Solarwatt, LG Chem and Energy Depot Deutschland were joint winners at the EES energy storage innovation award last week – part of Intersolar’s “must see, high profile” press event.
Energy storage now fills two halls of the massive week-long trade fair held in Munich and with solar interest plateauing, the event really could claim the title of the most important battery event in Europe with more than 49,000 visitors, Susanne Bregazzi, one of the show’s organisers told BBB.
According to EES, lithium ion systems are 15% cheaper than in 2015, which has increased interest in the technology as it becomes more affordable.
Though it’s not entirely clear what the judging criteria were, Solarwatt offered a modular lithium-ion storage system which can be scaled to megawatt level and has direct DC coupling to PV arrays making it ultra efficient.
Energy Depot Deutschland demonstrated a three-phase hybrid inverter linked to lithium-ion chemistry built up in modules of 4kWh which can be used as emergency power supplies. And LG Chem offered its standalone, self-configuring module designed for a wide range of storage systems.
Five of the ten finalists for the award were German. The nation may have lost the edge for the advanced EV battery market to Asia, but if this lineup is anything to go by, they’re going to fight on the storage front to the bitter end.