Because our technology is safe, modular, and easy to install, we can deploy this solution on a distributed basis—within the load centers where this capacity is needed most.
Eos Partners with NEC Energy Solutions to Supply Game-Changing Utility Scale Battery Solution
Philippe Bouchard | Eos Energy
About Philippe Bouchard
Philippe joins Eos with 8 years of in-depth experience leading emerging technology and regulatory initiatives within the utility energy industry. While working previously within Southern California Edison’s Advanced Technology Organization, Philippe co-authored SCE’s Smart Grid Deployment Plan and managed a $3 million portfolio of diversified R&D and technology evaluation projects. Philippe has helped to propose and implement customer demand response programs leveraging newly implemented smart metering and home area network technology platforms.
How does Eos’ Znyth technology differ compared to Li-ion? What are its primary advantages?
Eos’ Znyth technology is the result of almost a decade of business case driven product development. Since the company was founded in 2008, our team has worked to develop a technology that meets the fundamental requirements of grid-connected energy storage. Our proprietary technology employs a novel aqueous zinc based chemistry that uses inexpensive, widely available materials and commoditized manufacturing equipment and processes to deliver safe, low-cost energy storage. Sealed, static cell sub-modules that are roughly the size of a shoe box comprise the basic unit of production and aggregation for the Aurora 1000│4000 product, a 1MW/4MWh containerized DC battery system, which we are now selling at a volume price of $160/kWh.
Our technology is fundamentally different that Li-ion, which was originally developed for adjacent industries/applications—such as portable electronics and electric vehicles—where gravimetric and volumetric energy density reign supreme. While major Li-ion manufacturers are scaling up and driving down cost through economies of scale, the basic bill of materials and production process makes Li-ion more expensive and complex. Our Aurora system enables turn-key energy storage solutions which are 30-50% lower cost. Furthermore, our technology was designed to be a workhorse: We can support roughly 15 years of daily utilization, full charge / discharge cycles, with minimal degradation in performance. This gives us a distinct advantage in terms of total cost of ownership over the lifetime of a project. Finally and perhaps most importantly, our batteries don’t catch on fire. We use a water-based electrolyte and non-hazardous materials which makes our technology inherently safe and well-suited for installation in homes and buildings.
What is the ‘killer app’ for Eos’ technology and the combined offering with NEC Energy Solutions (NEC ES)?
In two words: Locational Capacity. Over the years, Eos has worked with leading utilities and independent power producers—Con Edison, NRG, National Grid, and Engie among others—to evaluate where energy storage can be deployed profitably or cost-effectively on the electricity grid. This analysis has lead us to the conclusion that by far the largest and still yet unserved need in the market place is for distributed peaking capacity. Our Aurora solution can provide 4 hours of continuous power to reduce system peak; At a price of $160/kWh, we can for the first time use energy storage as an economic alternative to gas peaking plants. Moreover, because our technology is safe, modular, and easy to install, we can deploy this solution on a distributed basis—within the load centers where this capacity is needed most. This allows us to debottleneck upstream transmission and distribution infrastructure, mitigating the need for costly upgrades and further reducing costs for utilities and ultimately energy consumers.
Our partnership with NEC responds to the observation that this ‘killer app’ and the market more broadly requires a plug-and-play solution. In essence, the combined offering layers NEC’s power conversion solution, intelligent controls, and installation and maintenance services on top of our Aurora DC battery system to create an industry leading turn-key, AC-integrated energy storage solution. This collaboration is part of our broader Aegis collaboration where we work with major system integrators and suppliers of utility equipment—such as Toshiba, Alstom, and others—to offer turn-key energy storage solutions to our customers.
When and where will this product come to market?
Eos is now selling the Aurora 1000│4000 for delivery beginning in 2016. We are focused on the U.S. and European markets; however, the demand for this product is truly global. Since announcing the availability of our product in February, we have received over 12.5GWh of qualified leads from over six continents. India, South Africa, and Australia are among the most active and vibrant markets given high infrastructure costs and, in some cases, issues with grid stability. With the support of our Aegis partners, we will be able to deploy and support product globally in the second half of 2016.
What does the partnership mean to NEC ES? What is the significance to the industry?
NEC ES CEO, Bud Collins, said it best: “Looking into the future, we acknowledge that no single energy storage technology will be able to meet the diverse needs of the grid and other stationary applications. This collaboration with Eos is part of our ongoing commitment to develop a comprehensive energy storage technology portfolio for our GSS and provide energy storage capabilities that match evolving industry needs,”
“With batteries currently being tested with major utility companies around the world, Eos is demonstrating the technology’s viability and its ability to provide DC energy storage systems at pricing levels that increase the number of economically viable applications and opens up new markets to storage,” said Mr. Collins.
Why did NEC choose Eos as a partner?
NEC choose Eos as a partner because our Znyth technology offers significant and sustainable advantage over competing batteries. Our Aurora product is designed to provide continuous power for 4 to 6 hours and also has the flexibility to provide surge capacity for short periods of time. This makes is a perfect fit for peak shaving applications, solar shifting, and transmission and distribution deferral while also supporting fast-responding applications such as frequency regulation. Because Eos’ battery employs a sealed, modular design, it can be easily stacked and aggregated into sub-systems tailored to meet the customer’s need. The inherent safety of Eos’ chemistry reduces the complexity and cost associated with battery monitoring and control, thermal management, and containerization. In most environments, the Aurora system does not require dedicated heating or cooling which further reduces cost and improves efficiency.
What will be the benefits of the partnership to existing and/or potential customers?
The partnership with NEC allows us to offer turn-key, AC-integrated solutions for our customers. With our combined capability, we can design and price the most cost-effective solution for the customer and provide support through the entire project lifecycle—from project origination to commissioning and ongoing operation and maintenance.
What types of companies do you plan to sell this product to?
Our primary customers are utilities and project developers.
What cost savings does this technology provide?
Eos’ Aurora solution can allow customers to save upwards of 30-50% relative to the next best Li-ion technology.
The content & opinions in this article are the author’s and do not necessarily represent the views of AltEnergyMag
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