2010-02-19 Newsletter

NY-BEST welcomes Bren-Tronics of Commack, New York, a business engaged in the design and manufacture of portable power systems including rechargeable batteries, chargers and devices.

Three competitive market analyses have begun, comprised of teams with university MBA and technical students and university/NY-BEST advisors.  Each team will identify specific competitors and opportunities where NY-BEST members and the consortium could consider positioning to compete internationally.  Grid storage and medium/heavy-duty transportation storage are the first two application areas to undergo this analysis.  University at Albany will work with RPI and University of Rochester to assess competitiveness in Grid-Side Storage; Columbia University and RPI will assess Distributed Energy Storage; and Columbia University and RPI will assess energy storage for medium and heavy-duty transportation applications.  Results are expected in May 2010 and will be available to all NY-BEST Members.  The First Annual Meeting and Conference will also include a briefing on these market analyses.          

** Mark Your Calendar and Register Today **

The NY-BEST Annual Meeting and Conference to elect the board of directors, adopt bylaws, and discuss future priorities will be held March 9 and 10 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Troy, beginning with a networking reception from 6pm-8pm on March 9 and ending around 3pm on March 10.

Rooms can be reserved online at http://troy.HGI.com or by calling (877) STAY-HGI at the discounted rate of $98 using group code “BESG.”

Please register for the meeting online at http://www.ny-best.org/2010AnnualMeeting. Organizing members can send their voting representative at no charge.  Additional participants or guests are welcome at $50 to cover meals.

61: J-Cell Batteries
Department of the Navy seeks a 5-year Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract for J-Cell Batteries for Battery Powered Backup for Systems. The solicitation will be available on or about 16 March 2010.

61: Joint Multi-Mission Submersible (JMMS) Power Source - Silver-Zinc Battery
Department of the Navy seeks Joint Multi-Mission Submersible (JMMS) Silver-Oxide/Zinc Batteries.

61: Space-Grade Lithium-Ion Cells
Department of the Navy to purchase at least 25 high end LI-ion batteries. Solicitation is expected to be issued on or about 3/10/2010 and close on or about 04/12/2010.

61: Voltage Regulator
Us Army seeking vendors for 135 voltage regulators

White Papers Sought Under N00024-10-R-4215 for Shipboard Integrated Power Systems
The Naval Sea Systems Command invites white paper proposals for long and short term R&D projects that offer potential for advancement and improvements in the implementation of shipboard Integrated Power Systems (IPS) at the major component, subsystem and system level. IPS provides total ship electric power including electric propulsion, power conversion and distribution, combat system support and ship mission load interfaces to the electric power system. Eligibility is open to academia and industry. White papers may be submitted through Feb 1, 2011.

For more Funding Opportunities click here.

NY-BEST Members Page Now Available.
NY-BEST members and profiles are 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.

4th Public Engagement and Science Communication Symposium and Cornell Research Showcase
Paper Battery Company to present at Cornell University's May 12th research symposium.

Batteries Made of Silver Nanoparticles Could Revolutionize Treatment of Mental Illnesses and Stroke
The nanoparticles are a part of a new family of materials that are being created in the labs of Esther Takeuchi, Distinguished Professor and Greatbatch Professor of Advanced Power Sources, at the University at Buffalo, SUNY.

Funding and Partnership Help Ioxus Create Jobs
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.

Ultralife Receives Commitment Letter For $35M Revolving Credit Facility
The new revolving credit facility will replace the company's $35 million senior secured revolving credit facility with its current lenders, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. and Manufacturers and Traders Trust Co.

For more news about NY-BEST and NY-BEST Members click here.

Plug Power and MGL Sign Commercialization Agreement for Co-Developed Battery Systems
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.

The Networked Grid 100: Movers and Shakers of the Smart Grid
A list of leaders in the smart grid industry, many in the battery/energy storage arena.

For more news about New York click here.

Top Six Tips on Getting Funds For Your New Business Venture
Tips on finding the right funding and commercialization partners

$195 Billion Goes to Powering Buildings, About Half On Corporate Campuses
Office parks invest in energy storage for power quality and reliability. EPA has estimated that 30% of the energy used in commercial buildings is unnecessary or inefficient.

100,000 Tons of Lithium From the Sea
The Korean Government and the nation’s largest steelmaker signed an agreement for a joint research and development project to extract lithium from sea water. The aim is to produce up to €750 million worth lithium carbonate a year by 2015.

Argonne Researchers Hope Obama Budget will Jumpstart Lithium-Air Battery
Scientists hope funding to develop an electric car battery that breathes air and could eliminate gasoline in the process will come with the $532 million allocated for Argonne National Lab in the proposed federal budget.

DOE 2011 Budget Briefing
FY 2011 budget request of $28.4 billion includes an additional $40 million for existing Energy Frontier Research Centers, $107 million for Energy Innovation Hubs and $300 million for ARPA-E.

DOE Reports That Lithium-ion Batteries Are Still Not Ready For Prime Time
DOE 2009 Annual Progress Report for Energy Storage Research and Development Vehicle Technologies assesses lithium-ion battery research and development including R&D objectives, technical barriers, targets and recent accomplishments.

Nanocables to Improve Li-Ion Battery Performance
A team of scientists from China and Germany may have found a solution for increasing efficiency as well as the capacity of li-ion batteries. Nano-sized cables made with titanium dioxide-coated carbon nanotubes promise to be cheap, reliable and do not depend on rare materials.

For more news from beyond New York State click here.

This news update is provided as a service to members and interested parties of the New York Battery and Energy Storage Technology Consortium. NY-BEST, currently operating under the auspices of NYSERDA, is an industry-led coalition working to build a vibrant, world-class, advanced battery and energy storage sector in New York State.

Your suggestions and comments for future topics are welcome.

Please email suggestions to: info@ny-best.org