waterfront, a workforce of 8,000 in over 100 companies, 5.5 million square feet of facilities and more than $500 million of private investment.
“The numerous programs at Navy Yard have a huge potential to improve how we use energy,” explained Penn State professor David Riley. “Integrated systems like this are proven to have market viability. Energy storage and smart grid systems represent a new market that can save energy and create thousands of jobs.”
Power grid operator PJM sees the significant benefits of energy storage to the electrical infrastructure. “Competitive wholesale electricity markets, such as PJM’s, provide opportunities for renewable energy, and energy storage is an exciting means to optimize availability of renewables and overcome the intermittent nature of these renewables,” said Chantal Hendrzak, general manager – Applied Solutions at PJM Interconnection, operator of North America’s largest power grid. “Energy storage also has the opportunity to participate in the regulation service market, which offers the potential for additional revenue.”
Overseeing the Energy Innovation Hub at the Navy Yard Clean Energy Campus is The Greater Philadelphia Innovation Cluster (GPIC), a consortium of academic institutions, federal laboratories, global industry partners, regional economic development agencies and other stakeholders that joined forces to secure over $130 million in federal grants from the Department of Energy. The funding will foster national energy independence and create quality jobs for the region.
In keeping with the philosophy of enabling green technologies, International Battery is the first company in North America to produce commercial Lithium ion products using a water-based manufacturing process that helps to eliminate toxic solvents.
Headquartered in Allentown, Pa., International Battery is a U.S. manufacturer, designer, and developer of large-format Lithium-ion rechargeable cells and batteries for use in a wide range of transportation, industrial, electric utility, smart grid and military applications, employing a uniquely environmentally friendly manufacturing process.
Sunverge Energy, a California-based company, optimizes the value of solar power by leveraging the practical advantages of distributed generation and storage. The simple, intelligent and cost-effective energy management system captures solar energy and stores it for use when it’s needed most, thereby shifting electrical loads, flattening peak electricity demand and maximizing return on renewable energy investments. With an innovative grid-tied model that aligns the goals of residential consumers and electricity utilities, Sunverge is poised to help solve the energy problems of today and tomorrow.
