Rochester Business Journal

Four local firms and one university have been awareded a total of some $3 million in funding from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority to help develop or commercialize energy storage projects.

Wayne County-based Ultralife Corp. will receive $2.4 million in NYSERDA funds to help integrate battery and ultra-capacitors, an electronic energy-storage device, on a common power circuit serving two renewable-energy generation sources that will allow increased renewable-energy contributions to the grid. 

The system can also provide backup electricity during an outage and, during normal operation, allow customers to draw on the stored energy to reduce both their peak electric grid demand and the utility charges associated with peak demand.

Other recipients are:

• Cerion Enterprises LLC in Rochester gets $200,000 to help develop materials for next-generation lithium-ion batteries, which are used in automotive applications and in consumer electronics; 
• General Motors Corp.’s fuel cell research facility in Honeoye Falls will receive $196,000 to help develop materials for improved lithium-ion battery electrodes for automotive applications;
• Rochester Institute of Technology will use $195,869 to help develop methods to recycle and reuse lithium-ion batteries minimizing waste streams to landfills and maximizing reclamation; and
• Impact Technologies LLC in Brighton has been awarded $99,766 to help develop a method to increase the lifetime of batteries by assessing battery health using in-cell measurement.

The local awards were among 19 made statewide in advanced research and development of energy storage applications that could benefit transportation, utility smart grid applications, renewable energy technologies and other industries. 

“Creating more advanced energy storage technologies is essential for us to achieve substantial reductions in our greenhouse gas emissions and energy use,” said Francis Murray Jr., NYSERDA president and CEO, in a statement. “The proposals we are funding today will not only help meet our energy needs, but will demonstrate New York’s leadership in energy technology, stimulate world-class research and development, and commercialize products that will help build a clean energy economy and create jobs for the future.”
 
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