Energy storage batteries

Energy storage batteries batteryA while ago, when we decided to develop microgrids, or photovoltaic projects with energy storage batteries, we had the goal to analyze the best technologies and solutions to offer to our customers. The options are very extensive and it is important to choose the energy storage batteries correctly, according to the needs of the projects that the market wants to develop.

When starting an advisory process for a microgrid design, it is vital to understand its application and the use it will have. The use that an industry that operates 24/7 makes of a microgrid, can be radically different from the use that a business that operates only during the day or the night can give it. When we talk about energy storage batteries, there’s not a unique recipe to follow that meet all objectives. Each case must be studied in detail and the engineering must be made, to choose the best technology.

Energy storage batteries chemistry

In short, there are many energy storage technologies ranging from flywheels, hydroelectricity, compressed air, hydrogen, thermal, etc. At greenenergy®, we are focused on electro-chemical. It stands out for using batteries or accumulators that use a combination of chemical elements to generate the REDOX (reduction-oxidation) process. This process generates an electrical current that we can manage for endless benefits.

Battery chemistry is a very dynamic field. The birth of new technologies has led us to make batteries a cost-effective method of storing energy. Today everyone talks about Lithium, as the holy grail of chemists, but they forget to mention that many different chemicals are present in lithium. In essence, they are all called “lithium”, however, their properties and characteristics are very different from each other. Among the most common battery chemistry are:

  • NMC –

    • 4000 cycles at an 80% Depth of Discharge (DoD)
    • Commonly used in electric vehicles, because of its light weight
    • Susceptible to thermal faillure.
    • Cheaper, due to its technology journey and use in the industry.

  • LFP –

    • 6000 cycles at a 90% Depth of Discharge (DoD).
    • Ideal for stationary use due to its weight, which makes it ideal for photovoltaic microgrids.
    • No risk of thermal faillure.
    • Bad handling of low temperatures.

  • Lipo –

    • 4000 cycle at an 80% Depth of Discharge (DoD)
    • It is solid state, eliminate the use of electrolyte
    • Compact size
    • No risk of thermal faillure

  • Lithium Titanate –

    • Quick charging and discharging capacity
    • Frequently used in portable electric tools or UPS, as well as in electric vehicles.
    • Great handling of high temperatures
    • Great safety

These are just initial considerations about the most common battery chemistries, leaving aside chemistries such as LCO, LMO, NCA, amongst others. However, this clears up that the lithium storage battery family is big and is constantly increasing.

Value added of choosing efficient technology

These chemistries are also subdivided based on how dense the use of each chemical element is. This increases the variability of the choice of chemistry to use or the performance of similar brands. However, the clear advantages of using an efficient chemistry is that all these batteries have internal protections and monitoring systems (BMS / BMU). This makes them much safer than their predecessors such as Lead-Acid or Nickel-Cadmium, which are the first commercially available technologies and are still widely used today. In addition, efficient chemistries bring better performance and use of their capacity. These can be completly discharged without presenting internal damage. These and other benefits are part of the added value that the use of efficient chemistry brings.

For each case and application there are several storage options. Every semester, new chemicals are released. They promise to some extent to replace Lithium in various applications, such as the use of Sodium, Iron-Air, flow batteries, among others.

The day has come where industries manage their own energy, with increasingly intelligent and durable technology. Technology that allows them to offer better added values within the same operation of the electric subscribers.

As a result of these advances in technology, we have come up with the term choosing the right technology. At greenenergy® we are always ready to offer our clients what they really need. Our mission is to always recommend the best chemistry and technology for each business case and thus ensure that each case is a successful one.

Written by: Ignacio Salazar, Director Comercial de greenenergy®

Reference link: Battery University