Battery pilot aims to lower cost of energy storage

New Zealand energy storage company ArcActive is trialling a re-engineered lead-acid battery system at Deakin University.

With support from Origin Energy, the pilot is being conducted at the university’s new Renewable Grid-Connected Battery Testing Facility at its Waurn Ponds campus in Geelong.

ArcActive’s system builds on the type of lead-acid technology already used to support critical infrastructure, including telecommunications, hospitals and data centres.

The company has redesigned the batteries’ internal structure, using a fabric framework to support the material that stores and releases energy. This design aims to extend cycling life at a low cost, making lead-acid more attractive for everyday energy storage.

The system is being deployed as part of Deakin’s renewable energy microgrid, which provides electricity generation and storage for operational use.

ArcActive’s ultimate aim is to make battery storage cheaper and easier to install, allowing more businesses to store solar electricity for later use and buy less power when prices are high.

“The cost of installing a battery goes beyond the battery itself,” said ArcActive Chief Executive Stuart McKenzie. “Businesses also need to account for engineering work, approvals, insurance and safety measures. If they don’t know what their site will need or how much it will cost, they can be reluctant to invest.”

McKenzie said using lead-acid technology offered a familiar starting point.

“It is a technology that engineers, approval authorities and insurers already know. There are established pathways for approving and insuring these installations, which is an important starting point when you want to put batteries alongside businesses and occupied buildings.”

Top image caption: ArcActive CEO Stuart Mckenzie with the battery at Deakin microgrid site. Images courtesy of Origin Energy.