Clean Technica

By Carolyn Fortuna

June 7, 2018

New York State has awarded Cadenza Innovation funding for a demonstration project featuring Li-ion supercell technology, a standalone system that includes a rack-mounted 200kWh, 50kW battery storage unit. The project is part of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s (NYSERDA) drive to pursue nation-leading clean energy goals, including Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s energy storage target of 1500 megawatts in New York State by 2025. As the pioneering provider of energy storage solutions for license to lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery manufacturers, Cadenza Innovation offers unique cell design that combines the best properties from wound jelly rolls and large prismatic cells. That allows for high energy density at low cost for EV, PHEV, and grid markets.

New York State has access to some of the world’s most promising wind and solar energy resources. However, to fully capitalize on those, next-generation energy storage solutions are necessary. Enter Cadenza Innovation’s technology, which incorporates commercial-grade battery pack systems through novel packaging architecture for Li-ion battery technology. The demonstration project will be a unique design delivering high energy and improved safety at low cost. Cadenza Innovation’s recently patented multicore Li-ion battery cell structure, the supercell, serves as the cornerstone of its novel architecture and provides simplification in battery pack design. That, in turn, greatly reduces production and manufacturing costs, overcomes safety issues, and improves the energy density of Li-ion batteries.

In a private interview in September, 2017, Dr. Lampe-Onnerud, Cadenza Innovation Founder and CEO, alluded to the NYSERDA project. “I believe we are on the cusp of something new and different,” she outlined, tracing how, when New York state suffered through Superstorm Sandy and inoperable generators, they realized they “should do something different. They evaluated policies and saw how our battery architecture is so simple and fire retardant. You can touch it.”

The latter point is important, as Cadenza’s new chemistry and packaging lowers the risk of fires — like the ones that plagued the Boeing Dreamliner, the Samsung Galaxy Note, and a couple of early Tesla Model S sedans.

“The world is moving beyond fossil fuels and traditional power plant infrastructures, with utility-scale batteries emerging as a core component for renewable electricity,” said Dr. Lampe-Onnerud, who is among the world’s foremost authorities on battery chemistry and design. “The cost savings achieved by lithium-ion alone are undeniable. By combining that with technology and design that substantially improves safety and energy density, we’re providing a first-to-market, scalable platform to address today’s energy concerns.”

Bloomberg New Energy Finance predicts that the global storage market will double six times by 2030, with $103 billion in energy storage investment during that period. Utility-scale projects and behind-the-meter applications will experience the storage sector’s strongest revenue growth, according to Navigant Research. Additionally, GTM Research/ Wood Mackenzie expects that natural gas peaker plants used by utilities to manage grid loads “will become increasingly rare. In 10 years, it’s possible they’ll stop getting built altogether.”

Alicia Barton, President and CEO of NYSERDA, said, “Forward thinking demonstration projects such as this one will help begin New York’s progress to meeting Governor Cuomo’s bold goal of deploying 1500 megawatts of advanced energy storage in New York by 2025. Energy storage projects provide operational flexibility to enhance system reliability, reduce costs associated with meeting peak load, and facilitate better integration of renewable energy — it’s a key tool for meeting New York’s bold vision for a cleaner, more resilient and more affordable electric system for all New Yorkers.”

On January 3, 2018, New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo pledged to combat climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and by growing the clean energy economy. The pledge made unprecedented commitments to clean energy technologies, including offshore wind, solar, energy storage, and energy efficiency. Cuomo’s commitment to deploy 1,500 megawatts of energy storage represents the largest commitment per capita by any state. The Cadenza Innovations project, which will be located at the New York Power Authority’s (NYPA) headquarters in White Plains, is expected to be completed by fall 2019. The company is renowned for its cylindrical jelly rolls, which are longer and wider jelly rolls compared to those in 18650 cells, and which lead to significant packaging advantages (higher Wh/L). They also result in the lowest cost and highest yield manufacturing process, using all state-of-the-art chemistries, power, or energy.

“NYPA is continually evaluating and deploying new and innovative technologies that enable us to have access to better, cleaner, more cost-effective grid services for our operations as well as our customers,” said Gil C. Quiniones, President and CEO of NYPA, the nation’s largest state-owned electric utility. “This innovative battery technology will take us another step closer to greater integration of intermittent renewable resources and serve as yet another compelling example of New York State’s commitment to its citizens and a cleaner environment.”

Dr. Lampe-Onnerud is a 20-year battery industry expert. A World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer, she has shared insights into energy storage and climate change at Davos and for various United Nations groups. She is also an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Hall of Fame winner, is an MIT Technology Review Young Innovator award recipient, and has earned multiple distinctions for her commitment to environmental sustainability.

“My dream,” Dr. Lampe-Onnerud said during our interview, “is to put 20 years of industry best practice into a battery block you can use. I think it’s going to be really fun to be in this space in the next 10 years.”