Axion Power receives $1.1M order for 4 PowerCube Energy Storage Systems
14 May 2014
Axion Power International, the developer of advanced lead-carbon PbC batteries and energy storage systems, received a follow-on purchase order for four more PowerCube energy storage systems from its strategic partner, a NJ-based solar installer for commercial and residential markets. The Cubes will provide storage for energy created by a commercial solar panel system and service the frequency regulation market on the PJM grid.
The purchase order—valued at just north of $1,100,000—includes batteries, racks, wiring, a data communication system and the electronics coordination needed to outfit and install the PowerCubes.
Each of the PowerCubes will be tied to solar arrays that produce between 500 kW and 700 kW of power and the PowerCubes will each provide 500 kW (both 500 kW up and 500 kW down) for frequency regulation.
Axion’s onsite 500kw PowerCube has been connected into the PJM grid utility network, the nation’s largest power transmission organization serving more than 58 million people in all or parts of 13 states, for more than 2½ years. Set up as a demand response and frequency regulation asset, the company developed and tweaked a working model in a real world setting utilizing the PowerCube’s ability to participate 24/7 (although Axion’s model shows the ideal return at a lesser number than 24/7) in the PJM frequency regulation market, noted Axion Power Chairman and CEO Tom Granville.
It would be interesting and helpful for comparison(which is probably why it's not done) to know the total number of cycles, and cost, so that one might be able to calculate the actual cost of storage per electron or kWhr. I say that because lead acid guys are always talking about how low cost they are, but always fail to discuss cycle numbers. What we want to know is what technology is most cost effective, not what is cheap up front. I expect three years from now New Jersey will be belly acheing about how poor their batteries performed and then in some broad sweeping statement dismiss all of battery technology as not a viable method of storing solar and wind electricity.
Posted by: Brotherkenny4 | 14 May 2014 at 01:01 PM
These are lead-carbon. Lead-carbon does not have sulfation problems. As a consequence the cycle numbers are huge. Not at all a problem.
Posted by: mmaccani | 15 May 2014 at 12:31 PM
These are 1 hour systems, so basically it is 2 megawatt-hours for $1.1m dollars.
http://www.axionpower.com/Utility_Grid_Connected_Power
$550 per kilowatt-hour.
Not a bad price but AES is at $250 per kilowatt-hour for a 4 hour system.
http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/aes-energy-storage-targets-30-billion-peak-power-substitution-market
Posted by: NewtonPulsifer | 17 May 2014 at 01:45 AM