The US Navy has just announced a contract with Axion Power International, Inc. to provide PbC batteries, systems electronics, and a complete battery management system, called the “mini-cube” for its Zero Energy Building in Washington, D.C. Naval Yard.
Zero Energy Buildings, which are buildings that produce as much energy as they need on-site, have seen an increasing demand in the past few years. It’s estimated by 2035 that revenue from these buildings will reach more that $1 trillion.
Axion Power specializes in developing, designing, manufacturing, and selling energy storage components and devices that can be used in a Zero Energy building.
SilTeck Inc., a company that focuses on science information technology and energy management, placed an order with Axion to help provide energy storage that will become a grid-like network, using 32kW solar panels to supply standby power for the Zero Energy Administration Building.
“Although this is a small project, in terms of dollars and number of batteries, it is a significant step forward because it comes on the heels of November’s ceremonious integration of our full PbC PowerCube onto the PJM network,” said Thomas Granville, chairman and CEO of Axion Power.
Granville referred to the integration his company completed back in 2011 with the use of the PowerCube on the PJM market, making it the first time an external energy storage system was being used as a power resource for the PJM Regulation. The PJM was designed back in 1927 and now serves more than 50 million people in 13 states and the District of Columbia.
“Our PowerCube, based on our patented PbC battery technology, is a first of its kind smaller online storage device that will be ramped up to higher kw levels,” said Granville.
Now Axion has taken their power storage one step further with the integration of their new mini-cube (a scale down version of the Power Cube) designed to have enterprises reduce its carbon footprint.
“At the unveiling ceremony with PJM, we spoke of the scalability of our PowerCube technology; this project will be the first deployment demonstrating the range of this application. It is also an important step forward because of the strong interest the US federal government in general, and the armed forces in particular…Because of the battery’s extended cycle life, high rate of charge acceptance and fast re-charging capability, Axion is able to offer metrics that make economic sense especially when compared to other more exotic chemistries,” said Granville adding that he is honored to be working with the military.
Scott Sklar, president of The Stella Group, LTD, is familiar with Axion technology and said there is nothing else like it on the market that can help companies succeed. “The PbC batteries offer the right capabilities with their hybrid storage able to handle varying loads for net-zero energy buildings…Utilization of advanced energy storage technologies, particularly economically feasible technologies such as PbC-enabled PowerCubes (of all sizes), can be a leading means of accomplishing goals.”
Edited by
Jennifer Russell
