An online ‘match’ service by the Consortium for Battery Innovation (CBI) is set to help developers choose the most suitable lead batteries for their energy storage projects.
Advanced lead battery research group CBI’s Battery Match service was designed and built to help power providers and energy storage developers find a battery system that best meets their requirements.
The system uses an intelligent algorithm based on stakeholder information, including details of their expectations and requirements, to suggest a range of battery solutions best suited to their needs in real-time.
The online service, launched in conjunction with the Energy Storage Association’s Virtual Conference (ESACon20), presents a series of potential battery partners, before linking developers directly with battery manufacturers.
Dr Alistair Davidson, director of CBI said: “We’re aiming to bridge the gap between utilities and renewable energy providers and battery manufacturers by demonstrating the wide range of reliable, high-performance advanced lead batteries available.
“Our research consortium of battery manufacturers has found that their customers needed a simpler way to sort through the range of choices to identify the best battery for their energy storage system.
“Our battery matchmaker will help demonstrate that there are a range of options available, where advanced lead batteries are best-suited to their needs, that allows them to find a tailor-made solution for their specific system.
“We’re seeing massive growth in demand for battery energy storage across the globe which means we need many more batteries. This new tool helps users consider the range of potential solutions and puts them in touch with potential partners in the shape of the manufacturers.”
With the energy storage market expected to grow at nearly 25% in the next five years, batteries will be one of the key energy storage technologies.
“All battery chemistries will have a part to play achieving future clean energy targets,” said Dr Davidson. “One of the advantages of using advanced lead batteries is that they combine reliability, high technical performance and cost-effectiveness with a recycling rate of almost 100% in North America and Europe.”
The technology is already widely used by utility and renewable energy companies for projects ranging from large-scale peak-shaving and frequency regulation projects to microgrids and off-grid systems.
The battery match service is a collaborative effort between the lead battery industry and CBI, which brings together robust, technical information from some of the leading global players in one place.
Companies including Advanced Battery Concepts, C&D Technologies, East Penn Manufacturing, Electric Applications Incorporated, EnerSys, Exide Technologies, Gridtential, NorthStar Battery and Trojan Battery Company are engaged in the project.
With a user-friendly interface available on desktop and mobile, energy storage end-users can log on to the tool, input their system requirements, and the outcome is a direct match with the battery best suited for their project. CBI Battery Match will enable direct communication between the energy storage company and the battery manufacturer, a streamlined process where inputted information results in the output of a battery.
