Stationary Battery Storage Expands to Strategic Markets

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By John Kluza

Ener1 is already building five 1-MW lithium-ion battery grid storage trailers for Oregon’s Portland General Electric, and now the company has signed a memorandum of understanding with Russia’s Federal Grid Company to develop energy storage on Russia’s long-neglected grid.

Notably, Russian billionaire Boris Zingarevich owns a substantial portion of Ener1 through holdings in Ener1 shareholder, Ener1 Group. Ener1 is also partnering with the real estate arm of Japan’s Itochu to incorporate residential storage into an apartment building near Tokyo.

Similarly, Sony announced 1.2 kWh lithium-ion phosphate-based packs, which it is promoting for integration with household photovoltaic systems.

These recent developments further demonstrate industry’s interest in the still-emerging business models for grid storage. Looking broadly for opportunities will prove very helpful, as the grid’s needs and the ability of customers to capture the value of grid storage vary widely.

These moves are in the right direction, as they address limitations of the current grid’s assets, and they are tailored for the needs of the specific regions of interest. However, only after results from deployments are analyzed can the value of these moves truly be discerned.

John Kluza is an analyst for Lux Research, which provides strategic advice and on-going intelligence for emerging technologies. For more information, visit the Lux Research site.

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