StorEN Technologies
StorEn Technologies Inc. manufactures innovative proprietary vanadium flow batteries, which is a rechargeable flow battery technology that stores energy using the ability of vanadium to exist in solution in four different oxidation states.
These batteries deliver the highest power density today at the lowest cost/cycle, allowing a much longer duration than current lithium-ion battery capabilities at a lower cost profile. StorEn batteries can be used in grid scale and microgrid applications as well as a backup power source in residential and commercial installations.
Innovators Network Partners
Connexus Energy will install the StorEn battery at their headquarters in Ramsey, Minnesota for this first phase of demonstration.
Demonstration Project
StorEn Technologies will install a 20KW/100KWhr Vanadium Flow Battery system, and operate that system in a live, field environment at the Connexus headquarters. The system will showcase the use of vanadium flow batteries in utility-based applications such as microgrid, solar support, power time shifting, and EV charging support.
The demonstration will showcase how well the StorEn Technologies system operates in a field installation. The installed system will be charged and discharged as much as possible demonstrating the performance characteristics of the system.
Measured performance will include, system round trip efficiency, charge to discharge ratios, performance during extreme weather conditions, microgrid.
Technical Innovation
Vanadium flow batteries can discharge fully at 100% without decaying and losing capacity, unlike lithium batteries. This means that 100% of the initial capacity will be available throughout the batteries’ lifetime. This is crucial when matching the daily demands with un-reliable generation such as wind and solar. The battery installation will not need oversizing or additional costs to compensate from the capacity lost over time.
Vanadium flow batteries have a duration in excess of 25 years without degradation of the battery with low annual maintenance. The StorEn’s IP ensures that annual maintenance is now on-demand, as opposed to scheduled. The StorEn Battery Management System alerts owners and operators when maintenance is required.
The vanadium electrolyte can be reused, thus no mining of fresh vanadium is required to replace the battery.
Vanadium is a highly abundant metal found in 65 minerals, often found with titanium and iron in their ores, and is highly available through the recycled metals market
StorEn has filed four international PCT patent applications claiming priority from existing 2017 US provisional patents. StorEn’s core patent application covers the fluid dynamic of the stack.
Their second patent, a geothermic system, increases by 6% the round-trip efficiency of the battery, ideal for harsh climates.
Finally, two patents deliver virtually maintenance-free batteries eliminating periodic on-site inspections.
