NY-BEST™ News and Notes

Walmart Canada Corp projects major productivity savings offsetting its investment in a fleet of Crown Equipment Corp PC4500 pallet trucks utilising Plug Power Inc GenDrive-brand hydrogen fuel cells.

HUDSON — If the Capital Region is going to become a major center for advanced manufacturing and renewable energy technologies, the workforce has to be trained even before college. That's the approach educators at Questar III's Columbia-Greene Educational Center here in Hudson are taking with their students.

A new report from the Brookings Institution [PDF] finds investment in clean energy is paying off for New York. Brookings found that the states known to have clean energy funds have invested $2.7 billion in renewable energy in the past decade. And they're seeing that investment come back four-fold. "It's important to do everything". The report notes that New York invested $15.6 million in clean and renewable energy in fiscal year 2010, and has sunk $114 million into energy development over the past dozen years.

U.S. auto-safety regulators are pleased with General Motors Co. (GM)'s plan to fix its Volt electric cars following fires in crash testing, National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator David Strickland said. GM, based in Detroit, told owners last week to bring their Volts back to dealerships to have steel added to shield the cars' lithium-ion batteries. Strickland's agency opened an investigation into the Volt's battery in November.

On Thursday GM announced it had engineered an expedient but effective solution to post-crash-test battery fires reported by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, and will ask Chevrolet Volt drivers to return to their dealers for the one-day reinforcing procedure. Despite ongoing distortions of facts by critics including one Fox News pundit who suggested the vehicle might "blow up," federal authorities have repeated that the Volt is safe and GM says its voluntary measure is intended to keep showing why the Volt is rated #1 in customer satisfaction.

When General Motors cancelled its EV1 electric car in 2003, some called it a technology tragedy. The cars, which could travel around 60 miles on a single charge of their lead-acid batteries, were taken off the roads and crushed. Protesters staged a mock funeral; others accused GM of failing intentionally. While GM never revealed the actual cost of building an EV1 (the vehicles were only leased, not sold), the company had invested $1.5 billion in the project. But it declared the car an economic failure with no chance of reaching a mass market.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo touted Albany's hub of high-tech research and computer-chip manufacturing in his State of the State speech on Wednesday. Cuomo held it up as a model for what he wants to achieve in Buffalo—where he wants to spend $1 billion of economic development aid over the next few years."There is a vibrancy in the Capital District region around nanotechnology that would not have happened but for the state's investment," Cuomo said.

Battery developer Eos Energy Storage claims to have solved key problems holding back a battery technology that could revolutionize grid energy storage. If the company is right, its zinc-air batteries will be able to store energy for half the cost of additional generation from natural gas—the method currently used to meet peak power demands.

ApplicationsFeaturesSolar Power Battery Storage: New chemistries and old "It's cheaper to generate an electron than to store one," said Jim Greenburger, executive director of the US-based National Alliance for Advanced Technology Batteries. "The function of storage is to help the generator to deliver steady power."When the ability to create an electron from sunlight is easier, more efficient and possible at various scales, there's good reason to explore how best to tie stored solar energy into the electrical infrastructure. Energy storage helps balance operating reserves, acts as a...

LATHAM, NY - In another step in its drive towards profitability, fuel cell producer Plug Power Inc. announced the sale of more than 200 GenDrive fuel cell units to three Procter & Gamble Co. plants. The total value for the order that was due to be filled by the end of last year was on the...

Fuel cells for consumer electronics are one of those technologies that always seem poised for mainstream adoption but never quite make it. A New York-based chemicals company says that will finally change in 2012 with the release of a portable fuel cell charger that can power up cellphones and other mobile devices. Two recently published patent applications also indicate that Apple is investigating similar technology for its portable computing devices. That could prompt other gadget makers to adopt fuel cell charging.

Currently enrolled graduate and undergraduate students from accredited New York State colleges and universities are invited to submit business plans around a student-born innovation that is designed for a currently unmet need. The top applications will be selected by an external panel of judges to present in the final round of the New York State Business Plan Competition and compete for over $100,000 in cash prizes. pplications for the 2012 competition must be received by Thursday, March 29, 2012 at 11:59 pm EST

DNV, a Norway-based provider of risk-management services, has invested heavily in energy services firm (and NY-BEST member) KEMA, having acquired nearly three-quarters of the company's shares. DNV and KEMA say they will form a "world-leading energy consulting, testing and certification company" that will comprise KEMA's 1,800 employees and 500 employees from DNV's renewable energy and sustainability units.

Energy consulting, testing and certification will be the focus of a new global company being formed by risk management services foundation DNV and independent consulting, testing and certification company KEMA. DNV has acquired 74.3% OF KEMA's shares to establish the new venture. The new company, DNV KEMA, will include all of KEMA's 1,800 employees and 500 employees from DNV's renewable energy and sustainability business.

MAYOR BLOOMBERG, CORNELL PRESIDENT SKORTON AND TECHNION PRESIDENT LAVIE ANNOUNCE HISTORIC PARTNERSHIP TO BUILD A NEW APPLIED SCIENCES CAMPUS ON ROOSEVELT ISLAND. Cornell University-Technion-Israel Institute of Technology Consortium Selected to Build 11-Acre State-of-the-Art Tech Campus on Roosevelt Island; Will Receive $100 Million in City Capital. Temporary Off-Site Campus Will Be Open in 2012; First Phase of Fully-Funded Permanent Campus To Be Completed By No Later Than 2017.

In a hangarlike building where General Electric once assembled steam turbines, a $100 million battery manufacturing facility is being constructed to make products using a chemistry never before commercialized on such a large scale. The sodium–metal halide batteries it will produce have been tested and optimized over the last few years by a team of materials scientists and engineers at GE's sprawling research center just a few miles away.

Dan Akerson is hardly a corporate diplomat.The chairman and chief executive of General Motors Co. says publicly what other CEOs say in private: He disses competitors' cars and laments his company's lumbering bureaucracy. He has told reporters that Ford should "sprinkle holy water" on its troubled Lincoln luxury brand and has called Toyota's Prius hybrid a "geekmobile." His candor often rattles the nerves of GM's public relations staff. And you know what makes him really mad? "There is a resistance to change" at GM.

The installation proceeded at the Solvay Interox chemical plant in Warrington, Cheshire. According to Runcorn based ACAL, the system is capable of producing 3kW of gross electrical power and will provide power to a remote environmental monitoring system located at the facility. In designing and commissioning the system, the company met the requirements of a formal 'HAZOP' review and on site safety requirements for installation at a COMAH 1 category chemical plant.

Saddled with the high upfront costs currently attached to the early electric production cars, the new driving lifestyle will drastically affect the refueling environment for consumers. Whether a full EV (electric vehicle or a plug-in hybrid model, charging of a vehicle’s battery pack will see private parking lots or garage become an active hub for the operations of electric cars. For the most part cancelling-out the trip to the gas station, electrified vehicles would ideally be completely ready for a complete zero emissions run over a reasonable, unobtrusive course of time. Owners of...

Turner Construction Company, Arizona will celebrate the Topping Out of the new innovative Colonel Smith Middle School today, Monday, December 12 at 2:30 pm. The public, replacement school is being built on Fort Huachuca, the Army's leading intelligence training facility in Arizona. The new Colonel Smith Middle School will be Arizona's first Net Zero Energy Building in Arizona and 12th in the nation. The $17M school will generate more energy than it consumes on an annual basis through its energy-efficient design, solar potable water heating, photovoltaic panels, and wind machines.

For Immediate Release: December 9, 2011
Contact: Angelina Berghela, NY-BEST
Email: angie@caphill.com
Phone: 518.694.8474

Albany, NY- The New York Battery and Energy Storage Technology Consortium (NY-BEST) applauds Governor Cuomo’s commitment to battery and energy storage technology advancement in New York State in response to his announcement yesterday, granting development funding to seven NY-BEST members totaling over $15 million, including the NY-...

The Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council was awarded $68.8 million in state funding for 93 projects Thursday, the culmination of a four-month statewide competitive process.The funding also includes $3.5 million for NY-BEST’s Battery and Energy Storage Product Commercialization Center.

Albany, NY The Clean Energy Patent Growth Index was at its highest quarterly total ever in the 3d quarter topping the previous record set in 4Q 2010. Wind, solar and hybrid/electric patents reached new highs and GE repeated as the winner of the quarterly Clean Energy patent Crown. Japan led New York which passed California to move into second place."

The battery maker Saft, which employs more than 4,000 people worldwide, has just opened its 16th manufacturing plant and stands poised to re-enter the road electric vehicle market with unprecedented depth of experience and new product offerings.

Bad news for the electric power grid is usually good news for the fuel-cell industry. Thanks to a series of severe storms that clobbered electric-power grids in New York and Connecticut recently, the fuel-cell industry appears poised for a modest to massive growth spurt. Ascension Industries, a NY-BEST member, provides equipment to FuelCell Energy, one of the leaders in the fuel cell industry.

Plug Power could turn the corner very soon and join the elite club of clean energy companies making a profit.The maker of hydrogen-powered fuel cells used in forklift trucks, which employs roughly 150 people in Latham, says it is on track to achieve profitability in 2012. Company officials are traveling to a variety of high-tech and investment conferences in coming weeks to get that message across, including Reid Hislop, the company's vice president of marketing and investor relations, who is in San Francisco on Wednesday speaking at Baird's 2011 Clean Technology Conference.

Thousands of battery-powered forklifts (most with fuel cells from NY-BEST member Plug Power) in warehouses across the U.S. will haul everything from frozen turkeys and cured hams to big-screen TVs and tablet computers this holiday season. A growing number of big-name businesses that operate such warehouses have begun deploying forklifts that run on fuel cells as a way to both save money and go green.

Zero-emission trucks sold in New York will now come with $20,000 checks from the Feds via the state, thanks to a new incentive program designed to improve air quality and the environment. State officials will unveil the program on Tuesday in the Bronx and leading electric truck manufacturer Smith Electric Vehicles will confirm plans to build a $5 million factory in the borough.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has awarded $200,000 to Solid Cell Inc., a Rochester-based manufacturer of solid-oxide fuel cells and equipment. The company is matching NYSERDA’s investment, with help from RocCera, a Rochester-based company specializing in advanced ceramic component manufacturing, and Alfred University. The company will use the funding to investigate the manufacturing of a vital, patent-pending fuel-cell part called the “interconnect” out of a ceramic material.

A proprietary set of Ioxus technologies balances cell performances within the module. �It�s like having multiple horses pulling a sleigh and all the horses pulling in the same direction,� Ioxus CEO Mark McGough explained. Better than any such effort to date, according to McGough, Ioxus power electronics technologies harness ultracaps and balances the cells with lower equivalent series resistance, which he said translates to lower heat generation and higher power output.

New York State is launching a five year program to accelerate adoption of commercial electric vehicles and help fleets switch over. The program offers financial incentives over multiple years to encourage companies to convert significant portions of their fleets. Companies will get vouchers for up to $20,000 per electric vehicle they purchase that's over 10,000 pounds.

New York would never be mistaken for the Motor City, but on Tuesday, Smith Electric Vehicles announced that it intended to assemble electric trucks in the South Bronx, adding 100 jobs to the region. A package of more than $6 million in state and city incentives sweetened the deal.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) added two hybrid/diesel buses to its fleet to transport visitors at Prospect Mountain in Lake George and other DEC-operated recreational facilities in the Adirondacks and Catskills DEC Commissioner Joe Martens announced today. The buses are replacing less fuel-efficient vehicles recently taken out of service due to deterioration from corrosion.

The Federal Regulatory Energy Commission recently�passed a mandate to support energy storage technologies that can provide quick bursts of power to the grid to help it run more smoothly.�This new rule could play a crucial role in nurturing the growth of the young energy storage market, though energy storage companies won�t be the only beneficiaries of the new rule.

Plug Power, a hydrogen fuel cell supplier for material handling operations, announced it plans to form a joint venture with Axane, a subsidiary of Air Liquide that develops fuel cells, with the intent of supplying fuel cell products for the European material handling market.

General Electric has taken to renewable energy in a big way. Last April, the company was said to have already invested over $600 million into the industry, and have recently announced plans for a giant solar-manufacturing plant and have agreed to supply 70MW of wind turbines to areas in France.

The Electricity Storage Association (ESA) has signed agreements to work with industry groups in three states--California, New York and Texas. The California Energy Storage Alliance (CESA), New York Battery and Energy Storage Technology Consortium (NY-BES+) and Texas Energy Storage Alliance (TESA) were formed by companies operating in their respective states joining together to accomplish mutually beneficial policy goals at the state level.

KEMA, a global provider of business and technical consulting, says it will partner with NorthWestern Energy to connect approximately 200 Montana utility customers to the smart grid as part of the Pacific Northwest Smart Grid Demonstration Project. In addition to installing home area network equipment, KEMA will work with customers on equipment use and benefits, and manage the educational components of the campaign.

The news coverage of Beacon Power’s bankruptcy has focused on the $43 million loan it got from the same Department of Energy program that backed the bankrupt Solyndra. But Beacon left a beating heart in the form of a flywheel farm humming with megawatts of energy feeding into the grid today -- and it may get a lifeline from a recent regulatory ruling.

Another wind farm opened on another windy ridge in West Virginia this week, 61 turbines stretched across 12 miles, generating up to 98 megawatts of electricity. But the novel element is a cluster of big steel boxes in the middle, the largest battery installation attached to the power grid in the continental United States.

For the Arizona project Saft was chosen by SOLON Corporation, a leading provider of utility-scale and commercial photovoltaic (PV) system solutions to the North American market , to provide a Li-ion battery for their Energy Storage Management Research and Testing (SMRT) site. The design and construction of the site will be managed by SOLON, in conjunction with Tucson Electric Power (TEP) and the Arizona Research Institute for Solar Energy (AzRISE) at the University of Arizona.

Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York announced that they have successfully developed a new method of converting waste heat into electricity by altering zinc oxide’s material properties.

Battery technology has helped untether us all from electrical cords, but there’s a price to being portable.That’s why a small, start-up company outside of Albany, called Paper Battery, is working to change the way we store our energy.

Ioxus has created an ultracapacitor module that will relieve its customers of the work of harnessing ultracap cells.

NYSERDA has awarded $200,000 to Solid Cell Inc., a Rochester-based manufacturer of solid-oxide fuel cells and equipment. The company is matching NYSERDA�s investment, with help from RocCera, a Rochester-based company specializing in advanced ceramic component manufacturing, and Alfred University. The company will use the funding to investigate the manufacturing of a vital, patent-pending fuel-cell part called the �interconnect� out of a ceramic material.

ACAL Energy has completed the build of its first field test system of its FlowCath platinum-free liquid cathode fuel cell technology, producing gross power of 3kW. The company has also achieved a new record single-cell peak performance power density of nearly 900 mW/cm2.

The Chamber of Commerce of the Tonawandas will honor its 2011 business and citizen of the year winners at its annual dinner Nov. 9 at Banchetti’s banquet hall.

General Motors Co. said Wednesday that it will start selling an all-electric Chevrolet small car for the U.S. market in 2013.

The lure of discounted solar power helped persuade Unifrax to move its corporate headquarters to a Town of Tonawanda business park from Niagara Falls.

General Electric Company (Fairfield, Connecticut) is currently under way with construction on a $100 million battery plant for its GE Power & Water Division at the company's campus in Schenectady, New York.

When it comes to moving the energy innovation ball forward, every region of the state — and possibly every state in the union — is trying to figure out alternatives to being dependent on foreign suppliers.

South Korea's Samsung SDI Co. (006400.SE) said Thursday it signed an agreement with Japan's Nichicon Corp. (6996.TO) to start supplying energy storage systems to Japanese households from the first half of next year.

South Korea'sSamsung SDI Co. said Thursday it signed an agreement with Japan's Nichicon Corp. to start supplying energy storage systems to Japanese households from the first half of next year.

Nissan and General Electric are partnering to research ways for electric vehicles such as Nissan's Leaf to connect with homes and electric grids, the companies said Friday.

General Electric may lease costly vehicle batteries to electric-car buyers, joining other companies looking to get more people to buy alternative-energy automobiles.

Arun Majumdar, Director of the Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), today announced 60 cutting-edge research projects aimed at dramatically improving how the U.S. produces and uses energy.

Waste heat is a byproduct of nearly all electrical devices and industrial processes, from driving a car to flying an aircraft or operating a power plant. Engineering researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed new nanomaterials that could lead to techniques for better capturing and putting this waste heat to work.

Saft has inaugurated the world's most advanced automated lithium-ion battery factory, in Jacksonville, Florida. This high-volume, state-of-the-art production facility is dedicated to building advanced lithium-ion cells and batteries for energy storage for renewable energy, smart grid support, broadband back-up power, transportation and defense.

Ultralife Corporation announced the introduction of the GenSet Eliminator(TM), a patent pending, innovative storage and power system designed to reduce fuel consumption and maintenance costs by 25% - 30% for defense and commercial applications.

The truck, seen for the first time at last week's RWM (Recycling Waste Management) show, at the NEC, will go to an unnamed local authority – one of Dennis Eagle's existing customers – on full fleet road trials in the next few days.

Automotive entrepreneur Gordon Murray has struck a new deal to investigate building an affordable fuel cell research vehicle over the next 12 months.

General Motors recently announced its partnership with the LG Group for jointly designing and developing electric vehicles.

When you think about Green Energy and its jobs, Albany, N.Y., probably wouldn't be the first city that pops into your head. But according to a report, the upstate New York region has the highest concentration of green jobs in the country. Another surprising area in the top 10: Cleveland and northeast Ohio.

The latest in the series of University At Buffalo—NYSERDA Directed Energy workshops was on Energy Storage in Amherst, New York, on May 10. The slate of speakers covered pumped water storage, compressed air storage and the role of the ISO in balancing supply and demand.

Thirty-four Rochester-area companies made the 2011 Inc. magazine list of the nation's 5,000 fastest-growing companies. Companies were ranked by revenue growth from 2007 through 2010. To qualify, a company had to be privately held and independent as of the end of 2010. Some Rochester-area companies on the list have since been acquired.

General Motors Co. and South Korea's LG Corp. will jointly develop a new lineup of battery-powered vehicles in an unusual pairing aimed at slashing the cost and time it takes to create electric cars.

MicroGen Systems, a startup based in Ithaca, New York, is developing energy-harvesting chips designed to power wireless sensors like those used to monitor tire pressure and environmental condition. The company is partnering with Cornell University.

Electric cars, which have come and gone at least twice since the dawn of the automobile era, are back. The first mass-market EVs are here and more are rolling silently over the horizon. The Obama administration loves cars with cords and wants 1 million on the road by 2015.

General Motors has confirmed that an electric vehicle under the Cadillac brand is to enter series production.

With major U.S. corporations holding tens of billions of dollars in cash on their balance sheets, a financing tool for renewable energy projects that lost its luster during the credit crunch at the end of 2008 is staging a comeback.

General Motors has signed a production deal with Waltham’s A123 Systems to supply lithium ion batteries for the Detroit carmaker’s future electric vehicles.

The U.S. Department of Energy today announced nearly $7 million over five years for independent cost analyses that will support research and development efforts for fuel cells and hydrogen storage systems.

General Motors, the world's biggest car maker, predicts that four million electric vehicles a year will be built by 2020.

Few would argue that energy storage is going to play a key role in our energy future. Mandates for renewable energy portfolios alone make energy storage critical for load leveling against the intermittency of wind and solar.

AAA Auto Clubs are rolling out mobile electric vehicle (EV) charging services to their members who drive vehicles such as the Nissan Leaf or the Chevy Volt PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle).

The CLEAN ENERGY PATENT GROWTH INDEX (CEPGI), published quarterly by the Cleantech Group at Heslin Rothenberg Farley & Mesiti P.C. provides an indication of the trend of innovative activity in the Clean Energy sector.

General Motors plans to amp up its production of the Chevy Volt to 5,000 cars a month to keep up with the Nissan Leaf.

Adding to the growing chorus surrounding EVs are a pair of status updates from two of the biggest players in the automotive industry. Ford has revealed how the batteries of its hybrid taxi fleet are holding up, while General Motors announced progress on its work finding a second life for its Chevy Volt batteries once they have fulfilled their first use.

In the report “Sizing the Clean Economy” released July 15, 2011 by the Brookings Institute, New York State ranked the highest in battery technology jobs. The report, a national and regional green jobs assessment, is the first of its kind providing a unique insight about the size, span and significance of the clean economy.

ACAL Energy has partnered with Gordon Murray Design in a 12-month-long project to design a low-cost, lightweight fuel cell vehicle. Putting those three pieces together in one vehicle may seem nigh impossible, but you never know for sure unless you try, right?

Some excess power on New York's electrical grid is being stored short-term in 200 flywheel batteries that can zap the power back into the system within seconds when needed.

Plug Power Inc. announced that it has completed the sale of 231,000 additional shares of common stock, pursuant to the underwriter’s exercise of its over-allotment option in connection with Plug Power’s recently announced public offering of common stock and warrants, resulting in additional net proceeds to Plug Power of $517,624 after underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering expenses.

The technology contained in a new, first-of-its-kind 20-megawatt flywheel energy storage facility has the potential to make renewable sources of power such as wind and solar even more viable in the coming decades.

If you think twirling the mass of a family car hundreds of times a second is an unlikely way to keep power grids humming at perfect pitch, think again. Flywheel developer Beacon Power Corp., based in Tyngsboro, Mass., is already making money that way in Stephentown, N.Y., where it operates more than 160 1150-kilogram magnetically levitated flywheel motor-generators.

Michigan is poised to make about 20 percent of the world's lithium ion batteries for autos, as the market for battery-powered hybrid and electric cars expands to a projected 1.7 million vehicles by 2015, according to a panel of experts at the Detroit Economic Club Wednesday.

Industrial giant General Electric has joined the EV Engineering consortium that is looking to develop a fully-electric version of the Holden Commodore that will include battery switching capabilities. The addition of GE to the consortium, which already includes Bosch, Air International, Continental and Futuris, as well as electric vehicle infrastructure and services provider Better Place, comes as Holden warned of the future of manufacturing in the country because of the scaling down of federal green car initiatives.

Beginning this month, Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated's (CCBCC) Charlotte production facility began operating a fleet of 40 counterbalanced class one lift trucks powered by hydrogen fuel cells from Plug Power.

General Motors showcased a battery-powered version of the Chevrolet Beat in New Delhi, India. The electrified Beat is part of an ongoing demonstration project focused on studying the feasibility of electric vehicles in major metropolitan areas.

By using GE-developed SiC technology, we have the potential to reduce the weight on the aircraft by more than 400 lbs. while also delivering higher performance and freeing up precious cargo space, said Vic Bonneau, president of Electrical Power for GE Aviation, Systems.

Hydrogen generation and fuell cell product developer and manufacturer Hydrogenics announced that it has successfully completed an innovative trial with Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) demonstrating the viability of its electrolyser technology for utility-scale grid stabilisation.

Electrovaya Inc. (TSX:EFL) today announced that it has signed a contract to supply Chrysler with Lithium Ion SuperPolymer® battery systems for 25 Town and Country minivans that will be part of a demonstration fleet of Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) that Chrysler Group LLC has developed in partnership with the United States Department of Energy.

The story of American manufacturing over the past two decades has too often been a tale of outsourcing, off-shoring, and downsizing—not least in Upstate New York, which has probably seen more than its fair share of factory shutdowns and job losses in recent years.

The Cleantech Group at Heslin Rothenberg Farley & Mesiti P.C. today published the Shine-On Solar edition of the Clean Energy Patent Growth Index (CEPGI). The Shine On Solar edition provides an indication of the trends in innovative activity in the Solar energy sector including leading solar patent owners and geographic areas.

Saft was selected by Viridity Energy to design, manufacture and commission the battery, which will also be one of the first dual purpose trackside energy storage systems in the US.

The new van-like compact car, due out next year, will be available in the U.S. in two hybrid versions. One of those, the C-Max Energi, will be a plug-in hybrid with capabilities similar to those of GM's (GM, Fortune 500) Volt but with a much longer total driving range.

The somewhat volatile metal, number eleven on the periodic table of the elements, is increasingly finding its way into the business plans and prototypes of energy storage companies.

Cycle Capital Management (Cycle Capital) Inc. today announced a $2.5 million Cycle Capital Fund I LP investment in a new company, American Aerogel Corporation (AAC), that develops and commercializes Aerocore(R), a more efficient thermal insulation.

The State Energy Planning Board is soliciting comments on draft regulations that outline the conduct of the state energy planning process, as guided by the enabling legislation (Article 6 of the Energy Law). Comment period ends July 11, 2011

Tucked in the village of Honeoye Falls down a quiet side street is a nondescript two-building campus where about 360 top scientists are developing hydrogen fuel cells for General Motors. They're locked in a high-stakes race with Japan, Germany and South Korea to bring zero-emissions vehicles to the public.

Siemens has a budget of more than 1 000 000 euros in order to translate your ideas into innovation by collaborating with universities. Siemens also aims to translate the resulting mature innovations into products, services and solutions and is therefore planning additional significantly larger investments. Join the grid - energize the world.

Money continues to pour into clean-tech ventures as world events dictate a serious look at alternative energy sources such as solar, wind and electric cars.

GE has launched a new project called the EV Solar Carport, which will use solar power and smart grid technology to fully charge electric vehicles (EVs) via six Level 2 GE EV charging stations and to power the overhead lighting in the parking lot.

Samsung SDI said on Friday it would invest 2.2 trillion won ($2 billion) in the solar battery business by 2015 to generate 3.5 trillion won in revenue from a new business it is acquiring from its affiliate Samsung Electronics .

Produced as a joint project with the United States Department of Energy, a 140-vehicle fleet of Ram 1500 Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) will be evaluated through true truck activities. Set for deployment across United States government branches as well as to power utilities, the crew cab pickup trucks are another step in the study of electric assist gasoline vehicles.

Senate Standing Committee on Energy and Telecommunications meets with Dr. William P. Acker, Executive Director of the New York Battery and Energy Storage Technology Consortium, Inc.

Believe it or not, a majority of consumers around the world (60 percent) would now consider buying an electric car for their next purchase, says a new Accenture survey. Within three years, 68 percent said they’d consider it.

These days, “green” technology is not only environmentally responsible; it’s also good for business. The automotive industry in particular has seen a welcome resurgence thanks in no small part to “green” cars — all electric vehicles, hybrid gas/electrics, and plain old fuel efficiency improvements on combustion engine mainstays.

Daimler and Renault are currently in talks over a battery tie-up, which would see the French company enter into Daimler's Li-Tec battery joint venture with Evonik, the person told Reuters on Thursday.

When the Long Island Power Authority said last summer that it was going to need new power capacity in the next few years, most people assumed that meant new generating stations or new transmission cables. But of the 16 companies that submitted proposals, one, AES Energy Storage, took an entirely different tack: it proposed batteries.

A New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) award will help support the design, development, prototyping, scale-up and installation of the large scale lithium ion energy storage system. The system will integrate lithium ion batteries, ultracapacitors and renewable-energy generation sources, including wind and solar, and will allow utility companies and renewable energy generators to intelligently manage energy for consumption or storage.

Under the terms of the settlement, it would pay a $79 million penalty over three years. That amount could be reduced by $10 million due to extra export compliance measures already implemented and those planned to be implemented over a four-year period

Scientists at the US Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory and University of Texas – Austin have devised a method of using the atom thin carbon sheets that is a massive boost in the search for practical supercapacitor materials.

Samsung SDI, the global leader in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, partnered with Germany’s leading automotive parts maker Robert Bosch to form SB LiMotive, a car battery joint venture, in 2008. In the following year, SB LiMotive kickstarted a brand-new car battery production line in South Korea and also acquired U.S.-based battery maker Cobasys to strengthen its expertise in battery development and services.

Plug Power saw its most successful quarter in the company's history during the first quarter of 2011, primarily based on the unprecedented number of commercial orders it received. Order ramp-up, year over year, has legitimized the GenDrive business for Plug Power, and helped illustrate the commercial traction driving the company toward profitability.

An upstate New York intellectual property law firm that produces a growth index for clean tech patents has found that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) granted nearly twice as many patents in 2010 over nearly every given year since the index was first tracked.

A bipartisan bill that would award $4 billion for manufacturing and deployment of electric vehicles in 10 U.S. communities has been introduced in Congress.

Naza and General Electric have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore potential collaboration in Malaysia in three areas - opportunities in the electric vehicle (EV) sector, the implementation of sustainable property development and opportunities in the healthcare services field.

A webinar on financing the commercial potential of energy storage technology will be held May 11. Two NY-BEST members are presenting including Rick Fioravanti, KEMA and a NY-BEST Board Member (covering commercial options for energy storage) and Michael Jacobs, Xtreme Power (discussing current and future industry players).

Launched six years ago, the Ecomagination initiative is essentially a business proposition stating that there will be greater and greater competition for natural resources, which will drive demand for renewable energy and goods that improve energy and water efficiency. In five full years, GE has made $70 billion from Ecomagination-tagged products, which can be everything from wind turbines to hybrid locomotives to electric car charging ports.

Siemens Energy will supply key components for two high-voltage direct-current transmission projects in Southern China. The total order value for Siemens is approximately 250 million Euros. Commissioning of the systems is scheduled for 2013.

Con Edison has launched a new website (www.conEd.com/electricvehicles) to help people learn more about electric vehicles, how to keep them charged properly and how to decide which type best serves their needs. Studies show that approximately 100,000 to 150,000 electric vehicles could be in Con Ed's service area by 2020.

Batteries, supercapacitors, flywheels, electric cars and pumped-storage hydroelectricity will be among topics discussed at a conference on energy storage that the University at Buffalo's Directed Energy program will host May 10 in Amherst.

General Motors has invested $ 3,200,000 in Michigan Sakti3 based development company to launch a set-up in 2007. The new company motor vehicle battery development plans in the auto industry for the long term. The battery technology is designed to drive cars for the future of the automotive industry.

General Motors unveiled the first Chevy-brand model to use the company's new eAssist technology, the 2013 Chevy Malibu Eco. The car will get an estimated 26 mpg in the city and 38 mpg on the highway, making it among the most efficient mid-size vehicles available without a full hybrid system—or a full hybrid premium.

Scientists are expecting big breakthroughs in battery technology over the next five years that will increase the range of electric cars while reducing their cost. But even with these advances, researchers acknowledge that any rechargeable battery will gradually lose its capacity to store energy after repeated cycles of charging and discharging.

Samsung SDI, the world's No. 1 maker of rechargeable batteries, forecast the global lithium-ion battery market would triple by 2015, helping its shares rise nearly 6% to a record high.

Several companies are gaining traction by creating systems optimized for wind power. Xtreme Power landed a $43 million contract to provide a 36 MW battery storage system for Duke Energy's Notrees wind farm in western Texas. The storage system, said to be the largest attached to a wind farm, will store excess wind power and release it as needed.

Oneonta-based Ioxus has secured $21 million in investments to develop its technology and expand sales, marketing and manufacturing. The multimillion-dollar boost will help support up to 60 jobs by summer and maybe more by the end of the year according to Ioxus CEO Mark McGough. Ioxus manufactures ultracapacitors for use in the transportation, alternative energy, medical, industrial and consumer product markets.

General Motors received more clean-energy patents last year than any other organization, according to the Clean Energy Patent Growth Index of U.S. patents. GM's 135 patents represent nearly 14 percent of the total 1,881 received by 700 entities.

General Motors plans to invest $100 million and add 30 jobs at its Rochester facility where it employs roughly 825 people. This investment will enable GM to produce a new generation of fuel-efficient small block car and truck engines. The Rochester plant won the project over a sister plant in the Midwest according to Governor Andrew Cuomo.

Siemens, in cooperation with BMW, has developed a technology that allows electric cars to be recharged wirelessly using induction charging. The system, presented at the 2011 Hannover Messe tech show, will undergo testing in Berlin as part of a project funded by the German Environment Ministry. The cars can be recharged at 90% the efficiency of plug-in stations.

The Business of Energy workshop will be held at the University at Buffalo's NYSERDA-funded clean energy business incubator on May 10, 2011 at the Amherst Campus from 8:30 to 1:30. This workshop will explore the latest advancements in energy storage with presentations from Keynote Speaker Esther Takeuchi, Joseph Kessler (NYPA), Karen Parysek (Praxair), and Mike Swider (NYISO).

GM looses valuable player in EV product development, BMW pushes forward in new technology

Hero Electric, one of India's leading manufacturers of two-wheeled electric vehicles, showcased its battery-powered Zion and Optima Plus scooters at the Toronto International Spring Motorcycle Show this past weekend. With over 300 sales and service outlets across India, Hero Electric is a well-established brand.

Hero Motorcycles plans to start selling electric scooters fitted with Electrovaya's lithium ion batteries in the Canadian market in the third quarter of 2011.

NY-BEST member WilmerHale is the first tenant to incorporate this groundbreaking language crafted by industry leaders working with the Mayors Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability to promote enhanced energy efficiency and sustainability. The lease counts savings over the length of a projected payback period, instead of the useful life of the improvements, shortening the amount of time it takes for the owner to recoup the money from savings, thus making it more likely the owner and tenant will make capital improvements.

EnerG2 looks outside capacitors, technology parallels other devices such as lithium ion batteries, fuel cells, lead acid batteries.

Fuel cell technology specialist, Plug Power proclaimed that it has secured 534 orders for its GenDrive full cell systems from material handling customers during the Q1 of 2011.

WilmerHale was honored as the 2011 Patent Contentious Firm of the Year and the 2011 ITC Litigation Firm of the Year by Managing Intellectual Property (MIP) at its annual North American IP Awards Dinner in Washington DC on March 29.

Plug Power reports significant accomplishments during 2010, specifically increasing traction and momentum for its GenDrive product family in the material handling market. During 2010, Plug Power received new orders for 543 of its GenDrive fuel cell units and manufactured and shipped 650 units. During the fourth quarter, 419 of those GenDrive orders were received. Plug Power also added first time customers like CVS, Coca-Cola, BMW, UNFI and Wegmans to its list of GenDrive users.

Clean energy patents hit a record high in 2010, as GM took the leadership position from Honda, according to a patent index published by Heslin Rothenberg Farley & Mesiti P.C. The Clean Energy Patent Growth Index found that there were 1,181 cleantech patents granted in 2010, up over 170% from 2009 levels. This was the largest year-to-year jump since the index began, and more than three times the year-to-year difference from 2008 to 2009.

Cornings new non-woven glass fiber veil using corrosion-resistant Advantex E-CR glass technology increases cycle lifetime of traditional flooded lead-acid batteries, in particular at partial state of discharge. Other benefits include reduced acid stratification and the ability to operate in higher-temperature environments.

Together with a total 11 partners, KEMA is partnering in the EASYBAT project to develop interfaces for switching a battery in and out of an electric car quickly and safely.

Nearly all lithium batteries are required to pass section 38.3 of the UN Manual of Tests and Criteria. Intertek and Micro Power are teaming up to present key information on UN/DOT Transportation Testing including requirements of the specification such as Altitude Simulation, Thermal Test, Vibration, Shock, External Short Circuit, Impact, Overcharge, and Forced Discharge. Wednesday, April 27th at 2pm. The session is free, but registration is required.

NewWorld Capital Group, a leading private equity firm in the environmental opportunities sector, today announced the formation of a Strategic Advisory Council of experts on the environmental industry.

The Xtreme system on the North Shore of Oahu "smoothes the wind farm's output to ±1 megawatt per minute" by storing or releasing power as needed so that Hawaiian Electric Company's [HECO] grid system and its customers are isolated from disturbances due to varying winds at the Kahuku Wind wind farm. The system can firm renewables, store power when it's not needed and provide other ancillary services.

The Carbon Trust said ACAL’s technology is close to making hydrogen fuel cell cars a mass-market reality, contributing to the creation of a global industry estimated to be worth more than £180bn ($280 billion USD) by 2050.

Clarkson claims third place in Electric Snowmobile competition. The team partnered early in the fall with Bombardier Recreational Products in Valcourt, Quebec, and the 2010 US National Ski-Doo Dealer of the Year Ingles Performance of Phoenix, NY.

GE has begun recruiting hourly machine operators for its new $100 million battery plant in Schenectady and expects to have 50 on board by June. The plant, which is under construction and on schedule to begin production at the end of November, will hire 130 employees by the end of this year. GE has invested more than $150 million in advanced battery technology and ultimately plans to hire 350 workers for the Schenectady battery plant.

The U.S. Department of Energy is getting behind a project that aims to prove that superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) can work at the grid level. Via a $4.2 million ARPA-E grant, Swiss engineering firm ABB and a handful of partners including NY-BEST members Brookhaven National Lab and SuperPower plan to build a 3.3 kilowatt hour proof-of-concept SMES prototype that could someday be scaled to megawatt-hour capacity.

A Cornell University Law School analysis of federal tax credits for electric vehicles.

Ultra-thin batteries may find their way into many future devices.

Ioxus raises $12 out of a planned $18 million round of financing. Ioxus Chief Operating Officer Chad Hall explains that, “Ultracapacitors are not looking to replace batteries in the acceleration or main storage of a car – they are merely there to enhance the battery, make it last longer, and reduce the warranty issues related to replacing large batteries.” A potential win-win. Ioxus continues to further advance its ultracapacitor solutions with NYSERDA / NY-BEST awards.

SUNY Distinguished Professor and Greatbatch Professor of Advanced Power Sources Dr. Esther Takeuchi from the University at Buffalo will be inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame which honors legendary inventors whose innovations have changed the world. Dr. Takeuchi has earned more patents than any other woman in the U.S.—148 at last count and growing. Dr. Takeuchi developed the battery that enabled implantable cardiac defibrillators, a feat that brought her to the White House in fall 2009 where President Obama presented her with the National Medal of Technology and Innovation...

Acal Energy has received a £1m investment from the Carbon Trust, the government arm that pioneers carbon reduction. Acal is working with Solvay, the Belgian chemical company, and an unnamed Japanese car manufacturer, and hopes to help produce a commercial car engine by 2015. Its technology has cut the cost of fuel cells by 40% by finding an alternative to expensive platinum as a catalyst.

The College of Nanoscale Science & Engineering and partners will host a statewide business plan competition on April 28 in Albany. This is a statewide business plan competition focusing on renewable energy and sustainable innovations. Current students from accredited colleges may submit business plans around a student-born innovation that is designed for a currently unmet need. Deadline to apply is March 25. Over $100,000 in prize monies is available.

Samsung SDI announced that a subsidiary of its joint venture SB LiMotive was chosen to develop advanced batteries for electric cars with a U.S. consortium that includes GM, Ford, and Chrysler.

Mark your calendar for the 2011 NY-BEST Conference and Annual Meeting on March 9-10 at the Hilton in Troy, New York. The program, speakers and on-line registration will be announced shortly. NY-BEST members as well as non-members interested in the energy storage industry are encouraged to attend this key event.  Learn about leading trends and future innovations; network with industry, research, and government leaders; and share your thoughts and ideas.

Register Now!

Ice Energy releases a 64-page guide designed to assist utility planners and analysts in determining how to account for energy storage-equipped facilities as part of a utility's electric system analysis and planning processes.

WilmerHale has tapped Michael “Mick” Bain to be partner in charge of the firm’s Venture Group office in Waltham, Mass., the law firm said on Tuesday.

Plastic frames hold pairs of lithium-ion cells that sandwich an aluminum cooling fin. The design and construction of that aluminum plate is critical to ensuring an even temperature distribution with no hot or cool spots across the flat, rectangular cell.

NY-BEST member American Aerogel, a maker of aerogels and simulated products based in Rochester, will use the NYSERDA funding to develop a high-tech material to insulate refrigerated trailers. The material will reduce the amount of energy needed to keep the interior cold and increase cargo space.

Buick LaCrosse sedan others, get eAssist technology

January sales figures are in and General Motors announced it sold a total of 321 Chevy Volt plug-in hybrids during the month, while Nissan sold just 87 units of the all-electric Nissan LEAF. January was the first full month of sales for both cars after they went into production in November. GM also announced it was speeding up the launch of the Volt with nationwide sales to start by the end of 2011.

The Volt has won nearly every major award offered and stirred up tons of interest, but one criticism persists: the price. The next-generation Volt will almost certainly cost less, GM spokesman Rob Peterson said, and the same changes that make it cheaper should make it better too. This article explores those areas for savings.

This position is global chief technology officer (CTO), and it has been filled by vice chairman Thomas G. Stephens, to head up the spot.

Acknowledging significant improvement in its business performance, General Motors today announced it is withdrawing its $14.4 billion application for direct loans from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

GM invests $7 mln in battery start-up, licenses tech

Opinion ed article on scalability of EV, and comparisons between the players

Utility Consolidated Edison said its net income grew 15% in the fourth quarter because of one-time gains and lower expenses.

Equities research analysts at Zacks Investment Research upgraded shares of Ultralife Corp. (NASDAQ: ULBI) from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research note to clients and investors on Thursday.

Ice Energy, has named Robert L. Davis as Vice President, Utility Market Development.

New GM CEO takes proactive approach on competitors, opportunities, and strategies to place GM in good position in the years to come.

An entirely new type of nanomaterial developed at RPI, and supported under a NYSERDA/NY-BEST R&D award, could enable the next generation of high-power rechargeable lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and electronics. The new material, dubbed a nanoscoop because its shape resembles a cone with a scoop on top, can withstand extremely high rates of charge and discharge that would cause conventional electrodes used in todays Li-ion batteries to rapidly deteriorate and fail. The research team, led by Professor Nikhil Koratkar, demonstrated electrodes that could be charged and...

Ener1 raises capital, combines with stimulus funds, to increase Li-ion output

Under terms of the agreement, select Trane rooftop models, ranging from 4-20 tons, will be shipped Ice-Ready by Trane for seamless integration and optimal performance with Ice Energys Ice Bear energy storage systems. The Ice Bear system stores energy at night by freezing water in an insulated storage tank. During the day it works with the Ice-Ready air conditioning systems to dispatch the stored energy to deliver cooling to the building, dramatically reducing peak electric demand. During off-peak hours, the conventional HVAC system operates as usual.

General Motors Co. won high marks from major Wall Street banks Tuesday as they touted overseas growth and a made-over balance sheet as reasons to buy the car maker's stock.

General Motors CEO is looking to at least triple the company’s target for electric-car sales by expanding the market for the Chevrolet Volt and adding models that would share similar technology.

This past year, several Made-in-New York clean energy companies supported by NYSERDA received national recognition or reached significant milestones. The list includes NY-BEST members CUNY and GE who were successful securing $5.5 million in ARPA-E funding to increase Americas competitiveness in grid-scale energy storage. Ioxus, which has received significant NYSERDA and NY-BEST support, also received a "Technology of the Year" Award from Frost & Sullivan for its work in the ultracapacitor market.

Here we go… General Motors has started shipping its Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicles to its initial retail launch markets.

General Motors received a Golden Spike Award from the National Alliance for Advanced Technology Batteries for its effort to bring one of the first modern, mainstream electric vehicles to market with the launch of the 2011 Chevrolet Volt.

Ice energy busy as oil prices slowly climb back up

Board Appoints Michael D. Popielec as President and CEO

Here's a cool bit of video that combines time-lapsed images from General Motors showing a Chevy Volt being assembled.

The hybrid systems research team at GE Global Research announced a significant breakthrough that could accelerate electrification of bus fleets, delivery trucks and other larger, heavy-duty vehicles. GEs dual battery combines the best attributes of lithium-ion and sodium chemistries into a single system: the lithium battery handles high-power acceleration and braking, while the sodium battery provides an even electric power flow to extend the bus range.

About 240,000 potential buyers have expressed an interest in the vehicle, but production in 2011 will be just 10,000 units.

HAMTRAMCK, Mich. (AP) — General Motors Co. said Tuesday it will hire 1,000 additional engineers in the Detroit area to work on battery technology.

General Motors Co. sold a $500 million stake in its initial public offering to Chinese partner SAIC Motor Corp., cementing ties that have helped the American company boost sales in the world’s largest auto market.

GE will convert half of its corporate fleet to electric vehicles by 2015 in an effort to give the nascent technology a jump start and help develop a potentially big new market for the company.

GM has published a “blue paper” introducing its vision of sustainable urban mobility. The Blue Paper—published in English and Chinese—addresses the growing challenges associated with rising urbanization and the greater demand for transportation with respect to energy, environment, safety, traffic congestion and land use.

An update from the GreenBeat 2010 Conference which includes many new names in home energy storage including Ice Energy.

This article profiles NY-BEST Member Ice Energy and describes the need for better batteries to enable widespread adoption of solar and wind.

Heslin Rothenberg Farley and Mesiti has released the Fall 2010 edition of its IP Law Bulletin which includes patent updates and analysis of recent court findings.

GE to purchase thousands of EVs for its sales team to support image, drive demand for charging stations and power usage. Half of GE's 45,000 member sales force are expected to be driving electric vehicles under this initiative.

RPI has developed a new method for using water to tune the band gap of the nanomaterial graphene, opening the door to new graphene-based transistors and nanoelectronics. By exposing a graphene film to humidity, the team was able to create a band gap in graphene – a critical prerequisite to creating graphene transistors.

Utility Savings & Refund has agreed to become a sales affiliate for Prudent Energy International, the global leader in advanced energy storage based on the vanadium redox battery.

Ice Energy has completed a $24 million first closing of its Series C financing. The investment provides the company with working and growth capital to support its deployment of utility-scale distributed energy storage projects throughout the US and Canada. TIAA-CREF joined new and existing investors, including Energy Capital Partners, Good Energies, Sail Ventures and Second Avenue Partners, to participate in the round. TIAA-CREF's investment is its first under a new Green Building Technology Partnership.

GM has selected Sunlogics to build solar PV canopies and electric vehicle charging stations for the company's US facilities, development centers and Chevrolet dealerships. The first installation will be at the Volt assembly plant in Hamtramck, Michigan and is a 20kW system containing 10 charging stations.

NY-BEST member Heslin, Rothenberg Farley & Mesiti, which publishes the quarterly Clean Energy Patent Growth Index, will present an Intellectual Property Update on Global Trends and Growth in Clean Energy Patents on October 14 at Pat's Barn in the Rensselaer Technology Park in Troy, NY. Attendance is free. Registration and networking from 7:30am-8:00am. Program and questions from 8:00am-9:00am.

Paper Battery Company is one of 34 companies presenting at NREL's Industry Growth Forum in Denver on Oct 19-21. The presenting companies were competitively selected by a panel of 120 investors and industry experts and will pitch their business and compete to win the 2010 NREL-Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Venture Award. Companies presenting at the forum since 2003 have collectively raised more than $3.4 billion.

Details on GE's campus rehab for its new battery facility. Reusing an existing facility made the engineering more challenging but also offered some cost savings. Doing so will also help the company earn points toward achieving a Silver LEED certification.

Companys Distributed Energy Storage Solution Nominated as Sustainable Technology Innovation of the Year

Ice energy strengthens and builds team with new appointments of qualified individuals

RPI set to research nano-structured ceramic capacitors for renewable power with a $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation. The group is developing a new type of ceramic, that would underlie the development of a new generation of energy storage devices.

Heslin Rothenberg Farley & Mesiti P.C. is pleased to announce results for the first quarter of 2010 for the Clean Energy Patent Growth Index (CEPGI) by the firm's Cleantech Group.

General Motors is building an experimental fleet of electrically powered Chevrolet Cruze compact cars that will have a driving range of up to 100 miles to explore market needs and customer acceptance of battery electric vehicles.

Just days after the announcement by Vice President Joe Biden of $615 million for smart grid storage, NY-BEST member Utility Savings & Refund, LLC has agreed to become a sales affiliate for Prudent Energy International, the global leader in advanced energy storage based on the vanadium redox battery (VRB-ESS).

NY-BEST is pleased to partner with NYSERDA to offer special exhibit packages for NY-BEST members at the Advanced Energy Conference on November 8-9, 2010 in New York City. This conference is quickly becoming one of the premier venues for clean energy businesses nationwide to reach potential customers and influential industry leaders.

Opportunities will be offered to NY-BEST members on a first-come, first-served basis and include a table-top exhibit space in the pavilion room (a $1,700 value). For additional details and to take advantage of this limited opportunity, please...

Pilot funding provided by Ontario Power Authority's Conservation Fund to bring Ice Bear Energy Storage system to Canada

GM is working with ABB group on plans for retired battery pack deployment to the grid.

GM begins tests of pure electric Chevrolet Cruze, similar to Volt

The funding provides $3 million for the Small Scale Systems Integration and Packaging Center to develop and evaluate advanced electronic circuitry miniaturization to safeguard U.S. troops in the field; $2 million to enhance patient safety software applications being developed by the U.S. Army; $1.5 million to aid development of a display system to provide accurate visual representations for Army aircrew training simulators; and $4 million for the Center for Autonomous Solar Power to develop uninterrupted solar power sources through flexible solar cells and super-capacitors for electrical...

The project, part of the California Solar Initiative's Research, Development, Deployment and Demonstration Program, will seek to demonstrate the economic and operational benefits of integrating advanced energy storage systems with existing PV systems for peak demand reduction directly on commercial buildings. Ice Energy is one of three energy storage companies selected to participate in the program.

Several NYS companies work towards superconducting material for grid stabilization under an ARPA-E award.

The Ice Bear systems have been successfully operating on a range of commercial, retail, government, and educational facilities with uptime in excess of 99%. The Ice Bear system was recently documented in an ASHRAE publication available online at www.ice-energy.com. The company recently announced an agreement with Southern California Public Power Authority to implement a 53 MW storage project involving thousands of Ice Bear systems in Southern California to reduce peak electrical demand by as much as 64 GW hours annually,...

Researchers from the Technische Universities Muenchen are using new technology to observe sodium/iron chloride batteries for GE's locomotives.

Binghamton University is one of eight awards under the BATT program and will explore Metal-Based High-Capacity Li-Ion Anodes.

GM plans go from 30 to 45 production units for Volt

Amazing new devices for human implants driven by advanced batteries

Dr. Harriet Kung, Associate Director of Science for Basic Energy Sciences, at the US DOE will be the Keynote Speaker. The theme of this year's conference is "oxides for energy applications."

Ice Energy promoting the Energy Storage Bill of 2010

Ice Energy supporting new bill (Storage act of 2010) that covers many areas of energy storage

$3 million project with CUNY to implement grid scale storage

The GE WattStation will be sold in 2011 and a home version will be introduced later this year. The equipment can reduce the time it takes to charge an electric vehicle battery from 12 to 18 hours to around four to eight hours, according to GE.

Three New York based projects have been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to receive $5.5 million for research projects that aim to dramatically improve how the U.S. uses and produces energy.

CUNY’s Energy Institute received two awards totaling $4.6 million. The first project will develop metacapacitors with increased storage capability for grid interfaces, working in partnership with NY-BEST member Columbia University. The second project is in partnership with Ultralife Corporation, also a consortium member, and will develop low-cost grid-scale storage using a flow-...

Kodak is donating to Rochester Institute of Technology's Golisano Institute for Sustainability to help support research efforts and, eventually, a laboratory to allow collaborative work between Kodak and RIT on sustainability projects.

The research team, from Stony Brook University, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization in Victoria, Australia, and University of Cambridge in the UK, is using NMR spectroscopy to measure the amount of dendrites formed, for the first time, as they cannot be quantified using a scanning electron microscope.

KEMA released results of a research effort to model the effect of high-penetration renewables on intra-hour system operations of the California ISO. The findings are part of KEMA's report, "Research Evaluation of Wind Generation, Solar Generation, and Storage Impact on the California Grid," sponsored by the California Energy Commission.

GE's hybrid locomotive is getting ready for production. The locomotive will use a sodium-metal battery built at a new $100 million battery plant in Schenectady, NY. The plant is expected to open in 2011 and employ about 350 people. The batteries that will eventually be found aboard Evolution hybrid locomotives will likely also be used in backup power systems for the telecommunications industry and for other applications.

GM stops work on the Spark and leaves Indian Markets

With more patents than any other woman, UB scientist Esther Takeuchi brings fresh perspective to the nation's electrical grid. She holds more than 140 U.S. patents in energy storage and won the National Medal of Technology and Innovation from President Obama last Fall.

GM sets up venture capital company with $100 million to invest in auto-related technologies.

General Motors said on Thursday, that it is ending its partnership with Reva to develop electric cars in India.

Ice Energy expands into NYS with increased production of "Ice Bear" unit, 3,000 units per month, or 25 MW of energy storage.

GM seeks more business partners to create new features for the Volt.

AEYCH outlines localized energy storage study it is performing for NYSERDA; seeks partners and participants.

Ice Energy to install 1.5 MW of energy storage for Glendale Water & Power. Southern California municipal utility will integrate Ice Energy’s Ice Bear distributed energy storage technology to complement its smart grid strategy.

Ultralife announced that Thomas L. Saeli has joined its board of directors, effective March 5.

Wireless devices may interact with car charging in the future

LG Chem broke ground for the construction of a $800 million electric-car battery plant in Korea yesterday. The new plant, scheduled be opened in the first half of 2010, will supply lithium-ion batteries to General Motors from the second half of next year.

A summary of the zinc battery discoveries underway at CUNY's Energy Storage Institute

Details on NYSERDA's recent award to Ultralife

Widetronix Inc, with ties to Cornell, receives $2.2 million for beta voltaic batteries, which generate electrical current by using energy from radioactive isotopes that emit electrons. They are particularly well-suited to low-power electrical applications where long life of the energy source is needed, such as implantable medical devices or military and space applications.

The most recent ARPA-E awards were announced. In the “Batteries for Electrical Energy Storage Category,” Brookhaven National Lab is a partner with Missouri University of Science and Technology on lithium-air batteries.

GE R&D in Niskayuna is partnering with Nissan to "take a comprehensive look at what technologies will be needed in the car, on the grid and at home or work to make smart charging a reality." The companies announced an MOU to undertake research mainly at GE's Niskayuna, NY, smart-grid lab for three years. The first phase of work will focus on integrating electric car charging with homes and buildings. The second phase will work on integrating electric vehicles into the power grid.

Stan Whittingham, NY-BEST Vice Chairman and Director of the Institute for Materials Research at Binghamton University, is honored in Hall of Fame as one of 40 innovators who have made a significant difference for his work in Li-ion battery development.

NY-BEST has commissioned three competitive market analyses in grid-side energy storage, distributed generation storage, and medium/heavy-duty transportation storage. The studies will be completed in May. Each team includes university MBA and technical students as well as technical and industry advisers. These analyses will be available free of charge for all NY-BEST members on the Market Studies page.

Scientists are using a neutron scanning device for analysis of GE battery cells as a form of non-destructive testing. The The battery systems are designed for energy savings of at least ten percent in hybrid locomotives.

A perspective on East coast and West coast energy storage activities including the NY-BEST award to UltraLife

Ultralife’s Energy Storage System to Link Lithium Ion Battery and Ultracapacitor Technologies with Wind and Solar Energy Systems

If The Paper Battery Company gets its way, builders could potentially use its new prototype paper-based battery material in much the same way builders use Tyvek-branded DuPont plastic as a moisture wrap in building construction and roofs in electric vehicles could store energy.

Catherine S. Hill, a lawyer with Whiteman Osterman & Hanna in Albany, N.Y., was elected to a one-year term on the board of directors of the New York Battery and Energy Storage Technology Consortium.

NY-BEST, Cornell and Primet Precision Materials Inc. to develop electrolytes for batteries to improve electrochemical stability and safety of lithium batteries.

NY-BEST awards will allow Brookhaven National Lab, Binghamton University, and University at Buffalo to collaborate on energy storage solutions.

University at Buffalo, Binghamton University, and Brookhaven National Lab funded to work on grid storage technologies.

A review of some of the local NY-BEST funding

Summary of awards from Green Car Congress

Summary of awards from Binghamton press

Cornell University and Binghamton University awarded funding for R&D work

NYSERDA press release announcing first annual NY-BEST meeting and conference

Ultralife to receive $2.4M for energy storage project

NYSERDA Commits $8 million to Develop and Commercialize
19 New York Battery and Energy-Storage Technology Projects

Discussion of the energy storage industry in the Greater Capital Region and NY-BEST

The Paper Battery Company has been selected to be the recipient of a $250,000 NYSERDA contract for development of its breakthrough, scalable energy storage technology.

On March 30 and 31 KEMA will host its 21st Executive Forum, assembling a group of key energy leaders to discuss the resurgence of retail energy markets. Based on current registrations, KEMA expects a record turn out for the meeting.

NY-BEST members and profiles now available. If you'd like to enhance your profile, please register for an account at www.NY-BEST.org and then contact Anne Savage at info@ny-best.org with your account name and email address.

Glendale Water & Power (GWP) has awarded a $4.2 million contract to Utility Partners of America (UPA) to replace its existing electric and water meters with smart meters, beginning this year. KEMA Inc. is providing project management and technical support for GWP's initiative.

Depending on business, the firm may grow from 20 to 60 employees by year's end in production, research and engineering positions, Ioxus officials said.

Global energy consulting and certification firm KEMA has won the open European tender on the Front End Engineering Design Study for two offshore wind farms in the North Sea. The farms will have a maximum capacity of 1,200MW and produce approximately 4.5bn KWh per year.

Ioxus is also pursuing the application of more patents and the 2010 roadmap shows how serious they are; additional products, a new generation 2 series of products that will enhance power. The company has also been active with patents and added an extra 12 patents in 6 months, now up to 21.

According to Ultralife's President and CEO, refinancing their existing revolving credit facility with an asset-based facility was one of their highest priorities. Ultralife’s family of brands includes: Ultralife Batteries, Stationary Power Services, RPS Power Systems, ABLE, McDowell Research, RedBlack Communications and AMTI. Ultralife’s operations are in North America, Europe and Asia.

More on underground compressed gas energy storage

GE Global Research in Niskayuna will receive $1.5 million to develop measurement techniques for interfaces in metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors allowing rapid routing of renewable energy from the source to customers. General Motors in Honeoye Falls will receive $1.3 million to apply neutron detectors that can view the inner workings of fuel cells with 10 times improved resolution and assess degradation of lithium-based battery capacity and power. 

GE received a $25 million tax credit for its new battery plant in Schenectady. The credit is part of the 2009 ARRA and will help refurbish an existing GE facility.

NY-BEST.org has a new page! The Resources page provides links to great tools and information provided by NY-BEST, New York State and beyond. Please let us know if you have any suggestions for additional resources by mailing info@ny-best.org.

Governor Paterson announced that Bannon Automotive will move to State bringing with it jobs and economic development.

Governor David A. Paterson today announced the creation the New York Battery and Energy Storage Technology Consortium (known as NY BEST), implementing a key goal identified in his State of the State address and helping to position New York as the global leader in energy storage technology. The research and development initiative is one of the first of its kind in the nation and is a critical component in advancing the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) industry in New York.

Under the guidance of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), NY BEST will...

The U.S. education system is about to be electrified. At least the trip to school is.

A small start-up company in Upstate New York is rapidly expanding as it works to meet demand for a new type of energy storage. And to meet demand, the former National Soccer Hall of Fame has been replaced with a factory.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, D-N.Y., has signed into law the Power NY Act of 2011, which reinstates New York's statewide power plant siting law, known as Article X. The Act establishes an on-bill recovery mechanism for the Green Jobs/Green New York program and requires the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to prepare a study analyzing ways to increase the deployment of solar power in New York, according to the Alliance for Clean Energy New York (ACE NY).

New City Website Provides Facts About Electric Vehicles - 21 Percent of Consumers are More Likely to Purchase an Electric Vehicle after Being Provided Basic Facts

The “green” or “clean” or low-carbon economy—defined as the sector of the economy that produces goods and services with an environmental benefit—remains at once a compelling aspiration and an enigma.

THE moment I realized that driving the new Chevrolet Volt was fundamentally a new experience was not when I first turned it on and went around the block. Yes, it was whisper-quiet, powered by its 16-kilowatt-hour, 400-pound battery, but it still felt like a “normal” automobile.

The loan committee at Tompkins County Area Development approved loans this spring totaling $125,000. The company is establishing a prototype production facility at its South Hill Business Campus location to assemble, package, and test batteries for use in wireless sensors.

After nixing plans to build rooftop solar panels, officials are in the final stages of designing a massive fuel cell that will generate more than enough electricity to power to historic building, a city architect said this week.

Alternative vehicles are still "alternative" in part because fuel cell and battery technologies still have many hills to climb -- cost, efficiency, weight to name a few. A group of MIT researchers thinks they can pave the way. They recently combined the strongest aspects of traditional batteries and fuel cells to create a whole new kind of battery.

The company said today it plans to host a ceremony for the 20-megawatt energy storage system in Stephentown, N.Y., where the flywheels supply short bursts of power to maintain a steady frequency over the grid. The storage system takes the place of natural gas plants, which grid operators ramp up and down to create an even match between electricity supply and demand.

A non-profit economic development organization, HTR offers technology commercialization for very early stage opportunities, business incubation for high-potential startups and growth consulting services for established local companies.

As part of its Global Electric Vehicle (EV) expansion throughout New York City, Connect by Hertz, Hertz's (NYSE: HTZ) global car sharing club, the first car sharing club to introduce the 100% electric Nissan LEAF™ in Manhattan, is bringing the LEAF to Manhattan's Seward Park Co-op. To celebrate the introduction of the Nissan LEAF, a formal unveiling, attended by Speaker of the New York State Assembly, Sheldon Silver, will be held at Seward Park (413 Grand St in Manhattan) on Friday, May 6 at 12 noon.

The New York Independent System Operator issued its annual review of the forces and factors affecting New York State's electric system, "Power Trends 2011: Energizing New York's Legacy of Leadership." The report, which includes a chapter on energy storage, states the expected adequacy of New York's power resources over the next decade does not diminish the need to address aging generation and transmission infrastructure: 60% of New York's power plant capacity and 84% of the high-voltage transmission facilities went into service before 1980.

Today, U.S. Representative Judy Biggert (R-IL) joined Reps. Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Jerry McNerney (D-CA), and Anna Eshoo (D-CA) to introduce the Electric Drive Vehicle Deployment Act—legislation designed to fast track the deployment of energy-saving electric vehicle and plug-in hybrid technologies.

Nissan said Wednesday it will resume taking reservations for its new electric Leaf car on May 1.

The new and rare spirit of bipartisanship in Albany moved westward Thursday as Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo gathered with local legislators to sign a "Recharge New York" bill that expands opportunities for business to tap into low-cost hydropower.

NYSEG has received $1 million from NYSERDA to evaluate the potential of an innovative, environmentally-friendly compressed air energy storage (CAES) facility in Schuyler County. The proposed 150-megawatt power plant would be operational in 2014 and could reduce the need for fossil fuel-fired generating plants during peak demand. The project received a $29.6 million grant from the DOE in November to offset its estimated $125 million cost.

A new NYSERDA report showing energy usage trends and statistics for New York State.

An events calendar with many technology related events.

Delphi's Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Auxiliary Power Unit uses diesel fuel from the main fuel tank to generate electricity to power equipment in the cab of heavy-duty trucks (Class 8). Delphi's unit allows truck drivers to not idle the semi's diesel engine just to power the cab's numerous components, a change that could substantially reduce emissions. Working with Delphi Corporation and other industry partners, NY-BEST member ENrG is developing a thermal management package for APUs under a NYSERDA award.

Education-business partnerships, such as nanotech in Albany, inspire other areas of growth in the state

NYSERDA will fund two transportation projects in the Hudson Valley to develop and commercialize innovative new transportation technologies that would reduce greenhouse gas emissions, decrease reliance on fossil fuels, and create jobs. The first involves using energy-efficient truck trailers to transport produce grown in upstate New York on barges traveling the Hudson River and Long Island Sound. The second project will help Taconic Energy develop a diesel additive that would increase fuel efficiency by reducing engine friction.

Held May 17-18 in Albany, NY, this forum is for venture ready companies and early stage university start-ups. SmartStart UNYTECH has highlighted 220 companies -- 62 have raised over $500 million in equity financing, including $72 million attributable to their participation in the forum. Presenting companies have the opportunity to pitch their business plans to a cross section of the investment community. Deadline to apply is March 1, 2011.

Unveiled at the Washington, D.C. Auto Show, the truck has a 12 kWh battery pack from Canadian battery-maker Electrovaya with Chrysler's 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 engine, which Electrovaya says will allow for up to 20 miles of driving on electricity only. The battery packs for these demonstration vehicles will be assembled at Electrovaya's operations at STEP.

President Obama is restructuring his economic advisory board to place an emphasis on job creation, and named General Electric CEO Jeffrey Immelt as its new head. The new board, called the President's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness, will replace the former Economic Recovery Advisory Board that had been chaired by former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is lobbying her counterparts to make the R&D tax credit program permanent with less paperwork involved. She made her plea using Honeywells Buffalo research lab as the backdrop. Honeywell, recently received a $27 million recovery grant that it used on research for creating a lithium-ion battery for hybrid vehicles. The battery research project was made economically viable by the grant and is helping to secure the future of the 55-year-old plant that employs 150 people. New York has historically seen an increase in R&D spending within the state -- it grew by...

This conference will be held March 8-10 in Saratoga, NY, and is primarily aimed at energy educators. It will cover trends and best practices for renewable energy and energy efficiency.

AES Energy Storage recently opened an advanced lithium-ion storage facility in Johnson City, N.Y., near Binghamton, that sells frequency regulation back to the electric grid. It absorbs or delivers energy at intervals of five seconds, using batteries manufactured by A123. The AES project, which was awarded a federal loan guarantee of $17.1 million is currently an 8MW storage facility and is expected to expand to 20MW by 2011.

A new law requires manufacturers of rechargeable batteries to operate recycling programs for their products. The rechargeable battery law adds rechargeable batteries from laptops, cell phones, cameras and other electronics to a growing list of products residents of New York State can now return to retailers for recycling or proper management at the end of their useful life.

Many indicators suggest that Eastern New York could be a big player in technology development.

Compiled readers' questions on the former Duracell/Mallory battery site in Sleepy Hollow and got some answers.

The New York State Metropolitan Transportation Authority was awarded $4 milion to support a battery-based Wayside Energy Storage System in the New York City subway system. This project will utilize Kawasaki nickel metal hydride battery technology to capture wasted braking energy and reuse it to power rail vehicles.

Energy storage getting more attention at high level. Energy storage necessary for future of the grid

Advanced Battery Technologies, Inc. sells magnesium alloy electric scooters for 350k.

Lockheed Martin Corp, University at Albany, and New York State will partner to turn innovations developed at CNSE (the Albany Nanotech complex) into products for commercial and military markets. Research and development of “systems on a chip” for radar and sonar applications will take place in Albany and then be developed into products in Syracuse.

HVCC will receive NSF funding over the next four years to promote semiconductor and nanotechnology-related programs at community colleges and four-year institutions; provide internship-based training and workshops; and develop pipeline programs that will promote careers in the industry to students in grades K through 12.

Car Charging Group, a Florida-based electric-vehicle service provider, is teaming up with Icon Parking Systems to install plug-in stations at some of Icon’s more than 200 garages and lots in Manhattan. In July, Car Charging Group announced a similar deal with Laz Parking, which has 1,350 facilities in 21 states. Under the arrangement, the Car Charging Group will install, own, maintain and upgrade the charging stations, and the parking facilities will share in the revenue.

CentraCan, Inc. (Orlando, FL), a sustainable energy company, announced that PerfPower Alkaline Batteries with its free recycling program are now available through Industries for the Blind of New York State. This impressive organization facilitates and creates employment opportunities for blind and visually impaired New Yorkers.

A123 Systems gets $17 million loan guarantee for 20MW grid storage project in Johnson City, New York, to enable AES to both balance its load using less fossil fuels, and have more flexibility to mix variable clean power into the grid.

NY representatives visit west cost to promote NYS offerings

Ener1, Inc. said that it has executed an agreement with its principal shareholder, Ener1 Group, for the purchase of common stock and warrants for $65 million.

Ener1, a manufacturer of large lithium-ion battery systems for automotive and utility grid applications, announced that it obtained a $65 million investment commitment from its principal shareholder, Ener1 Group.

Honeywell International's Buffalo laboratory to test LiPF6 electrolyte salt for Li-ion batteries in pilot plant (funded by DOE).

NYSERDA announced $4.4 million in funding over five years to NY-BEST member Intertek Testing Services to establish renewable energy test and research centers in New York that will be among the first of their kind in the nation. The funding will allow Intertek and a consortium of partners to establish solar photovoltaic and small wind test centers throughout the State. They will use rigorous real-life testing scenarios to measure safety, performance, reliability, durability, and longevity.

Details on awards from NYSERDA's PON 1670 including awards to NY-BEST members Ultralife, EPX, CUNY, and CNSE at University at Albany in cooperation with Cornell and Alfred University.

Two electric car charging stations will be installed in Warwick, one in the town and the other at the village's South Street municipal parking lot. Officials expect to break ground next month and complete work by early summer. Manufactured by Coulomb Technologies in Campbell, Calif., these stations are networked, so drivers with smart phones can check which chargers are unoccupied and receive text messages or e-mails when charging is complete.

NYSERDA has developed a roster of Entrepreneurs-in-Residence, individuals with C-level experience in technology-based companies who have agreed to work with the management teams of NYSERDA-related early-stage companies to help identify business objectives and advise in their pursuit. This resource is available to NYSERDA-related companies, and is managed by High Tech Rochester.

THINK’s CEO ranked New York City third worldwide on their EV-Ready Cities Index based on the great fit of EVs to city driving and the strength of state and local government support. The lithium-ion battery system is made by Ener1, Inc., headquartered in New York.

Battery maker Electrovaya Inc. has won a contract with Chrysler to provide lithium-ion batteries for a plug-in hybrid version of the Dodge Ram pickup truck. Chrysler will build 140 trucks in a three-year demonstration project under a $48-million grant from the U.S. vehicle-electrification program. Electrovaya is a tenant of NYSERDA's STTEP park in Malta, New York.

The Syracuse region was recently named one of the world's top 10 "cleantech clusters

Plug Power signed a commercialization agreement with CITIC GuoAn Mengguli Power Science & Technology Co., Ltd. for the joint marketing and sales of their co-developed high power lithium-ion battery systems into automotive applications.

Johnson Controls has been named the single supplier of automotive and related (primary) batteries for Wal-Mart stores in the United States.

The Department of Energy announced 24 million hours of supercomputing time have been awarded to help develop lithium-air batteries. New York companies and researchers, through NYSTAR, also can gain access to supercomputing time on two of the world's fastest systems at Brookhaven National Lab/Stony Brook and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Visit http://www.nystar.state.ny.us/hpc/About_HPC_Computing_Program.html for assistance.

According to recent market research by McKinsey, EVs – comprising both full electric cars and plug-in hybrids – could account for 16% of new cars sales in New York by 2015, amounting to 70,000 vehicles on the streets.

The 10th Annual SmartStart UNYTECH Venture Forum will be held in Syracuse May 17-18, 2010. This is the largest forum for early stage companies and entrepreneurs in Upstate New York. If your organization is interested in presenting, please contact Jason Doling or Jen Harvey to identify ways that NY-BEST can help support your preparation.

Congressman Maurice Hinchey says he's secured more than $25 million in the 2010 Defense Appropriations Bill to support clean energy projects including $4 million to Binghamton University for supercapacitor development and $6.4 million for Primet Precision Materials to develop its battery technologies.

The NYSERDA-supported Clean Tech Center in Syracuse has announced its first round of incubator companies that will be assisted including The Paper battery Company.

Awarded projects include five with ties to New York, three of which relate to energy storage. Con Edison will demonstrate a smart grid prototype which will include electric vehicle charging stations; Massachusetts-based Premium Power Corporation will showcase an electrical grid storage system working with National Grid in Syracuse; and NYSEG will build an advanced 150 MW Compressed Air Energy Storage plant.

The Official R&D 100 Entry Page is now open to accept entries for the 2012 R&D 100 Awards, the 50th anniversary of the competition. Before you visit this page, please download the official R&D 100 Awards Entry Form. This form is the official guide for your 2012 entry. The competition is open to any new technology that was first available for sale or licensing in the 2011 calendar year, and which meets the qualifications detailed in the entry form. The deadline for applications is March 16, 2012. Sign up for the R&D 100 mailing list to receive updates about the awards...

The Obama administration intends to open a new advanced battery research center this year, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu told an audience at the Detroit Economic Club on Tuesday.

ClearEdge Power, a fuel cell startup that closed a $73.5 million VC round in 2011, just scored one of the largest fuel cell orders in the 150-year history of fuel cells. The firm builds proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells that produce electricity and heat from natural gas. It just inked a 50-megawatt supply agreement with Austria's Güssing Renewable Energy (GRE). The first phase is the delivery of 8.5 megawatts of fuel cells over the next three years. That's about 1,700 5-kilowatt modules. Phase two is 20 megawatts by 2020 in what ClearEdge says is a $500 million agreement.

Hyundai Motor America CEO John Krafcik said at the Detroit auto show that the company would begin offering a lifetime battery guarantee on the lithium polymer batteries in the Sonata hybrid. Hyundai will guarantee the battery on the Sonata hybrid.He said the offer was viable because of the "superior performance in durability" of the lithium polymer batteries, which are lasting in the range of 275,000 miles in the company's tests. Hyundai conducts powertrain testing and calibration work at its 170-person technical center in Superior Township.

The electric vehicle has to overcome three major hurdles if it is ever going to be a success with consumers. They need to charge fast, be cheap to buy, and have a decent range between charges. At the moment, the range of electric vehicles is around about 100 miles on average, which may be adequate for most journeys, but certainly isn't good enough. The issue is the battery technology in use today that relies on lithium-ion, and whose make-up is rather heavy and energy density not really high enough for use in a vehicle. IBM has been developing an alternative though, using a type of battery...

BYD Co., which counts Warren Buffett as an investor, has completed the world's largest lithium-ion battery project to bottle wind and solar electricity in China, which will likely see more large energy storage projects as a result of its ambition to add lots of renewable energy. The Chinese electric car and battery maker finished the 36 megawatt-hours storage farm in December for the State Grid Corporation of China, a transmission company with a massive plan to pair storage with wind and solar power plants, said Micheal Austin, vice president of BYD America on Tuesday. BYD's batteries will...

As I reported in Tuesday's paper, some companies think that one form of renewable energy is going to open a window for another — that solar photovoltaic panels, which convert sunlight directly into electricity, are going to increase the grid's need for a type of solar energy that can be stored. That would be solar thermal power, which harnesses heat from the sun and converts it to steam to make electricity as the need arises, especially when the sun has disappeared behind a cloud or dropped below the horizon.

If solar energy is eventually going to matter — that is, generate a significant portion of the nation's electricity — the industry must overcome a major stumbling block, experts say: finding a way to store it for use when the sun isn't shining. That challenge seems to be creating an opening for a different form of power, solar thermal, which makes electricity by using the sun's heat to boil water. The water can be used to heat salt that stores the energy until later, when the sun dips and households power up their appliances and air-conditioning at peak demand hours in the summer.

Electric vehicles are still too expensive and have too many limitations to compete with regular cars, except in a few niche markets. Will that ever change? The answer has everything to do with battery technology. Batteries carrying more charge for a lower price could extend the range of electric cars from today's 70 miles to hundreds of miles, effectively challenging the internal-combustion motor.

political hay has been made over the collapse of Solyndra, which was supported by government funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Government isn't qualified to pick technological winners and losers, said detractors; support for renewable energy is political, they said. But government has a long history of encouraging emerging technologies, and that continues, from energy storage to fuel cells.

Sion Power of Tucson, Arizona just received $50 million in funding for rechargeable lithium sulfur battery technology, according to this SEC filing.

On 22 December, A123 Systems, a developer and manufacturer of advanced Nanophosphate lithium ion batteries and systems, announced that it will supply an 11MW Grid Battery System (GBS) to Sempra Generation for the Auwahi Wind project in Maui, Hawaii.The advanced energy storage solution is designed to smooth variable wind power generation, which is expected to help maintain the stability to Maui's electric grid.

This year, the U.S. Department of Energy showed its holiday spirit in traditional ways at its annual holiday party – with holiday cookies and punch at its downtown headquarters building. But, with a fun energy twist, Secretary Chu's holiday tree was lit using a 150 W fuel cell instead of the local electric grid. The Trulite KH4 portable hydrogen fuel cell was able to combine hydrogen gas (from its HydroCell fuel cartridges) and oxygen from the air to produce electricity and heat. The other byproduct of this process – water – was recycled within the 23-lb unit.

Marines, especially infantry battalions that are far forward in the field, face a slew of logistical challenges. The most critical — and coincidentally, often the most challenging and expensive — is ensuring they have a reliable power source. The Office of Naval Research has developed and deployed a portable power device that aims to end the hassle and expense of buying foreign fuel (and delivering it to remote spots) to operate traditional diesel and gas generators.

Toyota agreed this month to equip some Toyota cars withBBMW diesel engines, building on an earlier deal to use Tesla Motors Inc. battery packs in future electric vehicles.

Researchers have developed electrodes out of porous germanium that hold more than three times as much charge as their graphite counterparts do. In theory, germanium and silicon can pack, respectively, about five and 10 times as much charge per weight as graphite does.

An employee of Sony demonstrates a new bio battery, generated from the cellilose of recycle papers, powering a fan (L) at the Eco-Products exhibition in Tokyo. Japanese electronics giant Sony on Thursday revealed technology that generates electricity from shredded paper.Japanese electronics giant Sony on Thursday revealed technology that generates electricity from shredded paper.

Eos Energy Storage Looking to Disrupt Grid-Scale Batteries With Zinc-Air. Eos Energy Storage believes it might have the disruptive technology for grid-scale energy storage and has just raised a bit of funding to prove it.Many energy experts (though not all) believe the piece missing from a reliable, renewable-energy-laden grid is energy storage. It's routinely called the "holy grail" of the grid and like the grail, exists mostly in myth, and in energy storage's case, in utility trials.

Sales of electric vehicles (EVs) are expected to accelerate strongly over the next few years, and along with that increase will come rapid growth in the deployment of charging equipment for the vehicles, according to a report from Pike Research. Two years from now, more than 80 different models of plug-in EVs are expected to be available across the globe, and by 2017, more than 5.1 million will be sold globally.

MIDLAND, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE:DOW) today announced that its 50-50 joint venture with Ube Industries, Ltd., Advanced Electrolyte Technologies LLC, has secured all necessary regulatory approvals. The joint venture company will manufacture formulated electrolytes for lithium-ion battery cell manufacturers in the energy storage market. “This joint venture is an opportunity to bring together Ube’s electrolyte technology with Dow’s global supply network and materials science expertise to enhance the performance of lithium-ion batteries.” The formation of...

The Electricity Storage Association (ESA) was joined Tuesday by U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), FERC Commissioner John Norris, NY-BEST staff and leading energy storage companies from across the country, at a Capitol Hill briefing to advocate for public policies that help spur energy storage innovation. The briefing was held to garner support for and raise awareness about federal legislation recently introduced by Wyden, along with Sens. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) and Susan Collins (R-ME) -- the STORAGE Act of 2011 (S. 1845), an investment tax credit (ITC) for energy storage projects.

American Vanadium Corp., building the only vanadium mine in the U.S., has held talks with Sumitomo Corp. and United Technologies Corp. about using the metal for batteries used to store renewable energy.

Abstract Submission: Early DEADLINE with discount: December 16
Research papers are solicited for both oral and poster presentations. One track of the conference is dedicated to Energy Storage and Novel Generation. Submissions will be reviewed and selected by the conference technical program committee.

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have released a technical report that could help improve the performance of electric vehicles (EVs) and the efficiency of the electric utility grids that power them. The report documents a series of test procedures designed to enable engineers, designers and utilities to evaluate the performance of various EVs and hybrids to optimize how they connect with electric utility grids today and smart grids in the future.

While it's normal for established technology companies to turn to low-cost Asian manufacturing, lately even very young companies have been heading east. A prominent example is Boston Power, a startup based in Westborough, Massachusetts, that's developing longer-lasting, higher-capacity lithium-ion batteries.

Since the first reports of Volt fires in battery tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), we've held off from commenting while GM and the agency released chronologies and details. Now we weigh in with some big-picture comments, our quick technical analysis, links to Volt owner responses, and GM's message to owners.

New Hampshire, USA -- Months after saying that it would have to scale back plans on military bases across the U.S., SolarCity announced Wednesday that it has secured financing and will move ahead with its $1 billion SolarStrong rooftop project.

Resembling broken eggshells, graphene structures built around bubbles produced a lithium-air battery with the highest energy capacity to date, according to scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Princeton University. This black, porous material could replace the traditional smooth graphene sheets in lithium-air batteries, which become clogged with tiny particles during use. As an added bonus, the team’s new material does not rely on platinum or other precious metals, reducing its potential cost and environmental impact.

BEIJING -- When Energy Secretary Steven Chu visits China's capital, he spends days with his counterpart Wan Gang, China's minister of science and technology, as they shuttle from meeting to meeting and listen to each other's speeches.Both top scientists in their countries, the men often appear more excited than anyone else in the room about the latest scientific discovery and technological advancement toward conquering the industrial emissions contributing to global warming.

It looks like nothing more than microscopic chicken wire, but a number of Massachusetts institutions are betting that graphene, a form of carbon built in layers one atom thick, will spark a new technology boom. One of the strongest and most highly conductive materials ever measured, graphene is so lightweight and versatile that its potential uses seem limitless: as a replacement for silicon that will make superfast computer chips; as a fabric that will create "smart'' clothing; even to make solar energy panels that can be rolled up or folded.

Hydrogenics Corporation, a leading developer and manufacturer of hydrogen generation and fuel cell products, today announced the award to deliver one HySTAT™60 electrolyser, capable to produce 130kg a day of pure hydrogen. The electrolyser is expected to be delivered to the city of Brugg in the canton of Aargau, Switzerland at the beginning of 2012.

Axion Power International Inc. has announced that its PowerCube battery energy-storage system is being integrated as a power resource for the PJM Interconnection regulation market. Axion Power, working in partnership with Viridity Energy, will initially participate in the PJM market as a 100 kW resource.

Energy storage technologies, which offer the promise of enabling a wide range of long-duration and short-duration applications for purposes of balancing electricity grid operations, are gaining increased momentum in the global marketplace. While the industry still faces a variety of challenges including technology development and the need for cost reduction, Pike Research�s analysis indicates that nearly 600 energy storage projects have been announced or deployed worldwide, with a surge of new project activity during the past decade.

One of the biggest problems researchers face is designing an inexpensive battery that can be recharged many times. Today’s lead-acid batteries typically last only a few hundred charge cycles, while lithium-ion batteries can last up to 1,000 charge cycles.

As portable electronics get more popular and the market for electric vehicles takes off, demand for lithium�a critical element in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries�could soar. Yet just two countries, Chile and Australia, dominate global lithium production. California startup Simbol Materials thinks it can increase domestic production of lithium by extracting the element, along with manganese and zinc, from the brine used by geothermal plants.

ZBB Energy Corp., a developer of renewable energy platforms, says it is providing its energy-storage solutions to Jackson, Wyo.-based Lower Valley Energy to help the utility integrate a variety of renewable energy sources. The system will include lead-acid batteries and the ZBB EnerSection power and energy control center, and will provide an integrated energy-management platform ready for interconnection to a range of configurable renewable energy sources, including wind, solar PV and other power outputs.

Imagine a cellphone battery that stayed charged for more than a week and recharged in just 15 minutes. That dream battery could be closer to reality thanks to Northwestern University research. A team of engineers has created an electrode for lithium-ion batteries -- rechargeable batteries such as those found in cellphones and iPods -- that allows the batteries to hold a charge up to 10 times greater than current technology. Batteries with the new electrode also can charge 10 times faster than current batteries.

With other green technology companies faltering or filing for bankruptcy, Better Place, the Silicon Valley electric car infrastructure startup, said Friday that it has raised a $200 million round of financing from investors that include General Electric, UBS, Morgan Stanley, HSBC and VantagePoint Capital Partners.

BMW unveiled a pair of concept cars Wednesday, one a hybrid and one electric, made of light-weight carbon fiber and a see-through glass exterior.The cars are expected to go into production within the next two to three years. The carbon fiber in the i3 city car and i8 sports car significantly reduces the weight of the vehicle and the size of its frame, giving designers more flexibility and creating more interior space for passengers, said Richard Kim, who designed the exteriors of both vehicles.

"In a time of economic crisis, asking policymakers in Washington, D.C., to spend more money might not be the most popular position. But it's essential to protect America's national interests and ensure that the United States plays a leading role in the fast-growing global clean energy industry," Gates wrote, noting that federally funded research in energy has dropped by more than 75 percent in the last three decades.

Some day, your restroom break may be enough time to charge your [insert nifty gadget here] halfway. A group of researchers at the Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory has discovered that nanotubes composed of titanium dioxide can switch their phase as a battery is cycled, gradually boosting their operational capacity.

Joel Gordes, an energy consultant and former state legislator, remembers what happened on September 26 when he started talking about cyber attacks and ice storms during his presentation to the legislative committee investigating the utility response to tropical storm Irene. At one point, he recalled, Sen. John Fonfara, co-chair of the Energy and Technology Committee looked at him: "This is a hearing on hurricane Irene. Are you in the right room?" he asked.

Venture capital investment in U.S. cleantech companies grew 73 percent to $1.1 billion in the third quarter of 2011 versus the same period in 2010, with the gains driven largely by deals in the energy storage sector, according to an Ernst & Young LLP analysis of data from Dow Jones VentureSource

Venture capital investment in U.S. cleantech companies grew 73 percent to $1.1 billion in the third quarter of 2011 versus the same period in 2010, with the gains driven largely by deals in the energy storage sector, according to an Ernst & Young LLP analysis of data from Dow Jones VentureSource

California's Silicon Valley has all the right ingredients to make it a local and national leader in the development of the smart grid and related products, according to an economic analysis released by the Silicon Valley Smart Grid Task Force.

The outlook has been skeptical around energy storage for mass adoption on the electric grid due to poor balances of cost and benefits. While some utilities or regions do require a small quantity of energy storage at the most problematic points on the grid, grid-storage will not reach ubiquitous commercial adoption at its current pricing. Furthermore, the incremental improvements in performance and reductions in cost suggest that commercial adoption is beyond 10 years away. As a result, many stakeholders are rightfully looking toward regulations to alter the market landscape and make room...

Energy storage is generally considered a critical tool for integrating intermittent renewables into the electric grid and maximizing their value. The wind doesn't blow constantly and the sun doesn't shine all the time, and neither cooperates with peak demand. As a result, the quest for reliable, practical solutions has boomed and grid-scale storage is coming into its own.

The Cleantech Group, following up on its recently released 100 clean technology companies to watch over the next five to 10 years, has identified its top three startups to watch.

As the cost of batteries accounts for a large portion of total costs of electric vehicles, researchers are constantly looking for ways to make batteries more affordable as well as efficient. Newly developed technologies include batteries using organic polymer instead of cobalt and battery packs with improved thermal management that takes advantage of copper’s heat conductive characteristics.

Walking the 20 square miles of exhibitors at Solar Power International in Dallas last week, I met 400 Asian module vendors I've never heard of before, a really large number of new and incumbent module racking companies, and a few new microinverter companies.

Few things hold as much potential to change a wide variety of devices for the better than the battery. Batteries with higher power capacity will allow for gadgets like notebooks and smartphones to operate longer away from an outlet. Higher power densities will allow a longer driving range for electric cars as well.

According to a new report from Pike Research, the combined market for Li-ion batteries in HEVs, PHEVs, and BEVs will soar over the next several years, increasing from $2.0 billion worldwide in 2011 to more than $14.6 billion by 2017.

With fuel cells being deployed for applications as diverse as residential power, off-grid mobile communications sites in Africa, low-carbon transportation, and electrical grid reliability, the shift from a sector centered on R&D to a fully commercialized fuel cell industry is well underway.

The Battery Show is North America’s largest free to attend exhibition for advanced batteries. The exhibition showcases the very latest battery technologies and solutions, ranging from electric vehicle applications to raw material suppliers.

Electric vehicles are a big worry for many utilities. Over the last few months, I've had several interesting conversations with Europeans responsible for electric vehicle pilots in places such as Denmark, Germany and Portugal. Based on the results of their research and their real-world pilots, I learned of six frequent fears that turn out to be false.

The article provides details on the Dept. of Energy $3 million award for Connecticut’s FuelCell Energy to carry out a three-year project that entails evaluating the use of the company’s Direct Fuel Cells (DFC) to efficiently and cost-effectively separate carbon dioxide (CO2) from coal-fired power plant emissions and use it to produce clean electricity.

The "term hydrogen" economy is now widely in use and commonly understood to indiate the potentially role of hydrogen in our energy future. But what form would the hydrogen economy take? How would it operate? What would it components parts be? And is it a serious prospect?

One of the main arguments against electric cars is that it takes too long to recharge the battery. Even using a DC fast-charger, going from 0 to 80 percent capacity still takes about 30 minutes. But Nissan is working on a new super-rapid charging system that can recharge a drained EV battery in 10 minutes, which could be a game changer for the industry.

A simple trick could improve the ability of advanced ultracapacitors, or supercapacitors, to store charge. The technique, developed by Stanford University researchers, could enable the use of new types of nanostructured electrode materials that store more energy.

CEATEC Japan, the Tokyo event focused on new devices in electronics and IT, opens this week with lots of pre-buzz circling around a little gadget that keeps smartphones from dying, courtesy of NTT DoCoMo and NEC. Engadget seeded the interest after visiting NTT DoCoMo’s booth to examine an NTT smartphone battery. The charge takes only ten minutes. The battery lives in an external pack.

China Southern Power Grid (CSG) -- the second largest utility company in the world -- has completed construction of China's largest battery energy storage station (ESS) as well as the World's first megawatt-level, grid-connected, environmentally-friendly, Iron-phosphate (Fe) battery storage station for commercial use, integrating BYD technology.

Utilities need cheap, long-lasting ways to store the excess energy produced by power plants, especially as intermittent power from solar and wind farms is added to the mix. Unfortunately, the batteries available for grid-level storage are either too expensive or don't last for the thousands of cycles needed to make them cost-effective.

LG Electronics will invest almost $7 billion in its new green business ventures which includes promoting the use of electric vehicle batteries and light-emitting diodes.

The opening of the UK's first public refuelling station for hydrogen vehicles in Swindon is part of efforts to create a "hydrogen highway" along the M4 motorway.

After testing driving the Mitsubishi i Electric Car and the Chevy Volt the encouraging answer is yes. These cars will provide us with energy independence at a lower cost than gasoline, and they are fun to drive to boot.

Coca-Cola Continues to Operate the Largest Heavy-Duty Hybrid Electric Fleet in North America

If you own a national chain and you’re thinking about putting in electric vehicle chargers, you might want to give Walgreens a call.

Over the past few months several analysts have predicted dire times for the U.S. advanced battery industry. But analysts who have looked at these U.S. markets and predicted doom for domestic advanced battery manufacturers have overlooked a potentially important factor: export markets, particularly in the developing world.

Robert Bosch plans to build a pilot production line in Eisenach, Germany, to research materials and production processes for future generations of lithium-ion batteries.

Electrovaya Inc. (TSX: EFL) today announced that it has signed a contract to provide a lithium ion Battery Energy Storage System ("BESS") of approximately 1.2MWh for demonstration purposes in support of renewable energy generation in Ontario.

What makes pumped-storage hydro so attractive? Recent development and expansion can primarily be attributed to the fact that pumped-storage hydro is the predominant renewable energy source available to balance intermittent resources, such as wind and solar.

THE FISKER Karma is simply one of the most anticipated cars of the year in the motoring world. Well perhaps not in recession-hit Ireland, but certainly in the wider global market.

Although U.S. venture capital (VC) investment in cleantech companies declined year over year, investment in renewable energy and energy storage remained strong, according to a new Ernst & Young LLP analysis based on data from Dow Jones VentureSource.

The zero-pollution city car will be ready for preview drives in less than two years, and perhaps as early as the second half of 2012, after a long-running fuel cell development program in the USA.

Nexeon Ltd. (Abingdon, England), a company formed in 2005 to commercialize battery research conducted at Imperial College in London, has received an investment of £40 million (about $65 million) to help it pioneer the use of silicon anodes in place of carbon anodes in lithium-ion rechargeable batteries.

The Nissan Leaf can run 70-plus miles on a single charge. Now, it can also power a family home for two days if it needs to. The “Leaf to Home” project Nissan is rolling out in Japan allows the electricity stored in the Leaf’s lithium-ion battery to be fed back into a home, running major appliances for up to two days.

Researchers at the United States Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have created a graphene and tin nanoscale composite material for rechargable lithium-ion batteries that allows quick and repeated charging without degradation, a feature which the researchers say makes it well suited for electric vehicles.

The stringent fuel economy standards announced today will make existing auto technologies, such as start-stop hybrids, commonplace and push the industry to cut the cost of electric vehicles.

The California Energy Commission (CEC) has shown its support for energy storage by awarding $845,894 from its Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) program to energy-storage research projects.

Last year MIT researchers reported improving the efficiency of lithium-air batteries through the use of electrodes with gold or platinum catalysts. MIT News is now reporting that in a continuation of that work, researchers have been able to further increase the energy storage capacity of lithium-air batteries for a given weight by creating carbon-fiber-based electrodes.