MEET Academy Online Highlights Possibilities of Storage Systems

Lithium-ion Technologies on the Agenda of Science and Industry

Energy self-sufficiency is becoming more and more crucial. Rising energy prices are one of the reasons why energy independence is on the agenda of many companies. But how can it be implemented? Which battery chemistry enables the longest service life? What about safety and costs of storage systems? And which operating strategies have a positive effect? Dr Philip Niehoff, MEET Battery Research Center at the University of Münster, and Phil Eisberg, Founder and CEO Voltark GmbH, explored these and other questions at MEET Academy Online on 10 November 2022.

Home Storage System
© istock.com / Petmal

Storage Systems for Energy Independence

In his lecture "Economic and ecological analysis of different lithium-ion technologies in home storage systems", Dr Philip Niehoff, Manager of the competence field Aging in the research division Cell System at MEET Battery Research Center, highlighted the influence of actual operating conditions on longevity. Temperature, capacity utilization, intensity of current and pressure, for example, have a significant effect on the aging of storage systems and thus on their ecology and economic efficiency. The effects vary depending on the cell chemistry. The demand for lithium-ion batteries for stationary storage on the global market is currently still low, especially compared to the automotive sector. However, the rapid growth in electromobility is leading to cost advantages in all segments.

"Lithium storages in domestic and commercial applications" were the focus of the presentation by Phil Eisberg, Founder and CEO of Voltark GmbH. "For battery storage in private use, we focus on lithium iron phosphate," says Eisberg. There are three reasons for this, he added: the safety, longevity and environmental compatibility of the cell chemistry. Practical examples demonstrated how battery storage can increase energy independence in both domestic and commercial sectors. For example, one company increased its self-sufficiency from 19 percent to 53 percent with the storage system. In particular, the subsequent discussion focused on the economic and ecological amortization of photovoltaic systems and battery storages.

Next MEET Academy Online in May 2023

The 20th MEET Academy will take place in May 2023. The topic will be announced soon. The MEET Academy, which is free of charge, is organized by MEET Battery Research Center of the University of Münster.