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Sodium Nickel and other Battery Technologies
Recently GridEdge showcased our FIAMM SoNick battery to the Traralgon sustainability group and Ian Conibeer gave a
talk about the Sodium Nickel battery and many of its characteristics as compared to other batteries currently available in Australia.
Among other things people were impressed with the fact that the FIAMM SoNick battery is 100% recyclable and operates effectively, without any battery deterioration from -20° to +60°C which makes it a much better alternative to other batteries in Australia’s extreme weather conditions.
Categories: Energy storage -
Discussing the SoNick battery
Ian and John with the 9.6 kW SoNick battery on display. The SoNick battery has no toxic materials or gasses, either in its manufacture or use which is a big advantage over most of the other energy storage batteries currently available. It also is 100% recyclable with a recycling program already in place which is a definite advantage to people that are environmentally conscious which is the case with most early adopters of energy storage.
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SoNick battery presentation
Recently GridEdge showcased our FIAMM SoNick battery to the Baw Baw sustainability group and
here is a picture of Ian Conibeer talking about the Sodium Nickel battery and many of its characteristics. Among other things people were impressed with the superior operating temperature of the FIAMM SoNick battery which operates effectively, without any battery deterioration from -20° to +60°C which makes it a much better alternative to other batteries in Australia’s extreme weather conditions
If you recognise the value in utilising battery storage and would like to understand more about different battery characteris
Categories: Energy storage -
What is the Cycle Life of Your Battery?
When you see information about batteries one thing you will often see is the number of cycles
they will claim to be able to provide in their lifetime. This figure can be anywhere from 2,000 cycles to 5,000 or even 6,000 cycles.
At first glance it might seem that the higher the number of cycles, the better the battery will be but in fact there are many factors that can affect the true number of cycles you will get out of your battery over its lifetime. Generally the more you take a battery below its recommended depth of discharge the fewer cycles you will get out of the battery.
One cycle is taking a battery from fully charged down to its recommended depth of discharge before charging it up again.
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Is your battery toxic to you or your environment?
One of the things that you should consider when putting battery storage on your home is whether or not the battery chemistry is toxic either in its manufacture or disposal or in its day to day use. Often, one of the reasons that people put solar panels on their house and put in battery storage to collect the excess usage is to protect the environment and reduce the need for coal powered power stations. This can be counterproductive if you choose a battery that is made from toxic materials or has components that can’t be recycled.
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What does Depth of Discharge or DOD mean?
When you see information on batteries you often see their performance
talked about as their Depth of Discharge or DOD. This is the percentage of battery capacity that can be used. For some batteries you can use 80 or 90% of their capacity but others only allow you to use 30%. It is very important to understand this when you are looking at the output of any battery.
You can have a range of batteries, all having 10 KW capacity but if one battery has a DOD of 80% where you would actually have 8KW of available storage another one might have a DOD of only 30% which means you would in fact only be able to use 3KW of storage. This means the lower the depth of discharge the more batteries you would need to achieve the same storage capacity.
Categories: Energy storage -
What is the best operating temperature for your battery?
Most batteries will operate, with varying degrees of effectiveness in the 5 – 35 °C range so are fine for the autumn and spring operating months, however if you want a battery that will also operate efficiently in winter and summer you need to understand how temperature has an effect on a batteries operating capabilities. The ambient weather temperatures have a large impact on the performance and on the life of most batteries and unfortunately, it’s a characteristic that isn’t often talked about. The optimum temperature for most batteries to operate at is around 25°C and this is the temperature all battery testing is performed at. When temperatures vary, either up or down there is an effect on the performance and life of most batteries. Depending on the chemistry of the battery different batteries will only operate optimally within a limited temperature range, so it’s important to understand this when purchasing or upgrading your battery for energy storage. When the temperature starts to fall below about 15°C, depending on the battery chemistry, the electro-chemistry of the battery becomes sluggish and doesn’t perform as well. In fact, very few batteries operate below 0°C. This is relevant in many countries in Europe, the USA or Canada but not as relevant in most of Australia.
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What is your Battery Size?
Energy storage batteries come in a variety of different sizes and weights and each have
different characteristics. If you have a lot of suitable space to store your battery this may not be relevant but if you are limited in space you may want to consider one of the smaller batteries.
Here is a comparison of some of the most common batteries currently available in Australia with comparisons of size for a similar sized 22kWh system.
If there is a possibility of moving house you will need take into account the battery size as well as its weight if you want to move it with you.
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Energy Storage Growth Predictions
Photovoltaic (PV) electricity generation’s biggest weakness up until now has been its inability to supply power at the times it is most needed.
This can be addressed with the installation of battery systems that allow households and businesses to store renewable energy for use in peak periods. The use of both photovoltaics and wind energy is increasing but it is the intermittent supply of both these sources of energy production that will drive the take up of battery storage.As the price of electricity increases and the price of batteries decrease the use of batteries will become a better financial option for many people, particularly those that recognise the benefits to storing current electricity supply options and reducing the strain on the coal powered electricity generation supply at peak usage times.
However, although many people are saying they will wait until the price of batteries has come down, similar to the massive decrease in solar panels, there have been a number of studies done that prove that this will actually cost you money. When you work out the amount of money you will save on electricity costs over the next few years this will, in fact, be more than the expected decrease in the price of batteries.
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Highlighting the features of our Sodium Nickel Chloride battery
John describing some of the features of our Sodium Nickel Chloride battery at a recent display at Warragul.
This was a local sustainability group that already had a degree of knowledge of alternative energy solutions and the SoNick battery met with a lot of interest.
Amongst other things, people were impressed with the very high embodied energy contained in the small footprint of the battery with 10 Kw in a battery of only 55 cm x 50 cm x 32 cm.
Categories: Energy storage
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