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Tag: Grid Storage News

How Arbin’s Systems Support Real Life Battery Simulations

Arbin Drive Cycle Simulation Results

Why are real-life simulations important?

Most devices do not consume energy at a constant rate throughout the day. Large applications such as electric vehicles and grid storage go through periods of high and low energy demand. Even portable devices such as smartphones or laptops may be more heavily used at certain times of the day. How something is used – charged and discharged – has an effect on the overall health of a battery. By testing a battery with a simulation that mimics how a device is used in real life, manufacturers can more accurately estimate the performance of a consumer product battery over time and identify the areas that need improvement.

What features can support accurate simulations?

Good battery testing equipment with features that can support accurate simulations can go a long way. Arbin’s Regenerative Battery Testing Series (RBT) is optimized for dynamic test profiles. Here are a few key features that can support this:

-Data Points

The RBT can support over 300,000 data points for one simulation, allowing testers to plot an intricate and nuanced simulation that better reflects real-life battery usage. This can be done without any complicated programming, as test files can be uploaded in Excel or CSV formats. 

-True Bipolar Circuitry

True bipolar circuitry means that the test equipment can switch between charging and discharging with no switch time in between. With this feature, dynamic test profiles can be accurately performed and properly mimic real usage. Moreover, the interval between data points can be as low as 50ms, giving testers a wide range of flexibility in their test profiles.

-Fast Data Sampling

The presence of integrated microcontrollers allows for fast data sampling at 0.3ms. Data is logged at 5ms intervals or 2000 points per second, meaning that the system can log every little detail of the charge and discharge simulation, giving testers an accurate snapshot of battery performance.

-High-Resolution Equipment 

As with all of Arbin’s equipment, the RBT series has high resolution at 24-bit, compared with the industry standard of 16-bit. This means that even the smallest change in current or voltage is visible to a greater number of digits, catching even the smallest patterns or deviations in a battery’s performance.

On top of all of the aforementioned features, Arbin’s RBT is equipped with high-efficiency circuitry and power density. With regenerative circuitry, power is sent back to the grid when discharging, which lowers the energy costs of running the testing equipment. The RBT has a regenerative efficiency of 90-92%, providing testers with a more environmentally-friendly and cost-effective battery testing solution.

High-quality battery testing equipment can support the research and development of batteries and battery-powered devices. Contact us now to see how we can support your next challenge. 

How does weather affect the electrical grid?

Since the 1900s, electricity has become an integral part of our lives, determining our access to warmth, food, communication, safety, and health. The weather, however, can greatly affect our access to electricity, especially when we may need it the most. An analysis conducted by Climate Central found that there was a 67% increase in weather-related power outages since 2000 in the United States, reflecting the inability of the aging electrical grid to withstand increasingly extreme weather events. Both renewable and non-renewable energy are vulnerable to effects of the weather. How does it affect energy generation and transmission, and what can be done to improve it?

According to Climate Central, between 2003 and 2012, 80% of large-scale power outages were caused by severe weather. Out of these instances, 59% were caused by storms and severe weather such as heavy rains and thunderstorms; 20% by ice storms and cold weather; 18% by hurricanes and tropical storms; and 3% and 2% by tornadoes, and extreme heat and wildfires respectively. With a large majority of power outages caused by weather events, it is crucial to create a system that can hold up against them and recover as soon as possible.

How does weather affect the generation and distribution of electricity?

A majority of power lines in America are above ground making them vulnerable to weather and the elements. During storms and hurricanes, power line poles are susceptible to breaking and falling due to strong winds, or having branches and trees fall onto the power lines, disrupting the transmission of power. During Hurricane Sandy in 2012, 8 million people faced power outages with disruption caused by wind or flood damage, or preemptive shut downs by power companies to preserve the electrical system. In 2018, 1.7 million people faced electricity outages caused by Hurricane Michael. Oftentimes it can take a few days for power to be restored, leaving people and emergency services vulnerable during these times.

Ice storms can also cause damage to power lines as ice accumulates on them and makes them easier to break. If equipment is not designed to operate at certain temperatures, energy generation can be impeded. During the unprecedented cold weather that Texas faced, equipment at powerplants froze as they were not fortified against frigid temperatures, leaving millions without power. Extreme temperatures can also increase the demand on the electrical grid as people switch on extra heating or air conditioning to cope, putting a lot of pressure on the grid.

Renewable energy sources are not impervious to extreme weather conditions either. Some studies have shown that the electrical efficiency and power output of solar panels can also be negatively affected by higher temperatures. Not to mention when there is no sunlight at all for panels to harvest. Wind turbines can be damaged by winds stronger than what they are designed to handle.

What can be done to fortify the electrical grid against extreme weather?

With our electrical supply so greatly dependent on the weather, it is critical to have a system that can respond and withstand the pressure, especially in times of emergency.

Creating smart grids is one way to begin strengthening the grid. With the help of smart technology, there can be faster communication between the grid and power plants in detecting disruptions and allowing service providers to reroute power if necessary as soon as possible. It would also facilitate the monitoring of energy demand, so power plants can better respond to needs and make the decisions needed to meet demand while protecting the integrity of the grid.

Diversifying energy sources is also an important way to better ensure continuous availability of electricity. If one source gets affected by the weather, like a lack of sun hindering the generation of solar energy, other sources can step in and fill in the gaps.

Energy storage and localizing the grid is crucial in creating resilient systems and responding to energy needs in times of emergency. Grid storage would provide areas with a source of back up electricity when power plants and energy generators fail or are taken offline. With grids and storage controlled at a local level, areas would be able to continue to meet demand even if power lines or transmission towers are damaged. In this way, grid storage can act as a buffer, reducing the possibility or length of time people face power outages.

While people can’t control the weather, they can have control over how it affects us and our electrical systems. Creating a resilient and reliable power grid can better prepare areas to deal with extreme weather, avoid power outages, and ensure that critical services remain online during emergency situations.

Click here to find out more about how Arbin’s equipment supports the grid storage industry.

The Clean Energy Shift

The US renewable energy industry has been growing steadily in the past two decades. From 2000 to 2018, renewable energy grew 100% and in 2020, renewable sources made up 11.4% of the country’s energy source. With the government’s new initiative for the power-sector to be decarbonized by 2035, the shift towards clean energy will most definitely accelerate. Here’s what this change could look like in the coming years.

Electrification across the board

For decarbonization to be successful, there must be cooperation from peoples across all levels of society; industries, corporations, and households all have a role to play.

Transportation, one of the biggest contributors to carbon pollution, continues to be at the forefront of electrification. With more and more EV models across the price spectrum debuting on the market, there is increasing enticement for drivers to make the switch to EVs. Many cities across the country are also taking initiative to replace public buses with electric alternatives, further facilitating the decarbonization of transportation. Delivery services like FedEx and UPS are also acquiring electric vehicles to slowly electrify their fleets.

Buildings and homes will soon also become more and more electrified, with gas-powered appliances such as furnaces and water heaters replaced with electric ones. With studies showing that home gas-powered appliances such as stoves increase indoor air pollution, more people are willing to switch to induction stoves and other alternatives.

While the upfront cost of replacing technology with electric versions can be high, studies have found that they are certainly more cost-efficient in the long run.

Supportive Infrastructure

Speaking of electrification, there has to be sufficient and resilient infrastructure to support it. One of the most important foundations is a modernized grid coupled with energy storage. With the, at times, erratic availability of renewable sources such as solar and wind, storage is an important addition to the grid to ensure a consistent supply of electricity. It is estimated that at least 3.6 gigawatts of battery storage will be installed in 2021, significantly adding to grid resilience and increasing the ability to consolidate and integrate multiple energy sources. 

Expanding electric vehicle charging facilities is also crucial in creating an EV-friendly environment, further encouraging carbon-emission free options such as light-rails or bicycle paths.These options also contribute to decarbonization and encouraging clean and green commute options. 

Localization energy generation

One of the advantages of renewable energy is that most anyone can contribute to its generation. Solar PV is one of the easiest ways for homes and businesses to adopt renewable energy on their own. 2019 and 2020 saw a boom in the deployment of residential solar panels. The installation of home residential energy storage continues to steadily increase and is expected to grow six-fold by 2025. This shows that individuals are open to taking clean energy into their own hands and do what they can to decarbonate their own homes. Updating to a modern two-way grid will also allow individual homes and buildings to contribute to energy production and sell electricity back to the grid, facilitating a local and resilient grid system.

What role is Arbin playing in the clean energy revolution?

Arbin continuously provides high quality test equipment made for grid storage applications, EV applications, and more. 

 

MIT Study: Second Life Batteries Deliver Benefits to Grid Storage

There’s big news in the battery world. A new modeling study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) reported that second life batteries from the electric car industry could be reusable for grid storage in solar operations.

As electric vehicle (EV) adoption grows, and with states like California phasing out gasoline-powered vehicles, there will soon be an abundance of used batteries. The MIT study provides a possible second life for these batteries.

About the Study

MIT researchers published the study in July 2020. They looked at several building scenarios for a hypothetical grid-scale solar farm in California: a 2.5-megawatt solar farm alone and variations. One included a lithium-ion battery storage system. The other consisted of a battery array of repurposed EV batteries down to 80% of their initial capacity.

In the experiment, the team used a semiempirical model of battery degradation to predict capacity. They also found that the batteries would not have to run at maximum capacity and would work fine with batteries at a maximum of 65% and a minimum of 15%.

Most Batteries Sent to Recycle Have Capacity of 80%

Dr. Imre Gyuk, Director of Energy Storage Research at the Department of Energy, offered insights on this issue. He said that, annually, millions of usable lithium-ion batteries sent to recycling still have a capacity of up to 80%. Those numbers are sure to rise as EVs become the norm rather than the exception.

Instead of just recycling these batteries, a second life would be much more beneficial to the industry, consumers and the environment. The scalability of this, however, has challenges.

How Easy Is Scaling Second Life Batteries?

There have been small-scale implementations of the second life EV battery model. Scaling it, however, will be more challenging. Researchers asked questions such as:

  • What would be the battery screening process once they are removed from cars?
  • How would solar power operators pack these different batteries into a way they’ll work together?
  • Would poorer battery performance impact the whole?

Further, there are economic impact concerns, as well. There will be costs associated with battery removal, collection, checking and repackaging. They concluded that a new battery installation wouldn’t be a reasonable net return, but the option with EV batteries would be, as long as those batteries had a value of 60% of their original price. Their value supports the costs.

How Long Could Second Life Batteries Last?

So, what’s the probability of longevity for these batteries? The study makes a very conservative hypothesis that the batteries could work until they decline to 70% of their rated capacity. That’s just an assumption at this point. The batteries could last much longer, even down to 60%, though long-term pilot programs would be necessary to determine the feasibility of this. Some EV manufacturers are already performing such studies.

Backup Storage for Renewable Energy Is in Demand

According to a report from McKinsey, the demand for backup storage for renewable energy projects will surge through 2030. Second life batteries could be a source for this. EV companies are forward-looking, as well. Rivian, founded by MIT alumnus, is currently designing battery packs with this second life repurposing.

Second Life Batteries Could be Key to Grid Storage

This new study is promising. More research continues on the subject. Thus far, the future of a battery’s second life looks probable. If you have questions about this innovation or how Arbin supports the battery industry, contact our experts. 

The Role of Grid Storage in Smart Grids and Smart Cities

Grid Storage

What would the city of the future look like? With the advent of technology, people have been speculating for decades what a future fully integrated with technology would look like. Nowadays, a city of the future is expected to not only integrate technology and the Internet of Things into every aspect of everyday life, but be energy resilient and eco-friendly at the same time This requires not only adopting renewable energy or cleaner technologies such as electric vehicles; creating a smart city requires a comprehensive and flexible approach to energy management. This is why many places are looking into smart grids that allow for two-way communication between energy producers and consumers. When paired with grid storage, smart grids can be an effective way to regulate and monitor energy consumption, creating a grid system that is efficient overall for all parties involved.

How does a smart grid work?

Most electricity grids fall behind energy and resiliency needs. A traditional grid carries energy from a power plant through a series of interconnected power lines to the consumer. Energy is produced and delivered according to real-time demand. During peak hours, energy production is high, and off-peak it lowers. This can cause a strain on the grid, especially if demand outweighs what the power plant can produce. If there is disruption on the power lines, a blackout could occur and power would need to be rerouted manually. 

A smart grid aims to address these response and resiliency issues found in traditional grids. A smart grid uses two-way communication technologies, sensors and advanced digital meters to assess grid stability and efficiency. Not only will energy producers be able to monitor energy demand and consumption, consumers themselves can also monitor their energy usage. As energy costs can also fluctuate throughout the day, consumers can schedule energy usage around the cost of energy. This would allow them to make better choices to conserve energy and reduce costs. If homes or buildings are equipped with renewable energy sources such as solar panels or wind turbines, they can also sell energy back to the grid, reducing their own costs.

Sensors on the smart grid would be used to detect any disruptions and automatically reroute power if necessary. This speedy response could reduce the occurrence of accidents and casualties in the event of a blackout. 

How does having grid storage support the smart grid?

Without grid storage, a smart grid would ultimately still only act and react according to the demands on the grid. In the past, when a power plant cannot meet the needs of a grid, the solution would be to build new power plants to increase energy production. With grid storage, energy can be stored on the grid and released when necessary. During off-peak hours when demand is low, extra energy can be produced and stored on the grid. Stored energy can be released when demand is high so as not to overstrain real-time energy production. It is also a potentially cheaper and more efficient way to secure back up energy should other sources fail. Currently, backup plants and generators that come online when there is a power failure are costly to maintain. This could also help keep energy costs low by producing energy when demand is low and energy cheap.

Besides this, grid storage would facilitate the integration of multiple energy sources, as well as address the issue of inconsistent availability of renewable sources such as wind and sun. Without grid storage, energy must be produced and consumed immediately. If the demand is less than the energy production capacity, then the unused capacity is wasted. A smart grid coupled with grid storage would be able to gather multiple sources and adjust collection and release of energy with the information gathered through the different sensors and monitors.

Grid storage would also help with the decentralization of energy, allowing rural places further away from main sources of energy to store energy. Should power lines between the main grid and the remote area fail, there would still be energy available before power lines come back online.

Cities are moving towards smarter, more efficient consumption and production of energy. The flexibility and resiliency that grid storage can provide these key elements is creating stronger and safer electricity grids and greener, smarter cities.

Learn how Arbin is helping to create these smarter cities of the future.

How Battery Test Equipment Innovations are Accelerating Battery Development

On this episode of MarketScale’s Software and Technology podcast, host Tyler Kern was joined by Arbin Instruments International Sales Manager, Richard Rogers.
Arbin has provided testing equipment for energy storage applications large and small for over 29 years and, with a decade of experience, Rogers is uniquely qualified to highlight the ever-shifting nature of that industry and its demands.

In particular, cutting-edge innovations like electric vehicles and more have driven a need for adaptation in the testing industry that helps solutions keep paces with new challenges.

Arbin’s battery test equipment is at the forefront of the industry, creating high-precision testing methods that help researchers around the world develop new battery materials designed to stand up to the durability and longevity demands of new industries like electric vehicles and grid storage.

“Instead of a battery needing to last for (~1,000) cycles and last for one or two years, like in your phone, an electric vehicle battery needs to last 10 years or more, and it might need to last tens of thousands of cycles and more,” Rogers said. “(It’s the same for) grid storage applications.”

To help push the envelope on testing processes that shorten development time and encourage high precision, temperature management and more, Arbin teamed up with Ford Motors and Sandia National Lab to develop new, state-of-the-art testing equipment prepared for these modern challenges.

It’s a simple concept, Rogers said – not all test equipment is created equal, and Arbin is committed to exemplifying the best of the best.

Leveraging Battery Storage Brings Benefits for the Electric Grid

Modern innovations have made all sorts of things achievable in the realm of power, and one of the most exciting developments is the potential benefits to be gained by leveraging storage integrated into electrical grids.

Development in battery technology is making those integrations possible.

With integrated storage, electrical grids can store energy generated during high-production, low-consumption periods to release when production dips. This reserve power can help grids meet the elevated demands of modern society.

What is an Electrical Grid?

In short, an electrical grid is an interconnected network that brings electricity from producers to consumers. Typically, energy is generated and released relative to real-time demands.

However, all kinds of obstacles can hinder this model. Power line damage from inclement weather, fallen trees, malfunctioning equipment and more can lead to strain and outages, leaving consumers in the dark.

In the case of destructive storms, the number of customers left without power can be dizzying. During Hurricane Sandy in 2012, an estimated eight million customers were affected by power outages.

The impact extends beyond major catastrophic events, as well – 147 major blackouts occur each year in the U.S. due to adverse weather, and 15 million customers every year are affected by weather-related outages.

It’s not simply an inconvenience, either – outages can hinder critical emergency and rescue services.

 

Grid Storage

So, What Can Be Done?

By leveraging storage integrated into grids, themselves, the negative consequences of outages can be mitigated.

By storing electricity during high-production, low-demand times, that energy can be saved for periods when regular sources are unavailable or connections have been severed. This allows customers to remain powered during repairs and ensures that our society’s most important services, like medical care at hospitals, can continue unimpeded.

The Benefits of Grid Storage:

Integrated grid storage provides increased reliability and resistance, reducing the total number of outages in the first place.

However, grid storage also allows for rapid responses to grid upsets that keep the grid balanced and functioning in the face of roadblocks.

Grid storage also promotes the decentralization of energy, allowing communities at greater distances from power sources to store energy locally.

Grid storage can also play a backup role to renewable energy, providing power when renewable sources aren’t available and releasing energy to account for gaps in production.

Finally, grid storage can assist in the integration of multiple sources of power. As society moves toward varied and sustainable power sources, grid storage can consolidate power from sources like solar, wind and water into one location to be distributed throughout the grid.

Ready to learn more about how Arbin is helping to lead the charge toward grid storage and more?