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PNNL: Energy Storage
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" lang="en"> <head> <title>PNNL: Energy Storage</title> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=UTF-8"/> <meta name="description" content="Hydropower researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) work to improve the efficiency of hydroelectricity and limit the environmental effects of the nation's largest source of renewable energy." /> <meta name="keywords" content="PNNL, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, hydropower, DOE, hydroelectricity, energy, renewable energy, clean tech" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="https://www.pnnl.gov/shared/basic.css" /> <style type="text/css" media="screen"><!-- @import "https://www.pnnl.gov/shared/pnnl.css"; --></style> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="print" href="https://www.pnnl.gov/shared/print.css" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="handheld" href="https://www.pnnl.gov/shared/handheld.css" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" href="https://www.pnnl.gov/shared/lightbox.css" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" href="/shared/energystorage.css" /> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/shared/lightbox.css" type="text/css" /> <!--<link rel="stylesheet" href="/shared/feature.css" type="text/css" />--> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://www.pnnl.gov/shared/pnnl.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://www.pnnl.gov/shared/lightbox.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://www.pnnl.gov/shared/jquery.hrzAccordion.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://www.pnnl.gov/shared/jquery.cycle.min.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/shared/jcarousellite_1.0.1.min.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/shared/ui.tabs.js"></script> <!-- GOOGLE ANALYTICS CODE --> <script type="text/javascript"> (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','//www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-37763551-14', 'pnnl.gov'); //EED Rollup ga('require', 'linkid', 'linkid.js'); ga('send', 'pageview'); ga('create', 'UA-37763551-5', {'name': 'Rollup'}); //PNNL Rollup Tracking Code ga('Rollup.send', 'pageview');//Send pageview for Rollup </script> <!-- END GOOGLE ANALYTICS CODE --> <script type="text/javascript" src="/shared/hp_scripts.js"></script> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/shared/hp_styles.css" /> </head> <body class="energystorageHome col2"> <div id="page"> <div id="topBanner"> <a id="pnnlLogo" href="https://www.pnnl.gov/">Pacific Northwest National Laboratory</a> <a id="skipNav" href="#main">Skip to Main Content</a> <a id="doeLink" href="http://www.energy.gov/">U.S. Department of Energy</a> <div id="siteNav"> <form method="get" action="https://websearch.pnl.gov/search" name="pnnlsearch" id="pnnlSearch"> <input type="hidden" name="site" value="PNNL-External" /> <input type="hidden" name="client" value="PNNL-External" /> <input type="hidden" name="proxystylesheet" value="PNNL-External" /> <input type="hidden" name="output" value="xml_no_dtd" /> <label for="q">Search PNNL</label> <input type="text" name="q" id="q" maxlength="2047" value="" /> <input type="image" id="searchSubmit" src="https://www.pnnl.gov/images/search_button.png" alt="Search" /> </form> <ul id="pnnlNav"> <li><a href="https://www.pnnl.gov/" id="home">PNNL Home</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.pnnl.gov/about/" id="about">About</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.pnnl.gov/research/" id="research">Research</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.pnnl.gov/publications/" id="publications">Publications</a></li> <li><a href="https://jobs.pnnl.gov" id="jobs">Jobs</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.pnnl.gov/news/" id="news">Newsroom</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.pnnl.gov/contacts/" id="contacts">Contacts</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="subBanner"><img src="images/energystorage_big.jpg" width="956" height="163" alt="Energy Storage" /></div> <div id="container"> <div id="main"> <h1>Energy Storage</h1> <h2><em>Reliable power from microwatts to megawatts</em></h2> <p>Better batteries drive better technology. At PNNL, our researchers advance the growing and significant field of batteries through expertise in materials, manufacturing, and design. Our achievements in battery technology range from the creation of vanadium redox flow batteries—often used for grid <a href="https://www.pnnl.gov/energy-storage" target="new" title="Offsite">energy storage</a>—to powering devices the size of two grains of rice.</p> <p>Our areas of battery expertise include the following:</p> <ul> <li>Large-scale: Batteries developed for stationary energy storage harness renewable energy to help develop a resilient, more reliable power grid. Our researchers are breaking down barriers—such as higher cost and limited storage capacity—to make widespread deployment a reality and electricity more cost-effective for consumers.</li> <li>Transportation: Electric vehicles require longer-life batteries that can be quickly and repeatedly charged and discharged. We are working to significantly enhance the performance of these batteries.</li> </ul> <p>The energy storage market is quickly growing—hovering around $320 million in 2016 and expected to be upwards of $3 billion by 2022. With the opening of our Advanced Battery Facility in 2015, our battery experts are uniquely positioned to propel research in this field to the highest level.</p> <div id="featuredResearch"> <div id="featuredContent"> <ul id="featuredImages"> <li class="selected"> <div class="imageBlock"> <a href="highlights/highlight.asp?id=3388"><img src="https://energyenvironment.pnnl.gov/images/highlights/10_14_19_lithiumbatteries.png" alt="Scientists Pinpoint Cause of Harmful Dendrites and Whiskers in Lithium Batteries" /></a></div> <div class="ResearchBody"><h2><a href="highlights/highlight.asp?id=3388">Scientists Pinpoint Cause of Harmful Dendrites and Whiskers in Lithium Batteries</a></h2> <p>Scientists have uncovered a root cause of the growth of needle-like structures—known as dendrites and whiskers—that plague lithium batteries, sometimes causing a short circuit, failure, or even a fire. </p> </div></li> <li> <div class="imageBlock"> <a href="highlights/highlight.asp?id=3387"><img src="https://energyenvironment.pnnl.gov/images/highlights/10_09_19_nationalgrid.png" alt="National Grid and PNNL Collaborate to Capture Full Value of Grid Energy Storage" /></a></div> <div class="ResearchBody"><h2><a href="highlights/highlight.asp?id=3387">National Grid and PNNL Collaborate to Capture Full Value of Grid Energy Storage</a></h2> <p>With the simple cutting of a ribbon this week, residents of Nantucket Island, joined by state and local officials and representatives from National Grid, the U.S Department of Energy’s Office of Electricity (OE), and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), ushered in a new era of energy resiliency and efficiency on the island. </p> </div></li> <li> <div class="imageBlock"> <a href="highlights/highlight.asp?id=3386"><img src="https://energyenvironment.pnnl.gov/images/highlights/10_04_19_electriccar.png" alt="Scientists Widen the Temperature Range for Electric Car Batteries" /></a></div> <div class="ResearchBody"><h2><a href="highlights/highlight.asp?id=3386">Scientists Widen the Temperature Range for Electric Car Batteries</a></h2> <p>PNNL scientists have created a chemical cocktail that could help electric cars power their way through the extreme temperatures that degrade the efficiency of current lithium-ion batteries. </p> </div></li> <li> <div class="imageBlock"> <a href="highlights/highlight.asp?id=3385"><img src="https://energyenvironment.pnnl.gov/images/highlights/08_30_19_gridenergy.png" alt="Optimize, not Oversize" /></a></div> <div class="ResearchBody"><h2><a href="highlights/highlight.asp?id=3385">Optimize, not Oversize</a></h2> <p>Most people don’t really think about their electricity except when they pay their bill, or when the power goes out. Utility companies think about it all the time. </p> </div></li> <li> <div class="imageBlock"> <a href="highlights/highlight.asp?id=3384"><img src="https://energyenvironment.pnnl.gov/images/highlights/07_23_19_chongminwang.png" alt="Molecular Mayhem at Root of Battery Breakdown" /></a></div> <div class="ResearchBody"><h2><a href="highlights/highlight.asp?id=3384">Molecular Mayhem at Root of Battery Breakdown</a></h2> <p>Scientists at PNNL have uncovered a molecular game of musical chairs that hurts battery performance. </p> </div></li> <li> <div class="imageBlock"> <a href="highlights/highlight.asp?id=3303"><img src="https://energyenvironment.pnnl.gov/images/highlights/12_10_18_EnergyStorage.png" alt="New Collaborative Emerges to Help Advance Energy Storage" /></a></div> <div class="ResearchBody"><h2><a href="highlights/highlight.asp?id=3303">New Collaborative Emerges to Help Advance Energy Storage</a></h2> <p>The Energy Storage Safety Collaborative seeks to forge stronger collaboration among all stakeholders associated with energy storage technology, from development and deployment to incident response and more. </p> </div></li> <li> <div class="imageBlock"> <a href="highlights/highlight.asp?id=3252"><img src="https://energyenvironment.pnnl.gov/images/highlights/10_22_18_Liu_Jun.png" alt="Jun Liu" /></a></div> <div class="ResearchBody"><h2><a href="highlights/highlight.asp?id=3252">Liu Honored for Individual Lifetime Achievement in Science and Technology</a></h2> <p>Jun Liu, materials scientist, energy storage expert, and Battelle Fellow, was recognized with the PNNL Laboratory Director's Award for Individual Lifetime Achievement in Science and Technology </p> </div></li> <li> <div class="imageBlock"> <a href="highlights/highlight.asp?id=3215"><img src="https://energyenvironment.pnnl.gov/images/highlights/09_19_18_stoppingfires.png" alt="Wave energy devices" /></a></div> <div class="ResearchBody"><h2><a href="highlights/highlight.asp?id=3215">Stopping Fires before They Start: How a Salty Solution is Giving Lithium Metal Batteries a Safety Check</a></h2> <p>A PNNL research team has addressed safety as well as performance challenges posed by lithium metal batteries through the development of a new electrolyte. </p> </div></li> <li> <div class="imageBlock"> <a href="highlights/highlight.asp?id=3157"><img src="https://energyenvironment.pnnl.gov/images/highlights/07_23_18_pharmaceuticalmaerial.png" alt="Pharmaceutical Material Shows Promise for Better Grid-Scale Batteries" /></a></div> <div class="ResearchBody"><h2><a href="highlights/highlight.asp?id=3157">Pharmaceutical Material Shows Promise for Better Grid-Scale Batteries</a></h2> <p>PNNL scientists modified phenazine, a naturally occurring compound used in dyes and antibiotics, which could lead to a more efficient, less costly battery for grid-scale electricity storage. </p> </div></li> <li> <div class="imageBlock"> <a href="highlights/highlight.asp?id=3127"><img src="https://energyenvironment.pnnl.gov/images/highlights/06_27_18_newcathode.png" alt="" /></a></div> <div class="ResearchBody"><h2><a href="highlights/highlight.asp?id=3127">"Hot" New Cathode Finding Could Boost Battery Performance</a></h2> <p>Researchers at PNNL have found a novel way of synthesizing cathode materials, adding a step that could help batteries last longer and perform better. A paper capturing the details recently appeared in the journal Nature Energy. </p> </div></li> </ul> <div id="featuredIndex"> <div class="index"></div><a class="button pause" title="Pause Slides">Play</a> </div><!--<div id="featuredArchive"></div>--> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="leftNav"> <h2 class="first">Energy Storage</h2> <ul> <li><a href="/" id="energystorageHome">Home</a></li> <li><a href="/batterytypes.asp" id="batteries">Types of Batteries</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.pnnl.gov/facilities?f%5B0%5D=research-topic%3AEnergy%20Storage" id="facilities">Facilities</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.pnnl.gov/news?news%5B0%5D=research-topic%3AEnergy%20Storage" id="highlights">Highlights</a></li> <li><a href=" https://www.pnnl.gov/news?news%5B0%5D=research-topic%3AEnergy%20Storage" id="news">News</a></li> <li><a href="/publications.asp" id="publications">Publications</a></li> </ul> <h2>Program Areas</h2> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.pnnl.gov/grid-energy-storage" id="gridEnergy">Grid Energy Storage</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.pnnl.gov/vehicle-electrification" id="vehicleEnergy">Vehicle Energy Storage</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.pnnl.gov/projects/battery500-consortium" id="battery500">Battery500</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.pnnl.gov/projects/joint-center-energy-storage-research" id="jcesr">JCESR</a></li> </ul> <h2>Resources</h2> <ul> <li><a href="/regulatoryactivities.asp">Energy Storage Policy Database</a></li> <li><a href="/contacts.asp" id="contacts">Contacts</a></li> </ul> </div><div id="footer"> <div id="footerBar"> <span id="tagline"></span> </div> <div id="footerLinks"> <a href="https://www.pnnl.gov/disclaimer.asp">Security & Privacy</a> | <a href="https://www.pnnl.gov/siteindex.asp">Site Index</a> | <a href="https://www.pnnl.gov/contacts/">Contact PNNL</a> </div> <span class="footerItem">Last Update: <span class="updatedDate">May 2022</span></span> | <span class="footerItem">Pacific Northwest National Laboratory</span> </div> </div> </body> </html>