Genius US company makes iron battery that competes cost wise with lithium!

softdownsoftdown Solar Expert Posts: 3,673 ✭✭✭✭
in New Battery Technologies #1
Not the video I wanted but you get the idea. ESS makes iron/saltwater flow batteries that go into 40' shipping containers. Thus offering 50 kilowatts of energy. "Enough to supply a block for four hours." Plus the price competes with lithium!

Simply built, the parts are available at Home Depot. Did I mention that the price competes with lithium?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovZXBXtG9no
First Bank:16 180 watt Grape Solar with  FM80 controller and 3648 Inverter....Fullriver 8D AGM solar batteries. Second Bank/MacGyver Special: 10 165(?) watt BP Solar with Renogy MPPT 40A controller/ and Xantrex C-35 PWM controller/ and Morningstar PWM controller...Cotek 24V PSW inverter....forklift and diesel locomotive batteries
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Comments

  • OldManOldMan Registered Users Posts: 128 ✭✭✭
    #2
    I won't live long enough to see this in RVs.
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  • PorschephanaticPorschephanatic Registered Users Posts: 62 ✭✭
    #3
     B) 
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  • AmpsterAmpster Registered Users Posts: 173 ✭✭✭
    #4
    Is there a version that could fit on my wall in my garage?
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  • Graham ParkinsonGraham Parkinson Registered Users Posts: 96 ✭✭✭
    #5
    At the moment, focused more on the industrial scale - A pity, as no reason it couldn't be on a residential scale:

            https://www.essinc.com/energy-storage-applications/off-grid-microgrid/

    A 17,000 lb semi-trailer full of gear gets you a 40 kWw / 400 KWhr system ....

    Offgrid in cloudy PNW

    MacGyver'ed museum collection of panels, castoff batteries and generators - ready for state of art system install ....

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  • mcgivormcgivor Solar Expert Posts: 3,854 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November 2018 #6
    Although not exactly the same electrolyte, the zinc bromine flow battery offering from Redflow is of residential scale.
    https://redflow.com/applications/residential/

    This article has some interesting information with regard to flow batteries not being practical in small scale residential applications. 
    https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1876610216310566

    Random reading material should one be interested.
    1500W, 6× Schutten 250W Poly panels , Schneider MPPT 60 150 CC, Schneider SW 2524 inverter, 400Ah LFP 24V nominal battery with Battery Bodyguard BMS 
    Second system 1890W  3 × 300W No name brand poly, 3×330 Sunsolar Poly panels, Morningstar TS 60 PWM controller, no name 2000W inverter 400Ah LFP 24V nominal battery with Daly BMS, used for water pumping and day time air conditioning.  
    5Kw Yanmar clone single cylinder air cooled diesel generator for rare emergency charging and welding.
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  • jonrjonr Solar Expert Posts: 1,386 ✭✭✭✭
    #7
    Who needs a generator for off-grid low solar periods - just haul your battery trailer into town and have it recharged :-).

    I am available for custom hardware/firmware development

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  • OldManOldMan Registered Users Posts: 128 ✭✭✭
    edited January 2019 #8
    Porschephanatic said:
     B) 
    Yeah, smile over my death when it happens. Don't you think you're jumping the gun, a bit? I'm not even in the cardboard box, yet.
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  • softdownsoftdown Solar Expert Posts: 3,673 ✭✭✭✭
    #9
    I was being a bit sarcastic when making the thread title. Don't you think that "iron batteries" should be less expensive than "lithium batteries"? 

    Lithium batteries can be made from a broad array of materials, few of which are cheap. Iron batteries are made of iron with nickel plating. From here - that looks like it should be relatively inexpensive. 
    First Bank:16 180 watt Grape Solar with  FM80 controller and 3648 Inverter....Fullriver 8D AGM solar batteries. Second Bank/MacGyver Special: 10 165(?) watt BP Solar with Renogy MPPT 40A controller/ and Xantrex C-35 PWM controller/ and Morningstar PWM controller...Cotek 24V PSW inverter....forklift and diesel locomotive batteries
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  • OldManOldMan Registered Users Posts: 128 ✭✭✭
    edited January 2019 #10
    softdown said:
    I was being a bit sarcastic when making the thread title. Don't you think that "iron batteries" should be less expensive than "lithium batteries"? 

    Lithium batteries can be made from a broad array of materials, few of which are cheap. Iron batteries are made of iron with nickel plating. From here - that looks like it should be relatively inexpensive. 
    Perhaps but for RV owners, iron-salt batteries that fit into an RV's battery bank don't yet exist. The notion of getting parts at Home Despot gave me a chuckle.
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  • softdownsoftdown Solar Expert Posts: 3,673 ✭✭✭✭
    #11
    I believe the video said the parts were available at HD - guessing the storage unit perhaps? It was made by a young dreamer. They are typically more interested in spin than reality. 

    As far as I know, iron solar batteries are comparable in size to lead solar batteries. This video depicts an industrial battery. Going off of memory here.
    First Bank:16 180 watt Grape Solar with  FM80 controller and 3648 Inverter....Fullriver 8D AGM solar batteries. Second Bank/MacGyver Special: 10 165(?) watt BP Solar with Renogy MPPT 40A controller/ and Xantrex C-35 PWM controller/ and Morningstar PWM controller...Cotek 24V PSW inverter....forklift and diesel locomotive batteries
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  • OldManOldMan Registered Users Posts: 128 ✭✭✭
    #12
    softdown said:
    I believe the video said the parts were available at HD - guessing the storage unit perhaps? It was made by a young dreamer. They are typically more interested in spin than reality. 

    As far as I know, iron solar batteries are comparable in size to lead solar batteries. This video depicts an industrial battery. Going off of memory here.
    Again, there is very little material available on these batteries and as I mentioned, I'll be way dead in 2064 so these batteries are useless for me. I see no production and honestly, I'm almost 65. I don't want to build my own f-n battery. I'm tired.
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