A new 93,000-square-foot research facility in Washington State “that will accelerate the development of energy storage for the nation’s electrical grid and transportation sector” was dedicated on Aug. 13, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory reported.
Funded by DOE’s Office of Electricity, in collaboration with the Office of Science, the Grid Storage Launchpad will be home to all of PNNL’s energy storage researchers -- from those developing new battery chemistries to those testing next-generation technologies under real-world conditions.
The Grid Storage Launchpad “enables researchers to accelerate and validate new battery materials and systems,” PNNL said.
As a DOE research and development facility, it “will enable collaboration with research institutions and industry partners to address technical challenges associated with energy storage technologies, including advancements to improve performance and reduce cost.”
The Grid Storage Launchpad is uniquely equipped to evaluate, through rigorous testing, new battery materials from conception up to 100-kilowatt battery systems under realistic grid operating conditions, PNNL said.
“This integrated approach will allow researchers and industry collaborators to accelerate the development and deployment of new grid-scale storage technologies,” it said.
The Grid Storage Launchpad will complement the research being conducted in PNNL’s Electricity Infrastructure and Operations Center.
Scientists and engineers at the EIOC have developed sophisticated tools to monitor and improve grid performance, working closely with utilities and government officials to understand the myriad factors that affect the nation’s power system, including the role of energy storage.
“Together, researchers in the two facilities will help ensure that new battery technologies will meet industry needs while providing the foundation for a more reliable and robust grid,” PNNL said.
Researchers at the Grid Storage Launchpad will also identify and test new molecules that can serve as alternatives to current critical materials. They’ll explore battery chemistries that take advantage of Earth-abundant elements like carbon, sodium, iron and zinc for flow batteries, one of the leading candidates for long-duration grid energy storage systems.
Along with fundamental and applied research, the Grid Storage Launchpad “will serve as a center to help educate technicians, first responders, safety officials, grid operators and others about the operation and safety of energy storage systems," PNNL noted.
The 93,000-square-foot building will house 30 laboratories and about 100 researchers.
In addition to federal funding for the design and construction of the Grid Storage Launchpad, funding from Battelle, PNNL and the state of Washington was leveraged for this project. This includes funding from the Washington State Department of Commerce for advanced research equipment and specialized instrumentation.
