September 2010
Energy Storage
One of the main needs for improving the reliability, efficiency and productivity of our nation’s energy infrastructure is the commercial introduction of advanced technologies for energy storage. Given the R&D emerging from Illinois and the contributions that reliable energy storage devices will play in widespread consumer adoption of electric vehicles and the successful integration of renewable energy sources, it is a fitting focus for this month’s ISTC Catalyst.
From energy producers to environmental analysts, there is strong interest in energy storage and its potential role in ushering in an era of distributed generation. Dependable and robust energy storage offers the potential to meet the growing demand for energy without costly or extensive development of traditional generation methods that produce a heavy carbon footprint. Reaching this goal will require precisely the extensive, collaborative R&D already occurring in Illinois.
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) has been developing advanced battery technologies for over thirty years and is recognized by the US Department of Energy as a leading resource for objective, independent battery assessment. ANL is not only at the forefront of R&D for lithium-ion-based batteries, but the laboratory is also advancing work with ultracapacitors and new storage material discovery. Together, ANL and Northwestern University house four of the nation’s 46 Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRCs). The Illinois-based centers focus on advanced electrical energy storage, solar energy conversion and storage, and new storage materials research.
A number of initiatives are also underway to field test this cutting edge research in order to set the stage for moving technologies from the lab to the marketplace. For example, Northwestern University students recently developed and demonstrated an extremely functional application of advanced energy storage technologies when they raced their lithium-ion battery powered solar vehicle from Oklahoma to Illinois as part of the American Solar Challenge competition. In addition, Illinois is home to leading advocates who are advancing policy and resource development, including the National Alliance for Advanced Technology Batteries (NAATBatt) and Battery Council International. Their efforts bring to fruition the ideas and policies required to foster growth in this emerging industry, employing the latest technical, regulatory, and marketing developments and strategies.
The ISTC is excited about our energy future and confident that contributions from Illinois-based businesses and institutions will help translate promising ideas into productive technologies. We invite you to read more about this leadership below.
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