Dec 29 2009
The Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority has awarded a grant to Axion Power International, a developer of lead-carbon PbC batteries. This grant will be utilized to develop and deploy an Axion PowerCube battery energy storage system with the usage of Axion Power International’s proprietary PbC battery technology. This 500 kilowatt PowerCube will be constructed and installed at the New Castle battery manufacturing facility. The PowerCube battery energy storage system will be designed to improve a future solar-powered electric vehicle charging station, a potential wind-powered energy system and a Smart Grid distribution system.
This grant, which amounts to $248,650, is part of a $1.5 million state grant aid in Pennsylvania that is used for the development of green energy projects as stated by Gov. Edward G. Rendell. Thomas Granville, CEO of Axion Power, remarked that energy storage capabilities in a Smart Grid electrical distribution system can be improved by the PbC battery technology. This PbC battery will be used to charge electric cars and it will also be used to improve the quality of power and to meet the growing demand.
The grant funds will be utilized for ancillary design and installation costs and it will also be used to buy a power conditioning system from Eaton Corporation for the PowerCube. The PowerCube can be designed to permit integration of a wind turbine system in future and it can be also configured with an Envision Solar CleanCharge solar powered electric vehicle charging station.
Granville remarked that the chief quality of the PowerCube is its ability to combine energy storage with wind and solar systems, which indeed will increase the market demand for renewable energy. The PowerCube possesses the capability to capture intermittent power generated by producers of renewable energy that include wind and solar and to swiftly recover after an outage event.