Greentech Lead America: GE announced it has signed a
business cooperation agreement with Arista Power (APWS), a designer,
manufacturer and integrator of renewable energy generation management and
distribution systems, to develop and sell systems that can store electricity
from on-site solar and wind sources and release it during periods of peak
demand, to help commercial customers cut their power bills.
The move further strengthens GE’s imprint in clean,
renewable energy.
Arista will use GE’s Durathon nickel-salt battery in its
Power on Demand system, which is designed to store energy generated by wind
turbines, solar photovoltaics and the electric grid.
The Power on Demand system uses real-time monitoring
technology to track and smooth out power on the grid and release stored power
only during peak demand periods, when electricity charges are at their highest.
Electricity demand charges, which are based on a customer’s peak power demand,
can account for up 30 to 70 percent of a commercial electric bill, according to
Arista.
The Durathon battery developed by GE is
the product of a $100 million investment by the company’s transportation
division and is marketed for telecommunications, utilities
and uninterruptable power supply applications.
The nickel salt batteries, which are manufactured at GE’s
recently completed plant in Schenectady, New York, are 50 percent smaller and
25 percent lighter than traditional lead acid batteries, according to the
company. The batteries last up to 20 years, operate in extreme temperatures,
are recyclable and require no cooling.
The systems find applications in large institutions such
as hospitals, university campuses and industrial businesses. Many such
facilities use solar and wind installations to help optimize their renewable
energy sources and ultimately have greater control over their power use. The
monitoring software in the system, aside from smoothing out power demand, helps
prolong the life of the battery. The system also aims to bring stability
to the grid by removing the variability of wind, solar and other sources of
renewable power.
Arista Power order position reaches $2.3 million compared to
$0.8 million in 2010
Earlier this year, Arista Power announced that it has
achieved $2.3 million booked orders for 2011, an increase of $1.5 million, as
compared to 2010 booked orders of $0.8 million.