NYSERDA Announces Partnerships With Nine NY-BEST Members
to Promote Energy Storage Innovation in New York State

Support for New York Battery and Energy Storage Technology Members to Bring
New Products to Commercialization While Growing Clean Energy Economy in New York State

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) announced today that New York State has partnered with nine companies taking part in innovative energy storage research and development projects that will bring increased energy efficiency and reliability to alternative-fuel vehicles and the electric grid.

Under this program, the companies – members of the New York Battery and Energy Storage Technology (NY-BEST) Consortium – will work on "bench-to-prototype" technologies in an effort to move clean-technology energy storage devices from the lab to the marketplace.

"These companies are accelerating our progress toward Governor Cuomo's goals for building the clean-energy economy and making New York’s energy system more reliable, resilient and efficient," said John B. Rhodes, President and CEO, NYSERDA. "The businesses receiving these awards - all members of the NY-BEST consortium -  are working on the next-generation of technology to reduce power needs, support more energy-efficient vehicles and electronic devices, and make greater use of renewable resources."

Technologies include advanced batteries, ultracapacitors, fuel cells and control modules. These technologies can also reduce the need for fossil fuels in transportation. Energy storage devices such as ultracapacitors, for example, serve a vital role in providing instant energy for hybrid and electric vehicles, as well as electronic devices.

Energy storage serves a vital role in a variety of power applications. It improves grid performance by smoothing out routine energy fluctuations, improving energy efficiency at power plants and reducing the risk of grid outages at times of high demand. Storage also provides opportunities to take greater advantage of renewable energy resources, such as solar or wind, storing clean energy when it's not needed for future use when demand is higher. It closely aligns with New York State’s Reforming the Energy Vision (REV), which will restructure utility operations while creating a new business model for the energy industry.

Additionally, NY-BEST, with more than 130 industry, academic and government partners, promotes the growth of the energy storage industry in the state. Earlier this year, Governor Cuomo announced the opening of the NY Battery and Energy Storage Technology Test and Commercialization Center at Eastman Business Park in Rochester. The $23 million center provides unique testing and validation services needed to bring new battery and energy storage technologies to the commercial market.
 

“New York State continues to solidify its leadership in energy storage technology under Governor Cuomo. From the State’s Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) initiative to our world-class BEST Test and Commercialization Center, manufacturing assets and R&D support, New York is creating a comprehensive ecosystem to catalyze and grow the energy storage industry. The projects announced today further illustrate New York’s commitment to this rapidly growing industry,” said Dr. William Acker, Executive Director of NY-BEST. 

NYSERDA is providing financial support for the following projects:

CAPITAL REGION

·         Combined Energies, Latham -- Combined Energies, a developer of distributed generation systems and components, is employing its low-cost power conversion technology to increase the life and run time of electrochemical batteries. The demonstration on airport ground support equipment will use a combination of ultracapacitors and batteries and will be integrated into a single, low-cost module to alleviate power fluctuations in the electric vehicles.

·         Eonix, Colonie – Eonix will develop next-generation electrolytes that enable higher performance in ultracapacitors by storing up to 30 percent more energy than similar devices, leading to expanded capacity and reduced cost. The technology could be used in applications as electric vehicles and renewable energy devices, and for military use.

·         Hollingsworth & Vose (H&V), Greenwich – H&V will develop high surface area separators, a component of advanced lead acid batteries used in micro-hybrid vehicles. Market demand in micro-hybrid vehicles and grid storage applications is expected to increase demand for these advanced separators. H&V has been producing advanced lead acid separators at this site since 1956. 

FINGER LAKES

·         DNV GL, Rochester – DNV will develop a novel separator for lithium-ion batteries. The purpose of the separator is to decrease the risk of fires due to Lithium-ion batteries, which – while rare – have occurred in the past. Ultralife (Newark, N.Y.) and Oak-Mitsui (Hoosick Falls, N.Y.) will participate in project reviews. The company will also investigate methods for automatically extinguishing a Lithium-ion fire should it occur.

HUDSON VALLEY

·         Bettergy, Peekskill – Bettergy seeks to scale-up and develop a prototype for its low-cost rechargeable zinc-based battery. This novel technology, which is expected to sell at a significantly lower cost than similar batteries, has a long cycle life and can last up to 20 years. It would be attractive to electric grid and transportation storage applications, and would also be more environmentally safe than other batteries of this type.

MOHAWK VALLEY

·         Custom Electronics, Oneonta – Custom Electronics will develop a detailed commercialization plan and produce prototype devices for a high voltage graphene-based electrolytic capacitor. This product is designed to provide increased power conditioning performance for applications such as computer servers and electrical equipment.

SOUTHERN TIER

·         Lionano, Ithaca – Lionano is a startup company seeking to commercialize a high-performance nano-engineered anode material for the Lithium-ion battery sector. The development of this nano- anode material at Cornell University, revealed characteristics of improved capacity, extended battery life and reduced recharge time, when compared to existing available anodes. 

·         Raymond Corp., Greene (Chenango County) – Raymond plans to test the use of Navitas Systems’ lithium-ion batteries in its electric lift trucks to increase performance in cold environments. If the batteries demonstrate the projected improvement in run time and productivity, Raymond – a world leader in electric lift trucks with over 1,500 employees in Greene, NY – anticipates growing customer interest in extreme-duty applications.

WESTERN NEW YORK

·         Graphenix Development, Williamsville -- Graphenix is a startup company working to commercialize a nanostructured carbon electrode for high power, high energy ultracapacitors. Applications include hybrid vehicles, electric grid, industrial devices and energy efficiency applications. Under this program, the company will continue to improve electrode performance while scaling up the manufacturing process.

New York State is delivering on Governor Cuomo’s commitment to transform the energy industry into a more resilient, clean, cost-effective and dynamic system by developing innovative market solutions and empowering local community leaders and entrepreneurs. Working with State, citizen and industry-stakeholders, New York’s energy policy is moving to a more market-based, decentralized approach. This means protecting the environment, decreasing energy costs, and creating opportunities for economic growth for current and future generations of New Yorkers. In advancing new energy infrastructure and solutions, New Yorkers will have improved energy affordability and efficiency without sacrificing their right to live in a cleaner, healthier, more resilient and connected community.