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ENERGY STORAGE
made from 80% or more recycled components,
making the lead battery industry
the gold standard for circular economies.
The sustainability of lead batteries, coupled
with their domestically available
supply chain, provides a suitable alternative
to foreign-sourced lithium batteries,
particularly when used for short-duration
energy storage applications.
Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries for
Long Duration
While a lead BESS is a good fit for shortduration
energy needs, climate change
and aging infrastructure demand that
we also be prepared with both grid storage
and backup power for longer durations,
using battery chemistries that
offer the same, or greater, recyclability.
A newer technology, vanadium redox
flow batteries (VRFB, Figure 1), shows
great promise. VRFBs are capable of
discharging energy continuously for four
to 12 hours at a time, making them an
ideal solution for hospitals and military
bases-institutions where continuous
power is critical.
With proper maintenance, VRFBs
can last more than 20 years without its
electrolyte losing storage capacity. This
longevity complements the lifespan of
wind and solar installations. The electrolyte
itself is infinitely recyclable, and the
battery offers a near-limitless cycle life.
In addition, VRFBs avoid some of the
safety concerns inherent in other chemistries.
The aqueous-based chemistry is
thermally safe, allowing large systems to
be placed close together. With so many
properties that make VRFBs a safe, reliable,
and sustainable option, they're
a good fit for storing and deploying the
vast levels of clean energy the U.S. will
need to provide greater grid stability.
Because the technology is cuttingedge,
there is still work to be done to
establish a domestic supply chain and
scale manufacturing for the key components
of VRFB systems, specifically vanadium
electrolyte. The best practices of
the lead battery industry in the U.S. can
serve as a blueprint for the anticipated
rapid growth of VRFB markets.
Improved supply chain protocols,
combined with the typical savings from
economies of scale, are prime examples
of how the best practices of the lead battery
industry can help rapidly drive prices
of the vanadium electrolyte down to be
more in line with market expectations
for BESS costs. The lead battery industry
also has extensive vertically integrated
capabilities, from engineering to manufacturing,
to sales and marketing, to
operations and maintenance services,
as well as its robust circular economy.
As vanadium electrolyte production levels
increase to meet demand, volumes
could not only meet, but far exceed levels
of the lead battery industry. Vanadium
electrolyte suppliers will need to engage
in similar practices.
BESS in Action
To not only understand VRFB's energy
storage and shifting capabilities, but also
identify additional use cases, energy
storage solution providers are partnering
with communities across the country to
deploy these systems in real-world situations.
Stryten Energy partnered with
Snapping Shoals EMC (Electric Membership
Corp.), a Georgia-based utility
provider for one of the fastest-growing
regions in the nation, to test VRFB with
its more than 100,000 resident and business
customers (Figure 2). The project
was the first VRFB energy storage system
manufactured and installed in Georgia.
Snapping Shoals' 20-kW/120-kWh
system was commissioned in August
2023, and the teams are comparing results
and learnings from the project.
A lead BESS project is currently underway
for a local community center,
connecting a 100-kW/322-kWh BESS
to a new microgrid, solar array, and the
legacy power grid. The new microgrid
will enable the location to serve as a
resiliency center for the community to
gather and have critical needs met in the
event of grid outages. The center will
provide local residents with a place to
go for a hot meal, to provide relief from
extreme temperatures, or to store temperature-sensitive
medication in a safe
place. Stryten's advanced lead batteries
are well-suited to the high reliability and
safety requirements necessary to have
the BESS idle for long periods of time,
but ready to perform when the critical
need arises.
Stryten is also collaborating with a
leading university to fine-tune its advanced
battery technology. A lead BESS
and a VRFB BESS are being placed as
a " living laboratory " to further develop
the products and applications. Some
of the goals of the living lab include
exploration of next generation gas stations,
where solar arrays plus BESS
microgrids provide carbon-free, costeffective
pathways for electric vehicle
charging. The systems will also fuel
studies on how to deploy BESSs most
effectively for resiliency centers to support
the mission of sustainability and
resiliency for the campus.
2. Snapping Shoals EMC (Electric Membership Corp.), a consumer-owned, non-profit cooperative
with headquarters in Covington, Georgia, installed an advanced VRFB to demonstrate and
evaluate its capabilities. The project was the first VRFB energy storage system manufactured
and installed in the state of Georgia. Courtesy: Stryten Energy
April 2024 | POWER
www.powermag.com
Planning for Short- and LongDuration
Needs
The need for clean energy storage is
well-established, and the resources are
in place to refine BESS technology and
capitalize on economies of scale. The
onus is now on energy innovators to
improve tried-and-true lead battery technology
and experiment with new chemistries
such as vanadium to meet the
wide range of duration needs.
Battery manufacturers should leverage
best practices from the circular economy
of the lead battery industry to ensure a
strong domestic supply chain. It will take
a variety of battery chemistries to power
the world of tomorrow, and by investing
in U.S. manufacturing and supply chains
for sustainable BESS technologies, the
infrastructure that makes that resilient,
clean energy-driven future possible can
be built. ■
-Scott Childers is vice president of
Essential Power at Stryten Energy.
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