A German firm is preparing to launch the world’s first lithium-iron-phosphate energy storage system that can be connected in parallel.
The breakthrough by ASD Automatic Storage Device allows faulty cells – regardless of other cells capacity, internal resistance and health – to be replaced rather than changing the whole system.
ASD unveiled the product at the Intersolar Europe exhibition in Munich last week.
The system, currently in the certification process, is expected to be available this autumn as a modular, scalable system with individual module sizes of up to 3.2 kWh and a performance of 1 kW.
The cells can be connected in parallel because each one in the device is fitted with the cell control system ‘Pacadu’.
Previously, the battery cells for energy storage have been connected in series – which meant the weakest cell determined the performance of the entire series.
Wolfram Walter, Managing Director of ASD, said: “In principle, the control unit is the ABS of energy storage. With it, cell quality is no longer an important factor.”
Headquartered in Umkirch, near the German city of Freiburg, the company has filed 14 patents for the technology.
ASD was founded in 2013 by engineers Wolfram Walter and Gerd Knoll. It produces intelligent solar energy storage systems that use lithium-iron-phosphate battery technology. It won a German Renewables Award in autumn 2013.